BEST OF MINDO (ECUADOR) IN 3 DAYS
The town San Carlos in the Mindo Valley, mostly known as Mindo is a small village in the cloud forests of Ecuador. Being situated in a relatively low elevation of 1250 m on the western slope of the Andes it’s a transitional landscape between the mountains and the tropical rainforest. The region is of extraordinary biodiversity and you can find a myriad of animals here. It’s a Mekka for bird observation and offers many outdoor activities for both ends of the adventure spectrum. After you’ve got your Adrenalin rush from Ziplining, Rafting and the “Tarzan Swing” you can calm your soul with two beautiful hikes through the cloud forest. Mindo is definitely more than a daytrip and I would recommend to stay for 3 days in this small but mighty village.
Important Information
Be aware that it rains a lot in Mindo and there isn’t really a dry season. I’ve been there in the “dry season” and it was raining every afternoon. At least the weather is rather predictable. It’s sunny in the morning, becomes cloudy around noon and in the afternoon it starts to rain. The rain can last anything from a few hours to the rest of the day. However, the rain is part of the experience in Mindo and I would recommend to find a cozy place to stay where you can chill in a hammock, protected from the rain and listen the calming sounds of drops touching the leaves every afternoon.
Be aware that there are NO ATMs in Mindo. If you forget to bring cash from Quito you will have to take a cab to San Miguel de los Bancos, which is about 22 km away and it takes half an hour to get to. A very unnecessary detour that costs you around 10 – 20 $ and at least an hour of time. Calculate your budget carefully and don’t assume that cards are accepted anywhere. They usually aren’t. You can find an estimated budget at the end of the post.
How to get there
The most sensible way to reach Mindo from Quito is to combine it with a visit of Mitad del Mundo, which is right on the way to Mindo. You can find the precise description on how to do that in my Quito post (click here). Otherwise, you can jump into the bus at “Terminal Terrestre La Ofelia” which is the only bus station in Quito hosting a connection to Mindo. The price is 3.50 $ and the ride takes about 2 hours. Be aware that there are multiple buses going to Mindo but only some drive to the actual town. I accidentally jumped into the one that only stops by the roadside, which is around 6.4 km away from the actual town. It’s not too big of a deal though, because there are cabs already waiting for you that take you down to the village for 2 – 3 $.
Where to stay
I stayed at “The Temple” which is run by Paula, an Argentinian expat. I like the atmosphere of the house and the garden. The best thing is the sweet little kitten running around there and always looking forward to cuddles. However, it isn’t located optimally and only cash is accepted. The included breakfast is very basic, but the coffee is great.
DAY 1: Butterfly Sanctuary & Seven Waterfalls Hike
Today you can visit the Butterfly Reserve “Hosteria Mariposas de Mindo” and get in touch with some of the most beautiful butterflies in the world as well as some of the biggest ones, that are considerably bigger than a human hand. To get there just get a cab (3 $), because walking there isn’t reasonable. There is fermented banana all over the sanctuary where you can dip your fingers in and attract the butterflies. They can “taste” that you have banana on your finger with their feet and are going to stay there considerably long, once you managed to attract them. You can take hilarious pictures by putting a butterfly on your nose, especially if it’s one of the big species. The entrance fee to the sanctuary is 7.50 $ and includes some explanations by a guide, before you enter the space where you can find the actual butterflies. It’s a hefty fee in my opinion considering the price of other activities in South America, but I’d still say it was worth it.
Afterwards, you can walk a tiny stretch back the road you came from and reach the Cable Car. If you’re looking for an exciting and unique way to experience the beauty of the rainforest, consider taking the Teleferico and Tarabita cable cars here. The Teleferico will take you up to the mountain, where you can then hop on the Tarabita, a yellow basket shaped cable car that travels hundreds of meters over the rainforest. The round trip for both cable cars is only 13 $ per person, a small price to pay for the breathtaking views you’ll experience.
Once you reach the top, you’ll have the opportunity to hike along seven waterfalls, with the most spectacular one being the Reina waterfall (Route 2). However, I recommend taking the route that includes five of the smaller waterfalls (Route 3), as it covers a greater area of the rainforest and gives you plenty of opportunities to swim. If you have time left, you can also visit the Nambillo Waterfall (Route 1), which is around 20 min one-way from the cable car station. The hikes are not too difficult, but it does take about 2-3 hours to cover the majority of the area. Just be sure to start your hike early enough so that you don’t have to rush, as the Tarabita cable car closes at 4 PM. If you miss it, there is still the opportunity to walk back to the main road through the “Sendero Auxiliar” path. However, that’ll take at least an hour. If you then happen not to find a cab once you arrive at the road, it will require you to partially walk in the dark back to Mindo, which is why I wouldn’t recommend that. You can find a map of the hiking paths on the right.
Overall, the Teleferico and Tarabita cable cars offer a unique and thrilling way to explore the beauty of the rainforest. Whether you’re an experienced hiker or just looking to take in the stunning views, this is an experience you won’t want to miss. If you started your day early enough, you would return to Mindo right when the rainfalls start and can enjoy a relaxed afternoon and evening.
