Private Tour
Papallacta Pass - Cayambe Coca National Park & Guango Cloud Forest Reserve
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
Take a day to awaken your senses in deep contact with nature. Papallacta is located 65 km (41 miles) east of Quito; it has a tundra-like habitat known as paramo in its upper part and montane humid forest below. Due to its location, on clear days it allows for breath-taking views of the Andean landscape. On the way, you'll stop at the Papallacta pass, one of the best spots for landscape photography and birdwatching in the area. Then you'll continue to Guango Cloud Forest Reserve where hummingbirds will take your full attention. The cloud forest concentrates the highest diversity of these winged jewels in the Americas. Today you'll experience different types of habitats from paramo grasslands to exuberant lush green vegetation all deep in the Andean subtropical zone.
**Available optional add-on: Finish your day with a soak in the therapeutic waters of the best thermal water complex in Ecuador: Papallacta Hot Springs
Additional Info
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
A small amount of walking is involved along trails with irregular terrain although if participants require longer hiking trails are available.
Copy of passport of one of the group members is require for billing purposes (local tax exemption)
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
After an early departure from Quito at 7:30 am from your hotel, you'll drive some 65 km (41 miles) east of Quito the road brings you into the high elevation paramo at the Papallacta pass, a very tundra-like habitat. On clear days the views of the surroundings and various volcanoes are breathtaking; a stop right up at the pass is one of the best spots to photograph the snow-capped Antisana Volcano as it towers over the mountains below. If the weather allows, from this point on we should start scanning the sky from time to time for the Andean Condor, Variable Hawk, Carunculated Caracara, and Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, which may soar overhead. At the highest elevations, you’ll seek out the secretive and cryptic Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe and other unique wildlife of this region. Andean Bears can be found in this paramo, special natural feeding sites where the presence of bears is frequent all year round. sometimes close enough to have wonderful views and photographs.
Later you’ll drive to Guango Reserve, where you will embark on a hike along the trails around the lodge to get a taste of the beautiful Andean temperate forests; hummingbirds will take your full attention. The cloud forest concentrates the highest diversity of these winged jewels in the Americas. Colorful mixed flocks with birds such as Lacrimose and Hooded Mountain Tanagers, Blue-backed Conebill, Black-capped Hemispingus can be seen around the lodge. Here you have possibilities of seeing very local birds like the stunning Gray Breasted Mountain-Toucan, Andean Guan, and Northern Mountain Cacique. Along the Papallacta River, you’ll try to find a unique resident of fast-flowing mountain rivers, a powerful swimmer, and diver: the Torrent Duck. This could definitely be one of our day highlights!
What‘s Included
Certified bilingual naturalist, birding, photography guide
Coffee and tea at Guango
Private transportation
All activities
Hotel pick-up and drop-off
Gratuities
Local Taxes (Only for Ecuadorians)
Personal expenses
Lunch
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Options
Papallacta Pass - Cayambe Coca National Park & Guango Cloud Forest Reserve
Pickup included
Hot Springs add-on
Papallacta HotSprings complex: Add a visit to the best thermal water complex in Ecuador, includes entrance fee.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes: Extended trip duration
Pickup included
Reviews
10 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Best ever!
asubean,,Feb 28, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Santiago is the BEST guide ever and my favorite guide I’ve ever had. I’ve been on excursions with him 6 times. The thing I love the most is that he doesn’t just know birds. He knows about ecosystems, insects, flowers, plants, everything to do with nature. I have food allergies and he was always very attentive to making sure there was food I could eat. The trip was amazing. We saw tons of birds, The food was amazing. Everything was just wonderful!!
Expert and friendly guide, highly recommended!
leahaO322NZ,,Jan 30, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Santiago was an outstanding guide for our day trip into the Andes. He was friendly and easy to be around. His ecology knowledge was expert and yet he explained concepts to us in a way my 11-year-old daughter could understand. His SUV was super clean and comfortable. He took us to spots we never could have found on our own, making this tour well worth the price. Santiago went above and beyond to help us have an incredible experience. Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful part of Ecuador with us!
