maquipucuna cloud forest reserve

My wife and I spent two days/one night at the Maquipucuna Cloud Forest Eco Lodge and had a wonderful experience. Our cabin was great, the food was very good, our driver picked us up in Quito exactly on-time and brought us back at our convenience and the staff was excellent. They got all the basics right.But more importantly, the park is amazing. We did several hikes through the forest with an amazing guide, who knows every bird, animal, bug and plant. We saw dozens of beautiful birds (parrots, toucans, hummingbirds, etc), wonderful spiders and insects and many exotic plants. The orchids literally grow on the side of the road.In addition, when you stay at Maquipucana you are supporting a noble cause. The founders who are frequently on premises, are committed to preserving this incredible cloud forest and all the species that reside there. We felt honored to support their efforts by staying at the logde and we also intend to make a donation.

I spent a few days in Maquipucuna in 2011 and absolutely loved it there. You couldn't ask for a more beautiful place with wonderful trails to hike and a really friendly staff. The food was wonderful too. I loved lounging in their hammocks and just listening to everything that was happening around me. I would definitely recommend it.

Dear LCTAreview,Thank you for taking the time to write your impressions about the Maquipucuna Reserve & Ecolodge. Even though we live here, we too still marvel at how amazingly different is Maquipucuna despite being so close to the urban part of Quito. Would you believe Maquipucuna is part of the Quito's county? The Reserve is part of Quito and it holds an amazing biodiversity; 10% of Ecuador plant species and 4% of the world bird species. We are working on some renovations and improvements at the lodge, so in a few months, we hope to have a little fancier rooms. Thank you for your visit, you made a significant contribution to the protection of our little paradise.

Dear FranRalston,Thank you for taking the time to comment about your visit to Maquipucuna. We are so happy you enjoyed your visit!

Great hospitality, bird watching and food. Guides were expert and the hikes were exciting. We saw many beautiful birds, orchids and butterflies.

We (me, my spouse, and daughter) traveled to Maquipucuna on July 26th and stayed for 4 days. We loved it. Luis, the driver, picked us up at our hotel in Quito and provided a good history on the 2 hr drive. We stopped and viewed the 0,0,0 point and Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve on the way. The last 15 minutes is on gravel road. We stayed at the lower level cabin near the community dining room. Each cabin had its own bathroom w shower and towels. 3 meals a day are served Al fresco style outside on wood tables nicely decorated. Hot tea and coffee and drinking water is available all day. The water in the cabins is safe. The activities are extraordinary. We took the bird tours each morning with Arsenio at 6:30 am, zip line through the cloud forest, hiking, and chocolate massage. We got a good workout. The scenery is breathtaking. Bugs are moderate level. Chiggers are a nuisance. On the last day, we took a bus back to Quito at 3pm and they dropped us at our hotel. My daughter got altitude sickness the first day, but was fine after that. The air is cool this time of year at night, so bring a jacket. Shorts are not recommended due to the chiggers. We are planning to go back again some day. The staff was all very accommodating and the meals were delicious. The manager, Arsenio, was very knowledgeable about the plants and animals and was an excellent tour guide.

Again, what can I say! There wasn't much about Ecuador that I did or saw or ate that I didn't absolutely love!

This is an eco lodge in the lower altitude cloud forest. It is lower than Bellavista or Tandayapa, so the flora and fauna are a bit different. This is a place to enjoy relaxing, walking in the forest and sharing in the natural experience with the very enthusiastic staff. We were collected from Quito in what was described as a shuttle but was actually a private tour on the way to Macipucuna. Luis, our driver, was very enthusiastic and helpful (he also apologised for being 5 minutes late, which considering the traffic in old Quito, demonstrated a very customer-focussed attitude). We stopped en route at Pululahua, a volcanic reserve that is definitely worth a visit. On the way back we visited Catequilla, a pre-Columban equatorial site. We hadn't heard of this before but it was really interesting and well explained by Luis. At Macipucuna itself, we stayed in a simple cabin-style room with its own ensuite. All meals were delicious and served to us family-style (ie without choosing from a menu). Hummingbird feeders by the dining area provide entertainment. We had pre-dinner pina coladas and a slideshow on the wildlife. We were there for only 24 hours but our guides made it possible to do an afternoon forest walk, a morning bird walk, and a night walk in the forest as well as self-guided walks. This is not a hotel but a forest lodge. Best value is obtained by staying for two or more nights, as the per night cost is fairly cheap compared to the transport and guide costs. We saw many birds including toucans, plus a kinkajou, and many other interesting wildlife species.

I've been a teaching assistant with the University of Georgia in the entomology department for the past three years. Each year, I get to partake in a whirlwind adventure though out northwest Ecuador on a entomological summer term abroad.Maquipucuna is by far my favorite place that we visit in Ecuador. Our group spends ten days at Maquipucuna and each year all the students are devastated to leave. We visit Maquipucuna because its megadiverse plant and insect communities provide a rich learning environment for our students. In addition to learning about the animals and plants, the students learn about conservation struggles and how Maquipucuna pioneered the efforts of conservation and partnering with the local communities to build a conservation corridor. Not only is a great place to visit if you’re a tourist, but the lodging accommodations are large enough for study abroads. The local knowledge is astounding and all the natural history hikes are my favorite part about visiting Maquipucuna. The guides are always willing to help and are genuinely excited to share their knowledge about the birds, insects, plants, ecology and conservation efforts. The cooks prepare all traditional Ecuadorian dishes with locally grown and produced products. The meals are large, consisting of at least two courses, so come hungry! Maquipucuna is also stocked with a full bar, so enjoy some wine and good food while listening to the roaring river. I can’t wait to come back next year and I always feel that Maquipucuna is a second home.Please be sure, that you make a reservation and have an email confirmation! The main headquarters are in Quito and the local staff man the lodge. The staff will do anything for you, so just make sure everyone is prepared for you!

