|
|
|
|
|
|
 A2 CLOUDFOREST (5 days) This travel program of 5 days is for nature lovers as the cloudforest regions hold some of the highest biological diversity in the whole world. Located on the flanks of the Andes mountains, we visit various forests of different altitudes to discover their great variety of animals especially in birds and the many plants found there with beautiful flowers like orchids and bromeliads. Day 1 Arrival at Quito airport and transfer to hotel in Quito. Depending on your arrival time, visits to the old colonial center or another attraction in Quito are scheduled. Day 2 We start our nature excursion by driving to Pasochoa, a small private mountain cloud forest reserve, 30 km SE of Quito. The forest is situated in an old and eroded volcanic crater at around 2600m and is one of the few forests left on the inside flank of the Andes. It offers many interesting plants and it is also a well-known bird refuge, where many of those creatures can be observed. On well kept paths we hike through the forest inside the crater, admiring the rich flora and fauna. Coming back to the entrance, we visit a small interpretation center, where we have a quick look to learn a little bit of its ecosystem. In the afternoon we return then to Quito for the next night. Day 3 Today we leave the city and drive to Pahuma , a cloudforest reserve located one hour and a half northwest of Quito. On the way there we stop first at Ventanilla, the viewpoint of the Pululahua crater, where you have a breathtaking view of the entire front part of this gigantic volcanic caldera. On the bottom farms can be seen and this is one of few volcanoes in the world where actually people live and farm. Arriving at Pahuma, which is located at 2000m altitude, we visit first its orchid garden and hike then on steep trails through the forest to some waterfalls. On those trails we find many more interesting plants, like bromeliads or anthuriums. As this forest is located already much lower than Pasochoa, you will experience the different vegetation with much taller trees for example. We continue on then to Mindo where we spend the next night. Day 4 Mindo lies even lower than Pahuma at 1600m and is a world known region for bird watching. Early in the morning we hike along a dirt road through semi-open forest area. The open area gives us an excellent opportunity to see many kinds of birds, like toucans and quetzals. We also get to know its rich flora with different species of orchids, bromeliads, heliconias and many more. Before we head back to the town, we visit a butterfly breeding farm, where we learn all about the different stages of this beautiful creatures, from egg to larvae to pupae and adult. In a screened and confined flying area we are able to observe and admire 25 different species of butterflies. Afterwards we stop in Mindo for some late lunch and stop at a private orchid garden in town, where hundreds of the local species are on display. The owner will lead us on a tour and explain to us the characteristics of those beautiful flowers. Later we return to Quito. Day 5 Depending on your departure time, a visit to the old colonial center or to another sightseeing attraction in Quito are scheduled. Transfer to the airport and return to your country.
|
|
||||||
|
|
