Ecological Adventures with Kids in Mindo Cloud Forest Reserve
While there is definitely tons to see and do in and around Quito, I’ve always found that my family is happier when we can get out into nature and explore. Luckily, a friend who lives in the area suggested that we take some time to drive up to Mindo, Ecuador to check out the cloud forests!
We absolutely loved visiting the cloud forests in the Monteverde Biological Reserve in Costa Rica, so visiting one in the Andes seemed like the perfect outing!
And honestly, it almost was. Unfortunately, we misjudged how far away Mindo is from Quito, and by the time we got there, we didn’t have as much time as we wanted to explore everything that Mindo has to offer.
On top of that, we decided to arrange our own transportation to get there instead of buying one of the many tour options available. It saved us some money, since we only had to pay for transportation, but we missed out on having a guide that could help us to discover the area’s many attractions.
I’m pretty good at doing my research, so we still had plenty to fill our day, but I wish I had a bit more of that local’s knowledge available to me.
Even so, it was a great day!
What Makes Mindo Cloud Forest Reserve so Special?
Cloud forests, like the Mindo Nambillo Cloud Forest Reserve, are special forest ecosystems like usually occur at higher altitudes. They are mountain forests that have a combination of high humidity and low(ish) temperature. This mix leads to nearly persistent condensation and visible clouds.
They are extremely uncommon forest systems, with only around 1% of all forests being classified as cloud forests. And they are undeniably beautiful.
Cloud Forests are Biodiversity Hotspots
Because of their unique climates, cloud forests often end up hosting a wide variety of plants and animals that don’t typically live at lower altitudes.
Mindo, in particular, is known for its more than 500 different bird species, including beautiful hummingbirds, tons of toucans, the umbrella bird, and the impressive Cock-of-the-Rock lek. The area is also home to a wide array of frogs and reptiles, small critters like agouti, and larger mammals such as the Andean spectacled bear, and the puma.
Plant-lovers will find beautiful bromeliads, bamboo, ferns, and rare and delicate orchids, all waiting to be discovered in the forest’s mists. All of which is to say,
Mindo is an amazing place for families to get into nature!
The Best Kid-Friendly Adventures in Mindo Cloud Forest
The vast majority of activities in Mindo focus on different ways to experience nature with activities ranging from relaxing day-long hikes through the forest to adrenaline pumping adventures in the treetops!
With such a wide array of adventures available, there’s almost certainly something that will catch your interest!
Here are some of my family’s favorites in the area.
Take in Mindo Cloud Forest from above
One of the best ways to take in a cloud forest is, well, from the clouds!
There are several different places in Mindo where you can get a bird’s eye view of the forest. Here are some of the best!
Ziplining with Mindo Ziplines Tour
My kids’ first experience with ziplining was in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and it was an absolute hit! So, when they heard that there was a place to do ziplining in Mindo, they insisted that it be the first thing that we do.
There are actually two different options for ziplining in Mindo.
Mindo Canopy Adventures offers several different tour options. You can do just the ziplining, or “canopy” tour for $20 or, for a few dollars more, you can add on a few different adventures, including the Tarabita cable car (which I talk about below), an extreme swing, and access to a trail where you can visit 6 different waterfalls!
It’s a super great deal if you’re already wanting to do everything that’s included, but if you have kids under 14, be aware that they will not be able to do the giant swing.
The other option is a company called Mindo Ziplines Tour.
Mindo Ziplines currently offers two different zipline paths. The first only has 2 cables, and only requires a short amount of time, which is great for families wanting to get a taste before moving on to activities. The other has 10 separate ziplines, including the longest single zipline in Mindo!
Because we knew how much our kids enjoy ziplining, that’s the path that we chose, and I was super impressed, both with how helpful and friendly our guides were and also with how utterly beautiful the terrain was.
Both locations accept walk-ins, if you want your schedule to stay flexible, or you can book ahead if you prefer.
Mindo Canopy Adventures Mindo Ziplines Tour (Viator)
Tarabita Cable Car
While the Tarabita cable car is essentially just a mode of transportation to a set of local waterfalls, it is such a unique experience that it has become an attraction in and of itself!
The Tarabita is a small, open air cable car that takes you into the sky and across the forested valley below. The trip is short, but filled to the brim with beauty. Be sure to look around as you sail above the trees. The Tarabita moves at a pretty fast speed, from beginning to end, so be prepared to fly through the canopy!
The trip is only a few minutes long, but as it also drops you off at the beginning of the waterfall trails, it is easily worth the price of admission!
Tickets for the Tarabita cost $5 for a round trip and can be purchased on arrival.
Minjoy Park Chairlift
Similar to the Tarabita, the Minjoy Chairlift is a trip through the cloud forest canopy that drops you off near the trailheads for the different waterfall hikes in Mindo. However, where the Tarabita moves quickly through the trees, the chairlift moves at a much more sedate pace.
