Location: Quito
Top Things to do in Quito
Top 10 Nature & Wildlife Areas in Quito, Pichincha Province
With a rich pre-Colombian history, Ecuador's capital was founded on the ruins of an Incan city but offers everything a modern traveler might need. It remains the least-altered historic center in Latin America and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Quito’s important sites include baroque gems like San Francisco and Santo Domingo monasteries, as well as La Compañía church and college. This huge city sprawls across a breathtaking Andean valley surrounded by volcanic peaks.
Restaurants in Quito
1. Illiniza Ecological Reserve
2. La Escondida Farm
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 13 reviews
La Escondida provides a variety of activities. Guests can horseback ride, mountain bike or hike as well; beginners, intermediate and advance riders are all very welcome We offer rides from 1 to 12 days by unique trails with stoning views, rides around active volcanoes, Paramos, cloud forest and coastal area. Each day will bring you new experiences and opportunities to learn more about Ecuador,
Reviewed By Excursion590610
My sister and I spent a truly amazing day riding in Cotopaxi nat park. Fernando picked us up from our hotel in Quito at 8 in the morning. It took a little more than an hour to get to Cotopaxi. On the way we stopped a couple of times at scenic places. Once arriving at the national park, another guide (who's name I unfortunately have forgotten, sorry about that) was already saddling the horses. We got warm ponchos and long leather chaps, and Fernando even lent his hat and gloves to my sister! The horses were good, the weather was great. We (we=my sis & I, Fernando and the other guy) rode for a couple of hours in most beautiful landscapes, crossed rivers, saw wild horses, had lunch at a beautiful pond at the side of the snowcapped volcano, and then rode back to the parks gate for another 1,5 hours. Everything was just perfect! We were back at the hotel around four a clock.
3. Fundacion de Conservacion Jocotoco
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2 reviews
4. Pasochoa Forest Reserve
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 93 reviews
Located on the slopes of an extinct volcano, this 1,000-acre park features a vast range of trees, orchids, bromelias, ferns and more than one hundred species of birds.
5. Maquipucuna Reserve
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 150 reviews
Maquipucuna is the closest and largest cloud forest reserve close to Quito. Besides guided tours to watch hundreds of birds, insects, orchid species and Yumbo culture vestiges, it's a unique site that offers easy to moderate trails to access forests where the endangered Andean Spectacled Bears congregate around mass fruiting of wild avocadoes. Andean bear season in 2019 is expected to happen sometime between October and December. Past visitors have sighted up to 14 different bears in two days. Maquipucuna is a birdwatchers paradise too - during the last world bird-count day, our guides sighted 157 species. Internationally awarded Maquipucuna Ecolodge within a 15,000 acres Maquipucuna Reserve located only 2 hours away from Quito. Maquipucuna is a private biodiversity haven for 10% of Ecuador's plant diversity and 4% of all the bird species known for the entire planet! Maquipucuna is an Important Bird Area (IBA) heart of the Choco Andino Biosphere Reserve as designated by UNESCO.
6. Cuyabeno Lodge
7. Yanacocha Reserve
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 30 reviews
Reviewed By Sarracenia - Norman, United States
Visited this preserve near Quito with a tour organized by Nature Tours. Thus is a good company to keep in mind if you are interested in nature oriented tours. Our multilingual guide was excellent. Fue to the traffic in Quito it takes about an hour to get to the reserve. They are open from 7-3:30. Locals pay $3 and foreigners pay $15. The reserve is part of a group of private reserves throughout the country run by the Jocotoco foundation. It is best to get there early since the afternoons can be cloudy, cold and windy. There are bathrooms near the entrance as well as hummingbird feeders,then the trail continues for about 1.5 mikes to another area with hummingbird feeder. As you walk the trail you can admire the beautiful flowers, great views, birds and interesting vegetation. Keep in mind that the reserve is at about 11500 feet and so are the trails. I would recommend to try to become acclimated to high elevations before coming here to avoid altitude sickness. There is a small restaurant with pretty good food (you may want to preorder your lunch at the entrance). Near the restaurant there is s small but good interpretive center but unfortunately everything is in Spanish. There are posters depicting the more common birds you are likely to see in the areas with feeders. There are other trails that get you into the forest (main trail is wide and more exposed), but you have to allow time to take those trails. A tour is probably a good way to visit this preserve, they pick you up at you hotel and fro you off and you get a guided tour as well as lunch. The hummingbird feeders attract many species of hummingbirds and there are areas near the feeders that have water and fruits for other birds. If you go take a hat, sunglasses, windbreaker or light jacket, suntan lotion and good walking shoes. Dress in layers as it can be cold then hot and then cold again. If you really want to appreciate the birds it ya best to bring binoculars. This is a well-run place that is helping to preserve a habitat that is rapidly disappearing. A worthwhile place to visit.
8. El Jardin Alado
9. El Pahuma Orchid Reserve
10. Andean Mount
Live memorable experiences of adventure, hiking, climbing and high-level mountaineering. The best expedition of your life! Vive experiencias memorables de aventura, senderismo, escalada y montañismo de alto nivel. La mejor expedición de tu vida!
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