Mindo Nambillo Cloud Forest Reserve
Mindo Nambillo Cloud Forest Reserve
4.5
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4.5
142 reviews
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39
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3
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1
Erika
Caracas, Venezuela9,918 contributions
May 2022
The mountain has been expropriated and appropriated by a man who charges 5 dollars just to walk. This person has a monopoly on the mountain and all the activities that take place on the mountain. It shows how they have been destroying nature and how the environment ministry has no control.
Written 5 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CamiAdventures E
Quito, Ecuador35 contributions
Jul 2014 • Family
One of the most visited cloud forests in Ecuador is the natural Reserve Mindo-Nambillo Protected Forest 14,170 hectares (35,000 acres), ranging from 1,400 to 4,778m. Hundreds of bird species (400 species) recorded here. The town approximately 2 hours drive from Quito, you can visit here on a day trip or stay overnight at one of the several comfortable lodges in the tow.
Early departure from Quito to the northwest, passing through the edge of the Andes, lush vegetation and orchids await us in our first stop Pahuma, a protected area by the inhabitants of the sector. We continue our descent to the town of Mindo in which one of the most important protected areas of butterflies from South America is located, optional one of the activities of extreme sports in Mindo, canopy or sliding down a wire of two towers.Optional lunch and then hummingbirds watching
Sharing Basis: Every Friday 8h00 US $65
Early departure from Quito to the northwest, passing through the edge of the Andes, lush vegetation and orchids await us in our first stop Pahuma, a protected area by the inhabitants of the sector. We continue our descent to the town of Mindo in which one of the most important protected areas of butterflies from South America is located, optional one of the activities of extreme sports in Mindo, canopy or sliding down a wire of two towers.Optional lunch and then hummingbirds watching
Sharing Basis: Every Friday 8h00 US $65
Written 7 October 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kirsty B
Cairns, Australia199 contributions
What a great morning trip! We left early in the morning from the town at 9am (takes about 20 minutes in a car to get there) and I'm glad we left early, the later you leave it clouds get lower blocking the view and also the humidity and heat increases as the day wears on.
On arrival you are greeted by an old and rackety open cable car. It takes only a few minutes to fly (at quite a speed) over the canopy of the rainforest, clouds and waterfalls to reach your destination. On arrival we went left and then you reach a t intersection. We did both ways, if you turn right you walk about 15 minutes to huge waterfall where you can go swimming. Then you walk another 15 minutes back to the t intersection and turn left and there is a series of 5-7 waterfalls. You need to walk several sets of stairs to get to a few of them although it is worth it.
The walks and waterfalls themselves are breathtaking in the lush dense rainforest. You can see and hear plenary of tropical birds, insects and mammals. It's a great trip. We spent just over three hours and took our time exploring, taking photos and relaxing. We didn't go swimming so if you are going to maybe allow a little more time. On returning to the cable car, we didn't turn right to go to the final big waterfall -
Apparently that's another two hour journey return. When you want to return you hit the wire really hard with your shoe and the guy brings the cable car back to pick you up.
It's $5 each for entry plus $6 each way in a taxi. On arrival you need to tell the taxi driver what time to come back to collect you. Depending on whether you want to go swim or take a picnic the times will differ.
Make sure you bring towels, loads of water, snacks, mosquito spray (we got eaten alive!), towels, togs and comfortable walking shoes. There is lots of stairs so bring a walking or hiking stick if you think you need it.
Enjoy! It's well worth the trip.
On arrival you are greeted by an old and rackety open cable car. It takes only a few minutes to fly (at quite a speed) over the canopy of the rainforest, clouds and waterfalls to reach your destination. On arrival we went left and then you reach a t intersection. We did both ways, if you turn right you walk about 15 minutes to huge waterfall where you can go swimming. Then you walk another 15 minutes back to the t intersection and turn left and there is a series of 5-7 waterfalls. You need to walk several sets of stairs to get to a few of them although it is worth it.
The walks and waterfalls themselves are breathtaking in the lush dense rainforest. You can see and hear plenary of tropical birds, insects and mammals. It's a great trip. We spent just over three hours and took our time exploring, taking photos and relaxing. We didn't go swimming so if you are going to maybe allow a little more time. On returning to the cable car, we didn't turn right to go to the final big waterfall -
Apparently that's another two hour journey return. When you want to return you hit the wire really hard with your shoe and the guy brings the cable car back to pick you up.
It's $5 each for entry plus $6 each way in a taxi. On arrival you need to tell the taxi driver what time to come back to collect you. Depending on whether you want to go swim or take a picnic the times will differ.
Make sure you bring towels, loads of water, snacks, mosquito spray (we got eaten alive!), towels, togs and comfortable walking shoes. There is lots of stairs so bring a walking or hiking stick if you think you need it.
