DAY TRIP: 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 while admiring the hummingbirds?
ITINERARY:
- Departure from your hotel in Quito at 6:30 AM or earlier
- Arrival and breakfast at Bellavista
- Guided Hike
- Lunch
- Further explorations
- Depart for Quito: 3 PM
- Arrive in Quito at around 5 - 5:30 PM
WHAT IS INCLUDED:
- Round trip transport from/to Quito.
- Breakfast and lunch.
- Naturalist guided hike within the reserve (botany, birds, cloud forest ecology, natural history).
We pick you up at your hotel at 6.30 AM, and travel past the Ecuador Monument, drive 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 around 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 of about 2-2.5 hours duration, into our forests.
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 at 3 PM to return
you to your hotel in Quito or the airport.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Pick–up and drop-off times can be flexible – please enquire for extra fees for special transfers. 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 - Tandayapa - Mindo road, arriving at
Bellavista for a late lunch, and taking a packed breakfast
from Quito . Departure is usually at 5:30 AM. Can - or not- include a specialist
bird guide. One
of the highlight stops en route will be at Yanacocha Reserve (Black-breasted Puffleg
hummingbird and Sword-billed
Hummingbird). Please enquire for special rates
