3-day Cloud Forest Tour
US$355 per person
Enjoying the birds and the cloud forest for three days is a dream come true. The 3-day tour at Refugio Paz de las Aves starts from the moment you arrive at our lodge. First, you will meet the Paz family who will make your stay unforgettable.
Day 1:
- Check In: Your room will be available at 2pm. We can immediately start lookig for birds!
- 2pm – 6pm: We start with a short walk to observe the most exotic bird in Mindo, the Andean Cock of the Rock and other birds like tanagers, quetzal, and quail.
- 6h30pm: We will go to our restaurant to enjoy a home-cooked dinner.
- 5h50am: We will wake early to begin our adventure, a second observation of Andean Cock of the Rock. If you were surprised in the afternoon, the morning viewing will be even more amazing. The birds are even more active, with courtship often lasting until about 7 am.
- 7h30am: When the observation of the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock is finished, we start looking for antpittas, one of the most difficult birds in the world to observe. In our reserve, we often see 5 different species of antpittas; two of them are endangered, Giant Antpitta and Moustached Antpitta.
- 09h00am: Surely you are wondering about breakfast by now. After observing the antpittas, we will go to the restaurant to have breakfast. It is the best breakfast in Ecuador. It includes fruit, bolón de verde (a fried, green plantain dumpling), empanada de viento, and coffee.
- 11h00am: After breakfast, we will identify tanagers, toucans, 14 species of hummingbirds, and other birds that visit our feeders.
- 01h30pm: Lunch will be ready. Our chefs Diana and Maria will surprise you with one of our homemade meals.
- 03h00pm: After lunch, you will have free time until mid-afternoon when your private guide will accompany you to observe fruit-eating birds, guans, and other species living in the cloud forest.
- 07h00pm Likely having seen over 50 species of birds in a day, we will head to the restaurant for a delicious, home-cooked dinner.
- 08h00pm: When you have finished dinner, Angel Paz, the Antpitta Man, will accompany you to look for owls and other creatures of the night like frogs. One of the species we will be looking for is the Colombian Screech-owl.
- 06h30am Our guide will be ready to continue increasing the number of species on your check list. We will start by making a stop to see birds attracted to moths that gather near our nightlights. We can usually see between 10-20 different species of birds feeding on insects and moths.
- 08h00am: After a glorious morning spotting several species of birds, we will have breakfast and then look for one of the most beautiful and rare species of birds to observe, Ocellated Tapaculo.
- 09h00am: We will start our adventure, walking 35-40 minutes into the cloud forest where the Ocellated Tapaculo lives. When you lay eyes on this bird, you understand what I am talking about.
- 12h00pm: After a long walk where we will hopefully see other birds along the way, we will return for a final, goodbye lunch.
- 01h00pm: Check Out
