Planning a Chocó cloud-forest week
The Chocó bioregion packs more endemic birds into a short elevation gradient than almost anywhere on Earth, and Mindo, Ecuador puts you two hours from Quito and inside it. When to go The Chocó is a year-round destination — there is no true dry season, and the birds do not migrate away. Cloud and drizzle are the point: they are what make the forest what it is. A sensible week Days 1–2: Mindo valley — antpitta feeders, tanager flocks, and your first hummingbird overload. Days 3–4: Higher up toward Mashpi and the Tandayapa ridge for cloud-forest endemics. Days 5–6: A lower, wetter site for a different cast entirely.
Pair it with a resident guide who knows which feeders are active that week. Find a Chocó guide →