This place is wonderful, there you can find waterfalls, so don't forget to carry your water boots, nature that you can observe there is so amazing, weather is hot and it has some kind of humidity. sun protector and repelent are indispensable.

We stayed for 3 nights and took the Classic package with all the meals and wildlife guide included. We had a cabin away from the lodge but it was spacious and had a lovely veranda with hammocks to relax in and enjoy the sounds of the forest and the roaring river. All the meals were of good quality with a lot of fresh produce grown locally and the coffee served was grown by the cloud forest reserve and was lovely tasting. The birds we saw were beautiful colours, all spotted by our keen eyed guide who took us out on several walks each day teaching us all about the Cloud Forest. Very peaceful and relaxing place to stay with lovely scenery and wildlife surrounding you. All the staff were friendly and helpful, Luis was a great guide on the way back to Quito stopping at the old Mitad del Mundo on Mount Catequilla and explaining the surrounding areas around. Really recommend staying at this lodge.

I just returned after 4 nights at Maquipucuna Cloud Forest Reserve. Have you ever had an experience that was life changing in so many ways? This was it for me. The pure silence (with the only sound being the river rushing), the amazing Arsenio, Luis, and Carlos. The two women cooks who allowed me to learn how to make the most incredible breakfast treat, just everything caused for more words than I can post here. A couple of things that a traveler needs to be aware of if you make the choice to come here: food is served at set times. You are outdoors so don't complain about bugs! Try and learn a few words of Spanish - it's just polite :) I have already made another reservation to revisit here. THANK you to the staff and volunteers who made my trip so special!

Dear Stuart g,Maquipucuna is beautiful and Maquipucuna is our passion and we are as involved or more than we ever did. I will not go into further details, because I already provided them in the response to your partner. During your call in the morning, I stressed to you that we only work with confirmed reservations. It saddens me that you are not valuing our effort to accommodate you without a reservation (plus the fact that you arrived at 10:30 at night) and that despite our apologies and explanation of why you we couldn't serve more coffee in the morning, you and your friend have felt entitled to come up with all sorts of conjectures; that we once loved Maquipucuna, that we are absent, etc.

We appreciate very much all constructive criticism that we receive, as we continuously strive to improve the Maquipucuna experience. We are very sorry that we failed to provide enough of our great coffee, and even more saddened that you used that failure to misconstrue in your review, what really happened. When you called around 10 in the morning to find out if you could drive on your own to Maquipucuna that same day, I gave you the rates for the room, entrance fee, meals and guide and informed you that we only work with confirmed reservations in order to guarantee good service. I emphasized that we required you to confirm the reservation as soon as possible or otherwise we were giving the next day free to our hardworking staff because a large group had just left the lodge and we had no reservations the next day. Due to the fact that you did not call during the day as you said you would, we assumed this meant you were not coming.To our surprise you called me at 7:30 pm from Mitad del Mundo to ask if you could still go to Maquipucuna as you were already on your way! We were glad we could help you and made an exception to our booking protocol agreeing to your visit without a reservation, even when that meant that I had to call back our guides and cooks way past their working hours so they may be ready for your arrival. We did the best we could to get everything ready for you, except for fresh coffee. Had you confirmed your reservation in the morning like you offered, we would have followed our normal procedure which is to sent the coffee that we roast and store fresh and dry in Quito in that day's shuttle. This is the reason why we didn't have enough coffee ready for you.We do not understand your complaint regarding the prices because you still decided to come to Maquipucuna even after being informed about our rates; particularly how we charge for the guided services.The Maquipucuna Reserve and Ecolodge uses the benefits of the ecolodge to preserve the 16,000 acre reserve. Therefore, contrary to most other lodges, you are not only paying for the accommodations, but also to preserve this vast area of pristine rainforest. You may also take into consideration the immersion into nature and what it takes to get these accommodations here (electricity, water, satellite phone, etc.). In any case your expenses will help us to conserve a rich biodiverse area, and this is something you can feel positive about.

It has been almost a year since I was there and the magic of Maquipucuna will never leave me.I'm an avid explorer, love the outdoors and nature and a grand place to just relax- this is the place! Simple not complicated, far enough away from city life, beautiful lush green plants, waterfalls, a river view right out my window, awesome butterflies & humming birds, wonderful hikes, fantastic food and an incredible staff. What more could you want- nothing! They take care of it all, all you have to do is contact them for reservations.I am having a cup of their wonderful coffee as I write this and trying to figure out another, " escape from life", plan to go there. I'm a well traveled person and this is by far one of my favorite places on earth, I feel so lucky to have found it.Thank you Rebecca, Katherine, Arsenio and all!