Enjoy! It's well worth the trip.
Written 9 July 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Laura L
Chicago, IL327 contributions
Oct 2016 • Solo
I arrived alone in the afternoon and inquired if there was time to walk around or best to return tomorrow. I also asked if I could be directed to the walking path to Nambillo and come back the next day for the Tarabita and other waterfalls walk. I was shown on the map the route and encouraged to take the Tarabita today as their was time to walk. The worker came on the Tarabita with me - which I thought was required for safety - and then walked with me to point out the junction for the falls. But then, he didn't leave and stayed with me - I could not get rid of him. He kept trying to hold my hand and I had to be quite aggressive back to finally get away. As such, I do not consider this a safe place to go alone - even though you intermittently run into other walkers.
Written 16 October 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
FBNK
Bern, Switzerland11 contributions
Jul 2014 • Solo
don't expect the view of the greatest waterfalls ever. stil, the trails are nice and the cablecar makes it an adventure itself! Walked to all the waterfalls. The walk to "la reina" takes longer, but is better pathed, along a wilder environment and is by far the most impressive of the waterfalls - if you don't consider visiting all of the waterfalls better just visit this one.
Don't miss to take a shower under "la reina"!
... and don't miss the early morning walk (1h) up to the cablecar - lots of birds to hear and discover. Back to the mindo it's 45 min. Please consider walking instead of using the dustblowing jeeps...
Don't miss to take a shower under "la reina"!
... and don't miss the early morning walk (1h) up to the cablecar - lots of birds to hear and discover. Back to the mindo it's 45 min. Please consider walking instead of using the dustblowing jeeps...
Written 1 August 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HillaryGarrison
Pacifica, CA27 contributions
Oct 2013 • Family
Hiking to the waterfalls is a must-have experience if you travel to Mindo. You get to ride the tarabitia to the start of the trails, and that in itself is unforgettable. The trails are well marked. Waterfalls are beautiful frequent! It takes about 3-4 hours to see all of them. Heads up though- there are NO RESTROOMS on the trails.
Written 21 October 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Heather F
Detroit, MI6 contributions
May 2018 • Couples
We booked this private tour the day before. Our hotel offered a tour to Mindo, but we wanted more control over the itinerary and didn't want to potentially be stuck in a large group. Plus, we wanted to do more than just drive by and see things. Richard is a certified naturalist and speaks English and Spanish. Since we didn't really plan on this trip in advance, we had several questions for Richard prior to finally deciding to book the tour. Richard always responded quickly to our emails and provided us with all needed information about the tour. He arrived at our hotel right on time, and demonstrated his extensive knowledge of Ecuador's flora and fauna immediately. We learned so much while visiting an orchid preserve, a hummingbird paradise, and a butterfly farm. We also opted to include the cable car ride, which was brief and fun. We wrapped up our day with lunch in Mindo town at a local establishment. Though Richard offered to take us to the Inty Nan museum (the equator museum), we opted to pass on that option. Richard checked in with us regularly and asked us what we were enjoying more/ less etc and based on our answers he told us about Antisana. Although it was not his intention, and not very convenient for him on such short notice, we were so intrigued by Antisana that we asked him if he could take us out to Antisana the next day. Richard made some arrangements to take us to Antisana the following day. We spent two great days with Richard seeing two very different parts of the Ecuadorian ecosystem. He sincerely strives to provide a quality experience for his clients. If you are looking for an experienced, reliable guide who will help you learn about and fully appreciate the natural beauty of Ecuador, from birds, and butterfly's to plants and frogs, we highly recommend both the Mindo forest and Antisana ecological reserve with Richard Herdandez.
Written 6 May 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Annie M
Tuxford, UK170 contributions
Dec 2016 • Couples
We got a taxi from Mindo to the tarabita. So pleased we did. I suffer when at altitude and climbing up to it would have been terrible.
We took the tarabita across to the other side. I didn't look down but Peter said it was a fantastic!
We started the walk to the series of cascades. It was a hot sunny afternoon. The forest itself was amazing. The sheer size of plants and trees was breathtaking. Lots of birds and butterflies to look at. We had a wonderful afternoon walk. We didn't manage the single cascade as it was getting late.
Would love to go back and do the rest.
Should be noted that it is quite a strenuous walk to the 4 cascades. Up and down 90% of the time. Not for the infirm. We didn't meet anyone else above 40 years old that day. We are in our 60's, we managed it at our pace.
We took the tarabita across to the other side. I didn't look down but Peter said it was a fantastic!
We started the walk to the series of cascades. It was a hot sunny afternoon. The forest itself was amazing. The sheer size of plants and trees was breathtaking. Lots of birds and butterflies to look at. We had a wonderful afternoon walk. We didn't manage the single cascade as it was getting late.
