Mindo - Ecuadorian Cloud Forest
Mindo is in the cloud forest in Ecuador. It is only two hours from Quito. Mindo is known for its Butterflies, hummingbirds, and lush landscape. You can visit the butterfly reserve where you can feed the butterflies. If you are lucky, you can see the hatching. The reserve is called Mariposas De Mindo.
Mindo is also known for its waterfalls, they are called Nambilla Cascadas. There are two different routes you can choose from; one big waterfall or many smaller ones. Bring your swimsuit you can swim inside the waterfalls!
If you love chocolate I recommend taking the chocolate tour at Elquetzal De Mindo. Other things you can do is canopy, frog concert, orchid tour and river rafting. Since it is a cloud forest it will most likely be foggy or even rainy. Bring rain boots, rain jacket, swimsuit and mosquito repellent.
This post contains affiliate links
How to get around
Many hotels and hotels have trusted taxis or drivers that are really cheap. You can also rent bikes you will find those in central Mindo.
If you have more time I recommend to take a short trip further west to a place called Mirador Del Rio Blanco in Los Bancos, where you can have lunch or dinner with a beautiful view of the river. It is also a hotel. You can also take this latter to get the best view. See picture below.
Where to stay in Mindo
Hostel: La Casa De Cecilia, Casa De Piedra or Biohostal Mindo Cloud Forest.
Hotel: Mindo Lago or ElQuetzal Hotel
Recommended stay is 1-2 days.
Mindo Lago
To celebrate the anniversary with my boyfriend, we went to the resort in Mindo called Mindo Lago. It is placed 10 minutes by foot before central Mindo. It is a lovely resort with private cabins. Mindo Lago is a perfect resort for couples and it is affordable. At 6:30 pm you can experience The Frog Concert around the resort, where you walk with a guide looking for frogs and other bugs. And you will of course hear their concert ;D
Frog
If you are lucky you might also see a snake :D
After the Frog Concert, we ate dinner on a "boat" in the middle of the lake at the resort. Truly magical. If you want to do this, make sure to book it at the same as you book the room or check in.
_mg_1665
It was definitely one of the best places I have stayed. Very peaceful in a natural environment. The resort is build in an ecological way and the frogs came there naturally.
How to get to Mindo
By car: I recommend using the Waze App by typing in Mindo, Pichincha and drive towards Mitad del Mundo and continue west towards Nanegalito.
Bus: To take the bus to Mindo from Quito, you have to get to the bus station north of the city called La Ofelia. The bus stop is farther in the station and you need to buy a ticket before you go on.
Tip: You SHOULD bring bug repellent and use it over your body at least two times a day. There are a lot of bugs around Mindo and be aware there are also spiders around, but they are not dangerous.
Related: Hottest travel items for 2017