This chairlift is similar to what you find at a ski resort with a set of chairs hanging from a cable. The trip to the top takes roughly 20 minutes in all, which means you get plenty of time to admire the forest canopy surrounding you.
Keep your eyes out for the many beautiful birds that call these forests home, or possibly even some monkeys, if you’re lucky!
Chairlift tickets cost $8.00 for a round trip and can be purchased on arrival.
Explore Mindo Cloud Forest from the Ground
While cloud forests are particularly beautiful from the sky, it takes time spent with your feet on the ground to see everything that the Mindo area has to offer.
The mountains around Mindo are filled with trails that can take you through the forest so you can discover hidden waterfalls, stunning plant life, and a wide variety of endemic animals. These are some of the best.
Waterfalls Hike
It doesn’t matter if you take the Tarabita or the Minjoy Chairlifts, when you get your feet back on the ground you’ll be just a short distance from the Waterfalls’ trailheads.
You can check out a map of the waterfall trails via AllTrails.
There are two major trails leading to Mindo’s waterfalls. The first is a roughly hour-long trail (2 hours round trip) leading to Cascada Reina. This waterfall is the largest of the falls in Mindo, and is quite beautiful in the wetter seasons, though in dry season it is significantly smaller.
The trail takes you deep into the cloud forest and gives you plenty of time to admire the local flora and fauna, but it has a tendency to get quite slick, and may occasionally be closed due to heavy mud.
Hummingbirds are a also common sight along this path, so keep your eyes out for them!
The second trail is slightly longer, taking almost 2 hours one way (4 hours round trip). However, it’s worth it, as it has an astonishing six waterfalls along its length, including the most popular waterfall in Mindo, Nambillo falls.
Many of the waterfalls along this path have collection pools at the bottom where you can take a dip, so be sure to bring your swimsuits!
Both the Cascada Reina trail and the Waterfall Sanctuary trail are easy enough to follow, with no turn-offs, so it is definitely possible to do them without a guide, though there are several guided options as well, should you want one.
Just be aware that doing both of the trails in a single day will eat up most of the day.
Bird Hikes
One of the biggest reasons for visitors to come to Mindo is the astonishing variety of birds that you can find in the cloud forests. There are hundreds of species of birds living in the area, including several that can only be found in the Andes.
One such is the cock-of-the-rocks, which is a dazzling tropical bird with a bright red head and feathered crest. It is known for a unique mating ritual where the males of the species gather to out-compete each other in impressive displays meant to attract the females.
The cock-of-the-rock is extremely difficult to find if you don’t know exactly where to look, so if you want to see one, and especially if you want to see their mating rituals, you will definitely need a guide.
This tour sets out from Mindo Park in downtown Mindo and takes about 2 hours. The tour includes use of telescopes and binoculars, and offers the chance to see some of the many different unique species of bird that call Mindo home.
Night Hikes
While there is plenty to do and see during the daytime, exploring the forest at night gives you a glimpse of an entirely different world!
Many of the animals living in the forest are primarily nocturnal, which means you have a much better chance of getting to see them during a night hike than you ever would during the day. Of course, those same animals are definitely still there during the day, but because they sleep during the day, it would be highly unusual to spot them.
Frogs, bugs, and absolutely adorable kinkajous are all possibilities when you explore the forest at night!
Ok. So, I know it says reptile adventures, and you almost certainly are going to find some reptiles on your trip. But, night hikes always have a bit of randomness thrown in, so you can never be sure just what exactly you'll find!
Kinkajous? Maybe. Nocturnal birds? Probably. Ecuadorian Bigfoot? Who knows? But you don't want to miss the chance of it, do you??
The best food destinations for families in Mindo Cloud Forest
While nature is definitely the main attraction in Mindo, that’s no reason not to explore everything that town has to offer! Ecuador’s fertile soil produces some amazing crops, and Mindo is well-placed for growing delicious treats, like coffee and chocolate.
These are some of the best food tours and experiences that you can find in Mindo cloud forest!
Coffee Tour
Coffee is one of my absolute favorite parts about waking up each morning! I had the opportunity to check out one of the oldest coffee farms in Guatemala a couple years ago, and absolutely loved the experience, so when I heard that the Mindo area had local coffee farms worth checking out, I was pretty excited to spend some time enjoying them
My family, unfortunately, was unable to participate in any of the coffee tours in Mindo, but one specific tour was highly recommended to us.
The Quinde Coffee Tour walks guests through a small, local coffee farm and roastery, showing them the entirety of the coffee growing process from the collection of fresh coffee cherries all the way to tasting the finished product back at the cafe.
Their tours cost $10 for adults and $6 for kids, and are offered in either Spanish or English. You can get more information and make reservations via WhatsApp.
Quinde Coffee and Chocolate Tours – Google
+593 986 34 0341 / WhatsApp
Tours start on the hour, 9:00-6:00, daily
Chocolate Tours
Ecuador is world-famous for its chocolate, which is understandable, as many historians believe that this is where cacao originated!
