A DAY’S ESCAPE FROM QUITO TO BELLAVISTA
A Day Trip to Bellavista is a perfect way of getting to know a subtropical rain forest, so close to Quito ! Why spend that spare day in the city when you could be hiking in a forest reserve, discovering colourful and unusual birds, or even relaxing in a hammock admiring the hummingbirds?
ITINERARY:
Departure: From your Quito hotel at 6.30 a .m. (suggested).
Arrival and breakfast at Bellavista: 8:30 a.m.
Guided Hike: 9:30H – 12:30h.
Lunch: 13:00h
Further explorations: 14:00h – 15:00 / 15.30h
Depart for Quito : 15:00 / 15.30h
Arrive in Quito : 17:00 / 17.30h
WHAT IS INCLUDED:
- Round trip transport from Quito .
- Breakfast and lunch.
- Guided naturalist hike within the reserve (botany, birds, cloud forest ecology)
We pick you up at your hotel at 6.30h, and travel past the Ecuador Monument , and on down a mountain road with superb views, and then turn off on a dirt road with more fabulous views for our climb to Bellavista.
Once at Bellavista, the hummingbirds take our full attention! Large numbers hover constantly round the feeders, and it is easy to identify six to ten species at very close range.
After breakfast we go for a guided naturalist hike into the forest, of about 2-2.5 hours duration.
Your guided hike will acquaint you with the exuberant vegetation of the Cloud Forest, its bird life, and the fascinating adaptations to life in this special environment. Every hike reveals something new even for those of us who are fortunate enough to live in the forest every day!
After your hike, a hearty lunch is served in our circular restaurant in the dome, with breathtaking views. After lunch, you have the option to relax and watch the hummers and admire the constantly changing play of cloud and light, or take yourselves on another hike into the forest. The trails are well marked and safe, and your vehicle will expect you back at the dome to leave between 3:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. to return you to Quito shortly before dusk.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Pick–up and drop-off times are flexible – please let us know what your timetable is, and we will adapt. Pick-up is from any Quito hotel, or from a host family home.
SERIOUS BIRDERS DAY TRIP VIA THE NONO ROAD
Should you be a serious birder, we offer the option to travel out via the famous Nono - Mindo road, arriving at Bellavista for a late lunch, and taking a packed breakfast from Quito . Departure is usually very early morning (we suggest 5- 5.30 a .m.) You will travel with a specialist bird guide in a 4-wheel drive, or high-clearance vehicle. One of the highlight stops en route will be at Yanacocha Reserve, where occasionally the endangered Black-breasted Puffleg hummingbird can be seen, and chances for Sword-billed Hummingbird and such species as Hooded Mountain-Tanager are high. You return to Quito late afternoon. Please enquire re costs.
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