Safari to the Bosque Nuboso

elusive mammals, but prodigious birding

Immediately to the west of Quito, the mountains rise dramatically, with steep forested slopes and deep ravines cloaked in dense tropical cloud forest.

Although many of these high valleys contain small-scale agriculture, there remain some pretty large areas of primary forest, much of which is now protected by a string of small reserves and conservation areas that comprise the Chocó Andean Corridor.

These reserves range in altitude between 900m (2900’) and 2785m (9100’), which leads to a huge diversity of ecosystems and species.

Some parts of these forests are incredibly beautiful, with ancient trees draped in mosses and lichens, narrow trails leading to secret waterfalls and dramatic views suddenly opening up through the swirling mists.

The biodiversity here is truly extraordinary, almost unmatched worldwide. As well as a lush flora packed with exotic bromeliads and orchids, there are almost countless species of birds, reptiles, butterflies and insects, along with various primates and other interesting but elusive mammal species.

Birding is the main draw, with over 500 recorded species, including exotic tanagers, strikingly coloured quetzals and endemic toucans. You may even catch sight of the elusive and iconic Andean cock of the rock, performing a courtship dance on his carefully-maintained lek. Most of the lodges have gardens with sugar feeders, enabling you to dozens of busy hummingbirds.

Other activities include visiting one of the area’s butterfly farms, tubing along the Rio Mindo and navigating a canopy zipline, as well as hiking, mountain-biking and horse-riding along the forest trails.

The area contains a handful of lodges, which can serve as bases. However none of them tend to be very reliable at delivering a strong wildlife experience, so it is particularly important to visit this area in the company of an experienced naturalist-guide.

The best time to visit the Bosque Nuboso is generally considered to be during the Jun-Sep dry season.

The Bosque Nuboso has a subtropical highland climate. Temperatures are almost constant year round, with the two seasons being largely defined by the variation in rainfall.

Being a cloud forest, the conditions up here can be a great deal cooler and more rainy than in Quito, from which the following data is derived …

During the Jun-Sep dry season conditions are usually warm and dry, with lots of sunshine. Average daytime temperatures usually reach around 21C/70F, with nighttime lows holding up around 16C/61F. Rainfall is relatively low, at around 25mm (1”) per month. Sunshine is up around 8 hours per day, which is around 70% of daylight hours.

During the Oct-May rainy season conditions are usually warm and wet, with more overcast skies. Average daytime temperatures usually reach around 21C/70F, with nighttime lows holding up around 16C/61F. Rainfall is relatively high, at around 100mm (4”) per month, rising to 175mm (7”) in Mar-Apr. Sunshine drops to around 6 hours per day, which is around 50% of daylight hours, but can be considerably lower during that core Mar-Apr period.

Fortunately the rainfall, especially during the wettest period Jan-May, is quite predictable, typically starting around 1400hrs and continuing for a couple of hours before clearing. It is therefore easy enough to plan each day to take this into account.

Getting there

The Bosque Nuboso area is located around 80 km (50 miles) northwest of the capital Quito and can easily be reached in around 90 minutes.

The Otavalo area lies about 50 km (30 miles) east from the Bosque Nuboso, so the three locations can easily be combined.

Where to stay

There are a handful of decent lodges in the Bosque Nuboso area, of which two are stand-out candidates, for very different reasons.

The lavish Mashpi Lodge is one of the most stylish and comfortable properties in Ecuador and would appear to be the natural choice for high-end trips into the area.

In fact it is often used instead of a visit to the Yasuni Amazon, since the lodges down there are nowhere near as comfortable.

For guests who are primarily interested in encountering spectacled bears, then the relatively simple Maquipucuna Lodge is the stand-out option

only one high quality lodge