As such, it should come as no surprise that Mindo has several different chocolate tours to choose from. However, if you are looking for a chocolate tour that takes you through the complete history of the nearly-magical fruit we know as cacao, you should look no further than Mindo’s El Quetzal.
El Quetzal offers two separate chocolate tours. The first is a one hour bean-to-bar tour that shows participants what goes into chocolate making, from harvesting the cacao fruit straight from the tree all the way up to forming modern-day chocolate bars. The second tour is called “The Legend of Chocolate” and focuses more on the historical significance of chocolate across the Americas and includes the chance to make and taste a traditional indigenous chocolate drink. It lasts roughly 3 hours, and even includes a traditional Ecuadorian dinner!
Either experience is a great opportunity for anyone wanting to learn more about the world’s favorite treat, but the Legend of Chocolate Tour is easily the better deal!
Also check out my Field Notes on Chocolate
Learn all about everybody’s favorite treat: Chocolate! Find out about the fascinating history of chocolate and follow the chocolate-making process from the tropical cacao fruit all the way up to the bars that you can find in your local grocery store.
Other (Non-guided) Kid-Friendly Outings in Mindo
Tours are great, and are often one of the best uses of limited time in unique locations. But there’s a lot to be said for exploring on your own, too.
Personally, I love tours, but my kids are at an age where running and climbing is way more interesting than following a guide around. So as often as not, my family skips the tours in favor of getting some extra time in at the locations that let us go at our own pace.
Luckily, Mindo has its fair share of those, too!
Minjoy Park
Minjoy park is the starting point for the chairlift I mentioned earlier, but the park itself is also worth a look.
The park has tons of open space for families looking for a place to spread out a bit, including some easy hiking trails, a playground, and some giant hamster-balls (Zorbs) that you can use to walk out on the water!
It’s not the sort of park that’s worth a trip out to Mindo on its own, but if you have some downtime while already in town, it’s definitely worth a look.
Hummingbird Garden – El Descanso
One of Mindo’s local hostels, El Descanso, is known for its outstanding hummingbird gardens where visitors can spot over 20 different species of hummingbird!
These little flying jewels work to pollinate many different flower species and are an important part of the local ecosystem.
El Descanso Hummingbird Garden – Mindo, Ecuador
Entrance to the gardens costs about $5/person, and a room at the hostel costs $20-$50. However, the hostel does not accept children at their property overnight, so if you’re traveling with kids, this is definitely just a day trip and not a place to stay.
Butterfly Sanctuary – Hostería Mariposas de Mindo
I don’t know what it is about butterfly sanctuaries, but my family tends to gravitate towards them. We didn’t manage to visit this one during our stay here, but it sounds pretty similar to another butterfly sanctuary I visited in Honduras.
For $7.50/person, visitors get a quick introduction to the life-cycle of caterpillars and butterflies followed by two different netted gardens filled with local species of butterfly. The gardens also feature a small waterfall and a restaurant where you can grab a bite to eat!
Marisposas de Mindo Butterfly Sanctuary – Mindo, Ecuador
Bamboo Labyrinth
A lot of the places that you can visit in Mindo feature activities that are fairly similar to offerings to what you could find in other places. Beautiful hikes, waterfalls, and chocolate tastings are all this sort of adventure. However, I do believe that Mindo is the first place I’ve ever been that features a Bamboo Labyrinth!
The Labyrinth is located at the back of the La Roulotte Hostel, and takes under an hour to explore, but it’s a whole lot of fun, especially for families with younger kids.
Bamboo Labyrinth at La Roulotte – Mindo, Ecuador
The Best Places to Stay in Mindo, Ecuador
With this many things to do all in one place, you’re probably wondering how you could possibly get it all in in just a single day!
The answer is, you can’t. We tried, and we left at the end of the day wanting to do so much more. Don’t repeat our mistake! Check out one of these top-rated places to stay in Mindo, Ecuador.
Or check out these hand-picked hotel options to make the best of your time in Mindo!
Mindoxtrem Birds Hotel
While there are several inexpensive hostels available in town, I personally think that Mindoxtrem’s mix of private rooms for families, excellent services, and a location that’s not too far from everything available in town makes it the best choice for families looking for an amazing stay that won’t break the bank.
CasKaffeSu Hotel
CasKaffeSu Hotel offers cheerfully-colored accommodations right in the center of town! Their location is super convenient, with an onsite restaurant and plenty of other nearby options within walking distance. This hotel boasts a beautiful garden, comfortable rooms, and airport shuttle options for those making Mindo their first stop in Ecuador.
Casa Divina Eco Lodge
One of the benefits of Casa Divina’s location outside of town is the ability to immerse guests in the utter beauty of the surrounding forests. Casa Divina offers expansive accommodations for families looking for the absolute best place to stay in Mindo. Delicious onsite dining options mean you can stay in when you want, while town center remains an easy 15-minute walk for those times when you want to explore!
