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Santa Lucia Ecuador: A Unique Ecolodge Experience
Discover the beauty of the montane rainforest and experience an eco-lodge like no other. Located in one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth, Santa Lucia Ecuador offers breathtaking views from the top of a mountain at 1900 meters above sea level. With over 400 species of birds, including the Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan, Beautiful Jay, and White-faced Nunbird, you'll be in the heart of a Chocó Andean Hotspot 🦅🌳
Guided Hikes & Explorations
At Santa Lucia Ecuador, you'll have the opportunity to explore the lush montane rainforest on guided hikes. Our knowledgeable guide will lead you through the mature secondary forest, offering a good chance to observe many bird and invertebrate species. You'll also have the chance to visit our orchid garden, where you can admire up to 30 species of flowers depending on the season. And, for the adventurous traveler, there's the option to take a nocturnal hike and experience the nocturnal fauna and the voices of the forest 🌳🦜
Sugar Cane Plantation & Waterfall Trail
Take a walk to our sugar cane plantation and learn about our conservation activities, sustainability, and research projects. This includes our camera trapping project and monitoring of the Andean Bear and other large mammals. After, embark on a scenic trail to see three different waterfalls and take a refreshing swim in the river (in season). Enjoy a delicious box lunch by the river before returning to the lodge for some well-deserved rest 💦🌴
Cock-of-the-Rock Lek & Quimbolitos
Get up early and visit the Cock-of-the-Rock Lek to see the males of the species display their mating ritual. After a delicious box breakfast in the forest, return to the lodge through a vast primary forest and along the mountain ridge, a great opportunity for bird observation. Enjoy a delicious lunch with panoramic views and have the chance to prepare the typical and very tasty "Quimbolitos" with the help of our kitchen staff 🐦🍴
Itinerary
Day 1
- Recommended arrival time: 8 am – 11 am
- Arrival by car at the entrance of the main trail where our guide is waiting for you. He will give you a short explanation about the hike from the parking spot to the lodge
- Guided hike of about the two hours through the mature secondary forest (about 2,5 km long, 500 meters uphill – appr. 2 hours)
- There is a good chance of observing many bird and invertebrate species
- Welcome, introduction and check-in
- Lunch in our dining room with spectacular panoramic views
- 3:00 pm - Hike along the self-guided trail: this walkthrough mature secondary forest offers a good chance to have a close look at cloud forest flora and fauna and includes a visit to our orchid garden where, depending on the season, you can find flowers of up to 30 species
- 7:00 pm - Dinner
- A good night's sleep in one of our comfortable private cabins
Day 2
- 4:00 am - Visit of the Cock-of-the-Rock Lek (a place where the males of that species display their mating ritual)
- Box breakfast in the forest
- Return to the lodge through a vast primary forest and along the mountain ridge. This is a good chance for bird observation (11km in total – appr. 5 hours)
- Rest
- 1:00 pm - Lunch in our dining room with spectacular panoramic views
- 2:00 pm Preparation of "Quimbolitos": you have the chance to prepare this typical and very tasty little gem with our kitchen staff
- 7:00 pm - Dinner
- 8:00 pm - optional - Nocturnal hike to experience the nocturnal fauna (insects, spiders, frogs, and the occasional bird or mammal) as well as the voices of the forest on a short night hike around the lodge.
- A good night's sleep in one of our comfortable private cabins
Day 3
- 7:00 am - Breakfast enjoying the spectacular views from our dining room
- 8:30 am - Walk to our sugar cane plantation: a short explanation of our conservation activities, sustainability, and research projects, including the camera trapping project and monitoring of the Andean Bear and other large mammals.
- Connection to the waterfall trail.
- Walk along the trail where you can see 3 different waterfalls and as a destination, you reach the river, where in season you can take a refreshing swim(7km in total – appr. 6 hours)
- Box lunch by the river
- Return to the lodge and rest
- 7:00 pm - Dinner
- A good night's sleep in one of our comfortable private cabins
Day 4
- 7:00 am - Breakfast enjoying the spectacular views from our dining room.
- 8:00 am - Walk to the upper part of the reserve: the main trail leads from the lodge up to 2.500 meters of elevation, this is a walk along pastures with spectacular views and through beautiful primary forests with all their splendid flora and fauna (12km in total – appr. 5 hours)
- 1:00 pm - Lunch in our dining room with spectacular panoramic views
- Rest
- 1:00 pm - Dinner
- 8:00 pm - optional - Experience the nocturnal fauna – insects, spiders, frogs, and the occasional bird or mammal – as well as the voices of the forest on a short night hike around the lodge
- A good night's sleep in one of our comfortable private cabins.
Day 5
- 6:00 am - optional - Bird watching and observation of forest flora and fauna around the lodge and on the self-guided trail
- 7:00 am - Breakfast enjoying the spectacular views from our dining room
- 8:30 am - option 1: hike downhill on a trail that leads towards the Umachaca river passing through wonderfull primary forest and a former banana plantation until reaching the river.
- By the river, you have the chance to walk upstream where can enjoy a wonderful waterfall. After lunch in by the river, you'll follow an ancient pre-Incan trail where you will learn about the history of the region while enjoying a walk through primary forest with spectacular tree ferns and other attractions of our flora and fauna. The trail leads to a pasture that offers spectacular views on the river and the surrounding forests
- (6km downhill – appr. 6 hours)
- 10:30 - option 2: walk down the main trail on which you will keep observing more birds, insects while also enjoying various interesting aspects of our megadiverse flora (2.5km downhill – appr. 3 hours)
- Box lunch in the forest
- 2:00 pm - Departure
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