Cayambe Coca National Park & Guango Cloud Forest Lodge.

Our nature experience starts at 5:00am, with a pickup from your hotel in Quito. We will drive to the eastern slopes of the Andes and start exploring the Paramo Grasslands and the Polylepis Woodland towards the heart of the Cloud Forest of Guango, in the Cayembe Coca Nature Reserve.

Stunning landscapes await you here. If the visibility is good, we will see the snowed peaks of Antisana and Cotopaxi volcanoes. After the drive, we will take a leisurely walk along the old road to Pifo, searching Black-backed Bush Tanagers, Paramo Seedeaters, Shining Sunbeams, Viridian Metaltails, Brown-backed Chat Tyrants, Tawny Antpittas, White-chinned Thistletails, Chestnut-winged and Stout-billed Cinclodes, Pale-naped Brushfinches.

Other targeted species here are Giant Conebills, Roufous-bellied Seedsnipes, Rainbow-bearded and Blue-mantled Thornbills. With luck, we may also see Andean bears and Mountain tapirs.

Lunch will be at Guango Lodge, where we can see at close distance the impressive Sword-billed Hummingbird, along with the Collared Inca, Tourmaline Sunangel, White-bellied Woodstart, and the Long-tailed Sylph.

After lunch, we will take a short walk close to the river to seek Lacrimose and Hooded Mountain Tanagers, Blue-and-black Tanagers, Black-capped Hemispingus, Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucans, Inca-Jays, Slaty Brushfinches, Pearled Treerunners, and the Mountain Cacique. We may also be treated with the sight of the unique Torrent Duck, after a great day birding, we will start heading back towards Quito.

Elevation: Cayambe Coca at 4,000m /  13,120ft. Guango Lodge at 2,700m/8,850ft.

This trip is a lifetime experience, you will have many excellent opportunities to photograph colorful birds, other animals—and stunning landscapes—so don’t forget your camera!