Would love to go back and do the rest.
Should be noted that it is quite a strenuous walk to the 4 cascades. Up and down 90% of the time. Not for the infirm. We didn't meet anyone else above 40 years old that day. We are in our 60's, we managed it at our pace.
Written 7 December 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
OilRover
Houston, TX683 contributions
Dec 2014 • Family
I must admit we had not done much planning for our day trip to Mindo. Having recently visited a similar cloud forest in Monteverde, Costa Rica, we were expecting to be able to do our own hike from some sort of visitors center or trail head, but that's not how it was on arrival. Luckily our driver knew of a secluded hike that we could do, about 2km past the Nambillo Cascades (up the hill). Like most others, this hike is on private land and is $3 per person. The trail is well manicured, with nut shells on the pathway to give you more traction. The trail goes steeply down to the river, and there are plenty of opportunities to see wildlife and plants on the way down and back. We didn't visit the more popular cascades on this occasion, but I feel that any trip to the cloud forest needs to take you away from humankind to give you the best experience.
Written 3 January 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alter77
Sydney, Australia63 contributions
Jul 2012 • Solo
If you want to get a nice idea of nature around Mindo go to this place. You can walk there, a nice pleasant 4 km walk uphill, or take a taxi from town. You arrive at a Tarabita (a cable car) that crosses the valley and already shows you spectacular views of the valley below. When you get to the other side you are in the middle of the forest. If you take your left you can reach 6 waterfalls, one 15 minutes from the tarabita turning right at the first crossing (cascada Nambillo) worth seeing, and then a series of 5 waterfalls which are reached taking instead a left at the first turn. These waterfalls are slightly less spectacular but the setting is worth the half an hour walk to the first and then 5 minutes additional for each waterfall; bear in mind that to reach the last waterfall you will have to cross two streams and walk on very slippery rocks (if you wear close shoes I recommend just taking them off to avoid falling in the stream like I did....). The seventh waterfall can be reached with a one hour trek each way turning right at the arrival point of the tarabita. Enjoy!
Written 5 July 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Can Mindo Cloud Forest be visited without a guide? With only 2 people it seems cheaper to hire a driver to go than to hire a guide just to walk us around? Thoughts?
Written 28 December 2020
Hola, Uru. ¿Qué te gustaría saber sobre esta atracción? Hola!, soy de Uruguay y el mes que viene viajo por 3 semanas a Ecuador. Te quiero hacer una consulta: ¿Vale la pena pasar alguna noche en Mindo Nambillo o yendo en excursión desde Quito alcanza?
Gracias por ayudarme. Saludos
Written 25 June 2018
Un saludo es bueno ir por tu cuenta reservar un hotel y hacer las actividades de Mindo es muy bonito vale la pena .
Hay cascadas
Aviturismo
Canopy
Mariposarios
Etc
Y después seguir conociendo Ecuador
Written 6 July 2018
tripgal2018
Flemington, New Jersey
Hello! Were you required or was it recommended that you get the yellow fever vaccine to travel in the Mindo Cloud Forest?
Thank you!
Written 7 May 2018
We were not required or advised to get the yellow fever vaccine. I would recommend bug spray though (without CFCs), especially if you will be hiking.
Written 8 May 2018
Hola,
Somo un matrimonio de 54 y 55 años. Visitaremos Ecuador en Julio y planeamos ir a Mindo.
No sabemos muy bien si conviene hospedarse uno o dos días en Mindo, o si es preferible hacerlo en Quito y viajar desde allí.
¿Cuántos días se puede estar en Mindo? Es decir, ¿Hay suficientes lugares para visitar como para quedarse 2 o 3 días?
Esperamos comentarios. Desde ya muchas gracias.
Eduardo y Raquel
Written 24 June 2017
Mindo is at least a 2.5 hr drive from Quito. I would suggest you NOT try doing a round trip in one day. My wife and I stayed in Mindo total of 4 days took our time enjoying and relaxing and loved it. Two (2) days is minimum you should stay. We stayed at the Coffee Lodge Spa and ate 99% of our meals there. Posted a YouTube video search TSSLKJK and you can see better what we did in Mindo. Good luck to you hope you enjoy Mindo as much as we did.
Written 23 June 2018
Kwang Peng S
New York City, New York
Hi everyone
I am thinking of visiting Mindo + Bellavista in mid June. We would like to hire a tour guide for 2 days. Any recommendations will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Written 14 May 2015
Sorry. We are a mature couple. We visited Mindo without a guide. Sorted ourselves out once there and didn't feel we needed a guide. Hopped on a bus in Quito and stayed for 4 days. Loved it. Hope you do.
Written 7 December 2016
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