Ecuador’s Highlands

Ecuador’s highlands are well-situated to deliver a high-impact tropical experience! The superposition of the Andes overtop the Equator has allowed for a massive proliferation of biodiversity as different life forms are found at different altitudes, and the barrier the mountains themselves form means that some wildlife is found on one side of the mountains and not on the other.

Just a short drive from the highland capital of Quito lay the Tandayapa Valley and Mindo Cloud Forest Reserve. These areas on the west slope of the Andes are hotspots for endemic birds and are arguably the world’s best places to observe hummingbirds! The trees are draped in mosses, bromeliads, and orchids. The spectacular lek of male Andean Cock-of-the Rocks is an ongoing phenomenon, and the nearby Maquipucuna Cloud Forest offers the chance to observe endangered Spectacled Bears feeding on fruiting trees.

Traversing Quito southward, we visit the highland páramo grasslands at Antisana Ecological Reserve, watching for hardy Andean Condors patrolling the skies with a backdrop of snow-capped peaks. Our adventure continues as we cross to the Andes’ east slope and gradually descend, delving into the moist foothills around Wildsumaco. Rising slightly in altitude again, we come to Isidro Lodge, which is famous for bird and mammal diversity.

If you wish to have an even fuller Ecuador experience, consider visiting the Amazon Lowlands during an optional post-trip extension.