Mindo is located in the cloud forest, 2 ½ hours away from Quito. It is very famous for bird watching, the chocolate tours and adventure sports. We decided to go to Mindo for a weekend, so we set off early in the morning to catch a bus from the Ofelia terminal in Quito.
We were lucky to get seats on the right hand side of the bus. We had read that it was on the right hand side that there are the nicest views, and it’s true! As we drove along we entered the cloud forest and observed the beautiful landscapes and flora.
When we arrived in the village center, we jumped off the bus and went hunting for a hostel. We found a really nice one up next to the “Colegio”, so we dropped our stuff off and walked around looking for lunch.
In the afternoon we went Zip-lining. We shot down quite a few lines, feeling very secure and with very kind guides. It was great fun. Up there you have the most spectacular views over the valley, the mountains… breathtaking! We spent about 2 hours up in the forest with a small group, enjoying the
zip-lining and the landscape.
After that we decided to walk back down to Mindo, across the forest. It was calm and we spot ten different flowers, small animals and butterflies (although we had no idea what we were really looking at, it was gorgeous).
Saturday was the last night of Mindo’s local annual party, so we were treated to a live concert and a lot of fun!
On the Sunday we decided to go canyoning down the waterfalls. After walking through the dense vegetation up to the top, our guide explained to us how we should go down and equipped us for it. Off we went down the waterfalls! The first one was 10m, the second 18m and the last 40m. We spent a great time in the forest, under the waterfalls…
After all that, it was time to eat (again!), and we found a restaurant with a terrace where we could have an “almuerzo” (local lunch with soup, rice, meat, juice).
We would have loved to do the chocolate tour and visit the orchid farm, but it was time to go back to Quito. Maybe some time soon we’ll have the chance to return to this little paradise and do a few more activities.
Want a day tour of Mindo with all the adventure? See our Mindo Day Tour.
Written by: Chesca Lonbay