Limoncocha Biological Reserve & Yasuní National Park / Tropical Andes to Amazon

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

Day 1
Quito - Papallacta Pass- Cayambe Coca National Park - Quijos Valley
2 stops
1
Today you’ll be picked up at 7:00 am from your hotel to start a memorable adventure. Some 65 km (41 miles) East of Quito the road brings us into the high elevation paramo at Papallacta, 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. The surroundings of Quito provide different opportunities to find wild Andean bears and other emblematic fauna with good chances of close encounters. The area to visit covers the surroundings of two national parks with special natural feeding sites where the presence of Andean Bears is frequent all year round. The paramo is rich in important food sources for the bears’ mostly herbivorous diet; Puya sp. is pretty abundant in this ecosystem also covered with grasslands, small bushes, and elfin trees.
3 hours • Admission ticket included
2
Later you’ll drive towards one of the most amazing ecosystems in the Tropical Andes, surrounded by forested mountains and drained by a refreshing network of rivers that actually flows into the mighty Amazon basin. Today you will explore different reserves in the Quijos Valley. An amazing diversity of hummingbird species will make this a memorable experience. Green-backed Hillstar, Violet-fronted Brillant, Peruvian-booted Raquetail, Gorgeted Woodstar, Bronzy Inca, Tawny-bellied Hermit among other species are common at different locations of this valley. This area acts as a very important continuous corridor between the Andes and the vast tropical rainforest of the Amazon region. Due to its location on the Equator, the steep Andean foothills, and the close proximity of the Amazon, the Quijos Valley area hosts one of the richest diversity records in the world. Overnight at Quijos Ecolodge.
16 hours • Admission ticket included
Day 2
Quijos - Limoncocha Biological Reserve
2 stops
3
After an early activity you'll visit a "lek" of one of the most iconic bird species in the cloud forest; The Andean Cock of the Rock. This species exhibits marked sexual dimorphism, the male has a large disk-like crest and a very unique vivid scarlet plumage. Gatherings of males compete for breeding females with each male displaying its colorful plumage, bobbing and hopping, and making strident calls. After breakfast at the lodge, you'll prepare for a scenic drive across the Andean Eastern Slopes.
6 hours • Admission ticket included
4
The route to Limoncocha is full of options to experience the magnificent biodiversity and breathtaking landscapes. You'll drive your way through the misty Andean Cloud forest and you'll make a short stop at the Hollin Waterfall where you'll have time to enjoy your box lunch and admire multiple species of hummingbirds. Continue your way along the Loreto Road making short stops that will allow you to make the most out of your day, witnessing the dramatic changes in vegetation, temperature, and humidity. You'll reach your destination Limoncocha in the lowlands of the Amazon Region at sunset. Overnight at Limoncocha Cabañas Antpitta. (Simple but cozy lodge)
12 hours • Admission ticket included
Day 3
Limoncocha Biological Reserve
1 stop
5
This tour offers the opportunity to explore by canoe a fascinating oxbow lake, terra firme trails, parrot clay licks, and river islands, giving you the chance to witness the unique and amazing biodiversity of the wildlife of the region. Here one of our local guides has located a territory of the elusive White-lored Antpitta and Black-banded Crake and set up a feeding area, providing the chance to admire and photograph this extremely elusive species from a very close range. Next, you'll visit the bird-filled oxbow lake of Limoncocha. During the boat ride, you'll have the chance for remarkable birds such as Hoatzins, Azure Gallinule, Cocoi Herons, Zig-zag Herons, Snail Kites, Masked Crimson Tanagers, Black-capped Donacobius, Greater Anis, Striated Herons, and Capped Herons along with multiple other species and primates that roam the lush vegetation around the lake..
12 hours • Admission ticket included
Day 4
Yasuni National Park / Parrot Clay Licks / Canopy Tower
1 stop
6
Today you'll embark on a very scenic canoe ride towards the Yasuni National Park. Here you'll experience a show of sounds and colors as your reach one of the most accessible parrot clay licks in the Amazon. You'll arrive just before the parrot activity kicks off at sunrise. After this, you'll continue to the second parrot clay lick. Some of the species that regularly visit this clay lick are: Cobalt-winged Parakeet, Orange-cheeked Parrot, Scarlet Macaw among others. Later you'll get a well-deserved break and lunch after a productive morning. After this, you’ll take a trail and hike through a terra-firme forest trail for about 30 minutes towards a 115 ft high canopy tower to experience the life above the forest floor. As you ascend you'll pass through different levels of the forest and emerge on top of a huge Ceiba tree. This gives you a unique perspective and opens up a whole new world of the Amazon diversity that is often difficult, if not impossible to see from the understory.
12 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 5
Limoncocha - Guango - Quito
2 stops
7
Early in the morning visit the feeding sites for the White-lored Antpitta and Black-banded Crake if you were not successful the previous days or you'll have an early birding activity in the surroundings of Limoncocha followed by breakfast.
2 hours • Admission ticket included
8
Drive back to Quito, lunch in Baeza and later you'll make a final stop at Guango Reserve. At Guango Reserve, you'll embark on a hike along the trails around the lodge to get a taste of the beautiful Andean temperate forests. 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 for 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 your day highlights! You‘ll drive back to Quito late in the afternoon. Drop-off in your hotel.
3 hours • Admission ticket included

Additional info

• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

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