Following the Mammals Prints

Tour

This is an unique and wonderful expedition that gives you the opportunity to enjoy of the amazing wildlife of Ecuador while you hike through its different ecosystems. The main aim of this trip is to support the project for the conservation of the spectacled bear and its natural habitat and to let the people know of the incredible mammals that you can find in Ecuador. 

SPECTACLED-BEAR

Itinerary

10 DAYS / 9 NIGHTS

 DAY 1: ARRIVAL TO QUITO, ECUADOR

Arrival to Quito, where you will be met at the airport by our guide and transferred to your hotel, overnight.

2 Quito colonial panecillo 2

DAY 2: QUITO - YANACOCHA RESERVE - TANDAYAPA

After breakfast you will drive to the northwest of Quito to visit Yanacocha Reserve, located in the high cloud forest on Pichincha’s volcano at 11,300ft. The reserve protects 964 hectares of forest which is home to the endemic hummingbird Black-breasted Puffleg (Eriocnemis nigrivestis). As far as you are aware, the reserve contains the entire world range of this very rare hummingbird. Birds in this area may include Black-collared Jay, Barred Fruiteater, Hooded and Scarlet-bellied and the Choco Endemic Black-chested Mountain-Tanagers.
 

VELVET P. CORONET tamano 2

Box lunch on route and you will continue your trip to reach to Bellavista Lodge, time to rest and at night you will have the opportunity to see the first new carnivore species discovered in the western hemisphere for 35 years, the Olinguito; dinner and overnight.

(B,BL,D)

 

DAY 3: ANGEL PAZ: PAZ DE LAS AVES RESERVE - MAQUIPUCUNA RESERVE

Early in the morning, after a cup of hot coffee, you will visit the famous Paz de las Aves Refuge where you will have the opportunity to have one of the most amazing experiences, visiting the cock of the rock lek, where, during the breeding season, the males produce a special sound and fly like real acrobats waiting for the female to choose one of them to mate. Besides here it is possible to see four species of Antpittas, the Giant Antpitta, the Moustached Antpitta, Ochre bellied, and the Yellow Breasted Antpitta. Then you will visit the feeding station to see black chinned and blue winged mountain tanagers, toucan barbet, dusky piha, sickle winged guan, crimsom rumped toucanet, etc.Return to the main house of this reserve to enjoy of a typical breakfast of this region and keep birding to find a ocellated tapaculo being fed with worms, yellow vented woodpecker, powerfull woodpecker, crimsom mantled woodpecker, orange breasted fruiteater etc.

a cock o t rock.jpg

After this visit you will continue to Maquipucuna reserve, where you will have full afternoon to enjoy of this wonderful place. After dinner possible walk at night looking for nocturnal mammals, return to the lodge to overnight.

 

DAY 4: FULL DAY MAQUIPUCUNA RESERVE

Early in the morning, you will hike through the trails close to the lodge to observe some of the amazing birds of this place, where 350 bird species has been recorded like the Golden-headed Quetzal, Crimson-rumped Toucanet, Violet-tailed Sylph, and Broad-billed Motmot.

Also you can check the cameras to spot some mammals wildlife like: Long nosed Armadillo, Collared Pecari, Andean Puma, Andean Tapir, Andean Coati, Don Felipe´s Weasel, Dwarf deer, Opossums, Mountain paca, Andean porcupine.

ANdean Bear 2.jpg

Also, Maquipucuna is a unique spot in the Andes because a large population of the endangered Andean Spectacled Bear migrates annually to feed on its 'Pacche' trees. These trees bear lipid-rich wild avocado like fruits which are an important nutritious delicatessen that attract old and young bears as well as females with bear cubs. Return to the lodge to rest, diner and overnight.

 Sword-billed_hummingbird_-Guango2.jpg

DAY 5 : TRAVELLING TO CANANDÉ RESERVE

Early breakfast and search for more wildlife around the lodge, after an unforgettable expedition at Maquipucuna you will be ready to depart to Canande reserve.  Most of the drive is through degraded habitat and plantations, box lunch on route and late afternoon you will arrive to the lodge where you will dinner and overnight.

 

DAY 6: FULL DAY AT CANANDÉ RESERVE

After breakfast you will have full day to enjoy of the trails of Canande reserve and its surroundings, footprints and camera traps have allowed seeing four cat species such as Jaguar, Puma, Ocelot and Margay; also it has been recorded other species like: the Collared Peccary and Red Brocket Deer. Three species of monkeys are easily to see close to the lodge: the Mantled Howler monkey, Brown-headed Spider, and White-headed Capuchin.   Return to the lodge, dinner and overnight. About birding, some of the birds that you can see are: Chestnut-backed Antbirds, Broad-billed Sapayoa, Band-tailed Barbthroat, White-whiskered Puffbird, Blue-crowned Manakin, Ornate Hawk-eagle!, Gray-backed Hawk, Black-tipped Cotinga, Great Jacamars. Return to the lodge, dinner and overnight.

 

 DAY 7: CANANDÉ RESERVE - QUITO 

After an early breakfast you will have the last chance to enjoy of the trails of Canande reserve where if you are lucky you can find couple mammals species, colorful birds and reptiles. After this wonderful time in Canande you will return to Quito, box lunch on route and late afternoon you will arrive to your hotel close to the airport.