Amazing Day Looking for Birds and Bears with Santiago
Travel04269578095,,Oct 14, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our day with Santiago as our guide was absolutely fantastic! Santiago's extensive knowledge of the local wildlife made our experience unforgettable. Despite less-than-ideal weather conditions that made spotting certain birds challenging, Santiago's dedication to providing us with the best possible adventure was evident throughout. He went above and beyond to ensure that we had a remarkable day, demonstrating his commitment to delivering a memorable experience. In the end, he didn't just end our tour. He extended it by providing us with valuable tips on where we might encounter the elusive animals we couldn't find (due to the weather) during our further travels in Ecuador. This level of service and commitment made our tour truly exceptional. Furthermore Gabriela from Neotropical Ecuador was amazing, as well. She provided fast and knowledgeable communication. Should I find myself returning to Ecuador and/or the Pantanal, there's no doubt that I'll choose Neotropical Ecuador again. Santiago and the team's dedication to providing a top-notch experience left a lasting impression. My only regret is not discovering them earlier in my vacation planning. If I had, I would have undoubtedly included more of their tours in my itinerary.
Beautiful scenery and birds with great guide
julie t,,Sep 28, 2022
- Review from Viator
4.00Sebastian persevered to make sure we found a wide variety of birds and was very knowledgeable about the birds and their habitats. He knew where to find them. Although it was a hot day so many birds were hunkered down, he did not give up. His enthusiasm was contagious.
High elevation birds of Papallacta Pass
TimF2157,,Feb 15, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I visited several places around Papallacta Pass to look for a large list of target birds with Santiago Salazar. Santiago was extremely knowledgeable of the area and knew exactly where to go to search for all of the special birds of the area. He was able to organize the trip extremely last minute (including getting us access to Cayambe-Coca National Park on a day it is normally closed to tourists). He knows the birds and natural history of the area extremely well. Anyone looking to visit this great area should definitely contact Santiago and Neotropical Nature & Birding Trips.
Best trip of the vacation
O9870HLkyleh,,Feb 6, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was our last full day in Ecuador for this trip. Santiago is an excellent guide. I was hoping to find many birds on this trip and was not disappointed. But we also learned many things about plants, animals, and the area in general. Santiago picked us up nice and early to take us up to Papallacta, where he spent a great deal of effort looking for bears. And while we were ultimately unable to see them, we saw many great birds. I especially appreciate the effort Santiago put forth to find us the rarer key birds for this area. Our glimpse of the seed snipe was definitely a highlight of the trip. Our afternoon was spent in the Guango Lodge area. The meal served was excellent. The feeders were excellent. The birds were excellent. Everything was excellent. Santiago's enthusiastic about birds and nature, and that shows through. My wife and I were both caught up in it. I will be looking to Neotropical for future tours in the area. I cannot recommend them enough.
The search for my top bird!
Spudwell,,Jan 18, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We enjoyed the extra effort of Santiago to find us a rainbow bearded thornbill. While I didn’t get my dream shot, Neotropical did everything they could to find one for us. It was also fun to see the Torrent duck family at Guango.
Hummingbirds
BJandAT,,Apr 18, 2020
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was our second day of a private tour with Santiago. Again we had a great trip. Santiago is a very enthusiastic guide, and an extremely well trained birder. He told us lots of interesting things about nature and culture in Ecuador. And, again, showed us lots of nice birds. It is a bit frustrating that he sees so many birds and we have to struggle to see them as well! But Santiago is very patient and puts on his telescope wherever he can, to give us a better view. The afternoon we spend in Guanco, in a hummingbird paradise. We also had a wonderful lunch. At the end of this excellent day, Santiago dropped us at our hostel in Quito. We can recommend travelling with a private guide. It is very relaxed, we saw a lot, could stop whenever we liked, and it is so nice to hear Santiago tell about Ecuador and his love for nature.
I did two trips, one to Guango Lodge, the other to Refugio Pas de las Aves
Birdsandbears,,May 7, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I did two trips, Santiago, my guide was amazing! He was so knowledgeable and took time to find different birds and animals. We was extremely committed to making both trips everything I could have wanted. He spent a lot of time looking for hard to spot birds and animals and was always successful. He taught me a lot about the many birds, animals and preservation of various species, as well as patience and perseverance. This trip was more than I ever imagined it would be. I will definitely take another trip with Neotropical in the future.
A brilliant and varied day
868astrid,,Jan 31, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Although the weather was a bit uncooperativ with plenty of rain and no view at Papallacta Pass, I had a fantastic day with Santiago as guide. He simply adjusted the schedule so that the rain was not a problem. I saw and photographed many different hummingbirds, enjoyed seeing the vegetation change with altitude and Santiago - with patient scanning and knowledge - even managed to find a spectacled bear. Highly recommended.
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Operated by Neotropical Nature and Birding Trips