Mindo, Ecuador

Mindo cloud forest The best-value cloud forest for birders, about two hours from Quito on the western slope of the Andes, in the Chocó region. A relaxed village base, small private reserves and lodge feeders bring tanagers, toucan-barbets and dozens of hummingbird species within easy reach, and dawn trips go to Andean cock-of-the-rock leks. Mindo suits a long weekend or the start of a longer Ecuador trip, and the driving is short enough to leave time for birding. Mist and rain come in every season, sightings vary from day to day, and the best birds of the area need a guide who knows where the leks and fruiting trees are.