If you want to do this day of activities after you just arrived in Mindo from Quito, you might have to do the hike during the afternoon, which most likely means rain. In my opinion, this is the only outdoor activity worth doing while its raining. You are going to be wet anyways due to swimming in the waterfall pools and it is really fun to just hike in bathing shorts through the rainforest while its raining. I actually really liked that 
DAY 2: Bird Observation, Adventure Activities and a Frog Concert
If you’re an early riser and love birdwatching, then make sure to wake up at around 5 AM the next day to take part in bird observation in Mindo. The activity starts at 6 AM and lasts for about 2 hours. During my visit, I was able to see a variety of birds including toucans and hummingbirds, which I even got to feed with sugar water from my own hand.
One of the highlights of birdwatching in Mindo is the chance to see the cock-of-the-rock, a beautiful and colorful bird that is mostly found in this location. Whether you’re an avid birder or just enjoy the beauty of nature, this is an activity you definitely should attend and is the number one thing to do in Mindo. I got this activity organized through my accommodation for just 15 $ and it was very much worth the price and time.
Later in the day, I recommend taking part in some adventure activities. One great option is to visit the ziplining park, where you can do a tarzan swing and zipline across the rainforest on 10 different lines, including two that are particularly fast. I perceived the ziplining park as quite reliable and the price for both the ziplining and tarzan swing is only 18 $. This is an exciting and thrilling way to experience the beauty of the rainforest and get your adrenaline pumping. Without the tarzan swing the price is around 12 $ and it gets even cheaper, if you decide to only do the 4 line park. However, I recommend doing the 18 $ package. Be aware, that there are two different ziplining parks in Mindo and only one of them has the tarzan swing, called “Mindo Canopy Adventure”. Be sure to choose the right one when you book the activity at one of the tourist offices in Mindo.
If you have time and budget you can also take part in “Tubing” which is basically rafting along a river in big donut-shaped tubes. The price is completely dependent on the number of people you are doing it with, but it isn’t very expensive either at prices below 10 $ when you are 3-4 people.
In the evening you can join the “Frog Concert”. There are some spots around Mindo, where there are hundreds of frogs that will give their voice to their best at dusk. The price is around 10 $ per person. I decided to take part in a night forest tour instead for 15 $ per person, but I wouldn’t recommend that. Honestly, we didn’t see much, except for a few insects that apparently are only visible at night. This is an activity much worthier in the Amazon rainforest than here and I’ve heard good things about the frog concert, so I’d rather opt for that.
DAY 3: Hiking the Yellow House Trail, Chocolate Factory Visit & Return to Quito
Hacienda San Vincente, also known as the Yellow House, is a great destination for a hike in the Mindo Valley. The property offers a main trail and five additional trails, all of which start and end at the main trail. For a shorter hike, start at the Yellow House and take the main trail until you reach the upper end of trail 3. This trail offers beautiful views over the Mindo Valley. Then continue to hike trails 2 and 1 on your way back to the Hacienda.
If you’re looking for a longer hike, continue on to trails 4 and 5. These trails are not as clearly marked and will take you through dense forests, so be sure to have an offline map on your phone and pay attention to your surroundings. Don’t forget to bring water and snacks, and make sure to let someone know your plans in case of any emergencies. A small fee of 5 $ is required to access the trails, and you will receive a map of the property upon payment. Though the hike is nothing extraordinary, it is still very much worth a visit.
Afterwards, you can visit a chocolate factory, if you’re interested in that. The tour takes about an hour and costs 8 – 12 $, depending on which chocolate factory you decide to visit. Booking in advance is not necessary. Since I’ve visited a chocolate factory before, I skipped this activity.
Now you can either spend another day in Mindo or continue to travel. In my case I kept going to the Cotopaxi Volcano. For that, I took a bus back to Quito and proceeded to the Quitumbe terminal (South Quito Terminal) to catch a bus to Latacunga.
Budget
As always, account for 10 $ per day for food and 12 $ per night. With 10 $ round-trip transportation costs from and to Quito you end up needing 64 $ of basic costs. Now you need to add the activities you want to engage in:
- Butterfly Sanctuary (Mariposario) + Transportation 11 $
- Teleferico & Tarabita cable cars round-trip 13 $
- Early Morning Bird Observation 15 $
- Ziplining & Tarzan Swing 18 $
- Tubing (10 $)
- Frog Concert 10 $
- Yellow House Trail Entry 5 $
- Chocolate Factory Visit 10 $
If you do all activities, you end up at 92 $ for activities, meaning total costs of 156 $ per person. Personally, I spent 140.60 $ excluding some souvenirs I bought and I did neither the tubing nor the chocolate factory visit. Also, I stayed an extra night in Mindo and did some cooking instead of eating out. Overall, I would recommend taking around 180 $ of cash per person with you from Quito, just to be safe, since there are no ATMs in Mindo.
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