What to do in Mindo Cloud Forest Ecuador

Things to do in Mindo Cloud Forest Ecuador

Stretching over 48,000 acres (19,200 hectares) and reaching heights of 15,700 feet (4,778 meters), the Mindo Cloud Forest in Ecuador is one of the most biologically diverse forests in the world. The cloud forest is only an hour north of the capital city of Quito.

For our honeymoon, Logan and I went to Ecuador for two weeks. Most of our time was spent in the Galapagos Islands, so we only had 3 days on the mainland. The Mindo Cloud Forest tour is on mainland Ecuador – just a 2-hour drive north of Quito. I was so excited about this tour because I wanted to see the hummingbirds! It turns out there’s much more to do/see than just the hummingbirds. We decided to take a tour because of our time constraints, but you can visit Mindo on your own as well.

Here’s my experience with what to do in Mindo Cloud Forest Ecuador

How to Get to Mindo Cloud Forest

There are four ways to get to Mindo Cloud Forest. The first is by taxi, which you can take from Quito. The taxi will cost around $20 one way. The second is you can drive yourself, just make sure you have a car that can make it over very bumpy dirt roads.

There is private transportation to Mindo which offers hotel pickup/drop off, for the same price you can go on a private tour to Mindo, which is what Logan and I chose to do. You can also visit the Mindo cloud forest by local transportation, specifically by bus.

Things to do in Mindo Cloud Forest Ecuador

Depending on the time you have, there are plenty of things to do in Mindo. We had one day and were able to see butterflies, and hummingbirds, go on a chocolate tour, and do a waterfall hike. You’ll have the opportunity to choose among several activities: a waterfall hike, ziplining, and chocolate making. Or, visit a butterfly farm and marvel at the flora. Round-trip transport is provided from Quito; activities are extra.

1. Feed the Hummingbirds in Mindo Cloud Forest

Feeding the hummingbirds at Punto Ornitológico Mindo was perhaps one of the coolest things I’ve ever done. Before this trip, I’d seen maybe 3-5 hummingbirds in my entire life. In Mindo – I saw dozens, more than I’d ever seen. They would land on my hand to drink the nectar, and I could feel the wind their tiny wings gave off. It was an experience I highly recommend – especially if you’ve never seen these cuties before. Since we were on a private tour, we had the whole garden to ourselves, so the birds just surrounded us.

PRO TIP: Before you embark on any activities – USE BUG SPRAY. While we were at the hummingbirds, I was eaten alive by some type of mosquito, and accumulated over 35 bites on my legs within 15 minutes. After I used the bug spray I was fine, Logan chose not to use any and walked away with OVER 80 bites by the end of the day. So either wear pants or use the spray before your activities. **If you use spray – make sure you visit the butterfly sanctuary first – without spray on, because they will land on you and could be poisoned.

2. Visit the Mariposas!

Another favorite of mine was visiting the mariposas (butterflies)! Mindo has 1200 species of butterflies, sadly many of them are in danger of extinction. At the Butterfly Conservatory, we had the opportunity to learn the whole process of metamorphosis of butterflies, which consists of 4 phases: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly. The conservatory protects the endangered species while they go through their metamorphosis into a butterfly – where they are then released out into the wild.

3. take a Chocolate or Coffee Tour

If you love chocolate and coffee as much as I do – then make sure you go on a tour of the different farms. The Chocolate Tour in Mindo, Ecuador is approximately 60 min long. They’ll show you the process from growing the cocoa to eating the chocolate. My favorite part was the chocolate tasting. They provided a tray with different cocoa levels and flavors. I’m a big dark chocolate fan and enjoyed them so much, I bought a bag to take home with me.

Funny story – the Mindo Chocolate Makers owner is from Ecuador, but went to school in Ann Arbor Michigan, just a half hour away from our home! He loved Ann Arbor so much that he opened up a chocolate-making shop in Michigan too!

4. Waterfall Hiking & Swimming

There are 7 Mindo waterfalls in the Ecuador cloud forest. There are countless things to do in Mindo, but one of the most popular activities is to visit the seven Mindo waterfalls in the Waterfall Sanctuary (Santuario de Cascadas). The hiking paths twist through the forest, going up and down beautiful paths offering views of the Tangaras Reserve and Mindo Valley. To get to the waterfalls you must take the “Tarabita” (Cable tram) across the valley.

There are several paths to get to different waterfalls including a short 1.5-hour hike to the waterfall above. But the most popular hike is the waterfall circuit. It’s one trail that leads you to several waterfalls the further you go down the trail. This is nice because you can always turn back after one or two falls if your legs get tired, instead of having to complete the full circuit. And of course – the best part is you get to swim in the waterfalls! So make sure you pack a swimsuit.

5. Ziplining in Mindo Cloud Forest

Go ziplining in the canopies of the Mindo Cloud Forest with 13 zip lines of different lengths that range from 20 to 400 mts and various characteristics for all adventure seekers. If you wish to do this activity make sure you plan for at least half a day to complete it – that might mean not visiting one of the other activities if you only have one day.

6. White Water Rafting

Rafting is an adventure activity known worldwide, it consists of going down the river in the direction of flow (downstream), usually on some kind of floating device. The most common are boats, canoes, or kayaks. Some might even use tubes. Usually, the rivers that are visited for this activity have some degree of turbulence. The term “white water” comes from the white color of the foam generated by the turbulence in the water. The locals love visiting from Quito and float down the river with big groups of friends.

Tips for Visiting Mindo Cloud Forest in Ecuador