 

DAY 8: QUITO - ANTISANA ECOLOGICAL RESERVE - PAPALLACTA

After breakfast our naturalist guide will be waiting for you in order to depart to the Antisana Ecological Reserve that is located in the oriental slope of the Andes. This day with the help of a Ranger of this reserve you will walk in order to try to find a Tapir and other mammals and enjoy of the amazing landscape of the impressive Antisana volcano (5704 mts, 18.714 ft) This is an excellent place is home of endangered mammals species like the spectacled bear and the mountain tapir, among others like the white-tailed deer, rabbits, skunks, Andean fox, dwarf deer, puma and others.  Also in wilderness we can find large populations of sheep and horses. 

ANDEAN CONDOR.jpg

You will enjoy of a delicious box lunch on route and then you will depart to Guango Lodge where you will diner and overnight.

 

DAY 9: VISITING THE CAYAMBE - COCA RESERVE 

These day you will walk around Papallacta region that is part of Cayambe - Coca Ecological Reserve, another important protected zone, that has an approximate area of 400,000 hectares (1 million acres) composed mainly by páramo, primary forests, rivers and lagoons. lt is considered one of the protected areas of greatest animal and plant diversity in Ecuador.

 WHITE TAILED DEER copia.jpg

In the afternoon you will continue with your trip to San Isidro Lodge, it lies at an elevation of about 2,000m (6,800 ft.) above sea level, in a zone still mostly blanketed by extensive humid forest. This combination of factors offers you an agreeable temperature, exciting birds, and a diversity of other wildlife, including large mammals. Dinner and overnight

 

DAY 10: SAN ISIDRO LODGE AND ITS SURROUNDINGS

After breakfast you will visit The Loreto Road, officially known as the Jondachi-Hollín-Loreto-Coca Road that is famous for its birding opportunities. Some notable target birds along the upper Loreto Road include: Dark - breasted Spinetail, Ash-browed Spinetail, Montane Foliage-gleaner, Lined Antshrike, Foothill Antwren, Olivaceous Greenlet, Yellow-whiskered Chlorospingus, and Bronze-green Euphonia.Then you will visit Narupa reserve which protects a large block of eastern Andean foothill forest. Narupa has a growing list of birds that currently includes over 300 species. Five globally threatened species have been recorded, including its flagship species, the Cerulean Warbler, a long-distance migrant that breeds in eastern North America and spends the boreal winter in northwestern South America. In the afternoon you will visit the Cordillera de Los Huacamayos where you will walk through one of the specialized birdwatching trails. Here it is possible to see many different species and you will look for the black-billed mountain-toucan, white-bellied antpitta, spillmans tapaculo, bicolored antvireo, greater scythebill and the very local white-rimmed brush-finch among others. Late afternoon you will return to San Isidro Lodge, dinner and overnight.

 

DAY 11: SAN ISIDRO LODGE - QUITO 

After breakfast you will have full morning to walk through the trails of this lodge looking for some mammals species, specially the Mountain Tapir that is among the largest of neotropical mammals, weighing up to 550 pounds, but don’t worry, they are docile and vegetarian; it is really difficult to find them but with luck and patience, this is the best place anywhere else for seeing the rare form that inhabits in this area. Recently San Isidro has placed a couple of feeding stations near the cabins so you will have a great chance to see them from a overlook located close to the lodge. After a delicious lunch in the lodge you will return to Quito to your hotel.  Overnight.

 

DAY 12:  QUITO - HOME FLIGHT

After an unforgettable expedition in Ecuador full of nature and adventure you will be transferred to the airport to catch your international flight.

END OF THE SERVICES

Rates

 

PRICE PER PERSON 2024:
 
HOTELS CATEGORY 1
*Pax
2-3
Pax
4
Pax
5
Pax
6
Pax
7
Pax
8
Pax
Sing Sup
Tourist $6,942 $4,136 $3,630 $3,194 $2,945 $2,743 $2,580 $299
Tourist superior $7,029 $4,176 $3,670 $3,240 $2,990 $2,785 $2,620 $330
First Class $7,204 $4,276 $3,766 $3,329 $3,081 $2,879 $2,714 $399
PRICE PER PERSON 2025:
 
HOTELS CATEGORY 1
*Pax
2-3
Pax
4
Pax
5
Pax
6
Pax
7
Pax
8
Pax
Sing Sup
Tourist $6,964 $4,156 $3,660 $3,225 $2,967 $2,767 $2,665 $340
Tourist superior $7,105 $4,236 $3,723 $3,289 $3,045 $2,845 $2,682 $360
First Class $7,275 $4,312 $3,802 $3,366 $3,118 $2,917 $2,752 $445

*Pax: Passengers

Single Supplement under request

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Adventure lovers will be keen to explore the Ecuadorian Amazon or to climb one of the country’s volcanoes. This tiny country packs a lot of punch and this travel guide can help you make the most of your trip.

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Testimonials

Anne Roland Gifford / UK
2016-10-12, 16:44
Very pleased that you where able to accommodate us at such short notice. We were very happy with the itinerary and places we stayed where everyone was very welcoming. We will be happy to recommend you again.

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