Discover the diversity of Ecuadorian nature

Mindo is a little city with only one avenue where you have all restaurants of the city and tourism agencies. It's a small city but you can do a lot of activities (observing birds, hiking, cannyoning...). 

Here are the activities that I have done and that I recommend to you : 

• Mariposas de Mindo

The Mariposas of Mindo is at 30 min of walk from the center but you can also order a taxi to go there. It's a a glasshouse to show a lot of butterflies and to make them reproduce. But before to go inside this glasshouse you have some explanations on the birth, the reproduction and the life of a butterfly. It's really beautiful because there is a lot of butterflies and there is some installations to show you every step of the birth of a butterfly. But the place sin't big and sometimes there is too much people, what might bother you. 

You just need two hours to go, discover the place, and come back to the center of Mindo. The price of the entry is 10$. 

• Tarabita and the sanctuary of waterfalls

The sanctuaire of waterfalls is a hike with three different paths who permit you to discover seven waterfalls at total. Depending on how much time you have you can choose to do only one or two paths, but if you want to do the three paths plan five hours to do it.  This hike sin't hard, just don't forget your repulsive and to wear long clothes because there is a lot of mosquitoes. More of that take choose, you don't care because you will have to cross small rivers to access certain waterfalls There is a little bar just after the tarabita, where you can eat and drink, prices are not expensive. 

The tarabita, it's a way to acceed at the sanctuary it's like a wagon attached to a cable that allows you to pass over the forest. To take it you need to pay 5$. After to see waterfalls it's free. 

This place is a little bit far away from the center so you can take a taxi and give him an hour to take you back to Mindo, or you can walk for 40 minutes to go there. 

• Yumbos chocolate

It's a little place in the center where you can taste a lot of different chocolates and see how they make it for 8$. The visit start by a real hot chocolate (100% cacao), taste the cacao fruit and talk about the cacao and its cultivation/exploitation. 

After the guide will show you all the process to make the chocolate. Finally, you will finish with a tasting of ten different chocolates (different percentage of chocolate, different flavor). 

This activity will take you two hours. 

• Observation of birds

This activity start at 6am and finish at 10am, you have to book it with a tourism agency, the more you are the less you will pay per person. I really loved this activity, because you start early in the morning to see all king of birds. And it's really funny how you can be focus to see everything in a really calm part of the forest. If you are lucky, and if the weather is good, you can see a lot of different birds !

At the end of the activity your guide will drive you to the ornithological point where you will have a incredible experience. After 10 minutes of observation, the guide will give you a cap with water for the hummingbirds to come and drink from your han. I can promise you it's incredible to see a hummingbird so close of you ! You can go directly to this point and it's really cheaper, and it's the best part ! But, it was really good too to be attentive to every movement to see as many birds as possible ! 

• Zip Line

The Zip line offer you a beautiful view over the Cloud Forest and the impression to fly over it. There is two options, you can do the little way (4 Zipline) or the big one (10 Zipline), the coast for the big one is 20$. 

You will take the Zipline in every positions that instructors will give you to have more sensation. To do the big way plan one hour and a half. 

To go to this place take a taxi or you can walk for 30 minutes from the center. This activity is cool but the price seems a bit expensive for the time it will take you.

Otavalo is a typical city of Ecuador famous for his typical market on the saturday. This little city is surrounded by Lakes but most of them are not set up to go around. There is two hike who are interesting close to Otavalo, one to the waterfall Peguche and one around the Cuicocha Lagoon. 

• Peguche waterfall

This waterfall is in a park where you have a lot of paths, a place to camp, a little "village" to eat or drink. You can access to this place by taxi or you can walk for 30 minutes from the center to go there. The price of the entry in the park is 2,5$. 

You have different point of view on the cascade, some paths to go just next to the waterfall, to go above the waterfall, ... 

• Cuicocha Lagoon

This hike was really beautiful, you have a path of 10 kilometers around the lagoon. If it's sunny the water is blue turquoise and if it's cloudy you can see the different colors of the water. So beautiful ! The trails are well marked, you won't be able to get lost, so you can enjoy it in peace !

To go there you have to take a bus from Otavalo to Quiroga, and after take a jeep to the lagoon. Pay attention the lagoon is closed one the monday. And take a raincoat with you because the wether can change every 20 minutes. When I was there I've been through all kinds of wether (Sun, rain, cloud). 

There you have some little restaurants and shops to buy some memories of the lagoon. I advise you to go in the morning because normally this part of the day is sunny. In the middle of the lagoon there is two islands that you can see more closely with boat who are going around the lagoon. Enjoy this hike and this beautiful view on the lagoon !