Mindo is Ecuador’s bird capital. It’s the place to go if you like birds. When I was younger, during family camping trips or outings, my parents would always bring along a pair of binoculars and a bird guide. They’d be able to look at some little brown bird for a minute and say “oh, that’s a Northern Spectacled Brim Fletcher” or whatever. So, for me, a trip to Mindo felt more like a familial obligation than anything else.

I don’t know if it’s being near the equator, the elevation, the forested hills or the climate, but something about Mindo draws hundreds of different species of birds. And the birds bring birdwatchers. Tourists from all over flock to Mindo, armed with binoculars and bird guides.

Even if your interest in birding stems from a casual curiosity and not a responsibility to uphold the family honor by spotting a variety of tanagers, Mindo is a must visit.

What to Know Before Traveling to Mindo

Mindo is located on the slopes of the Andes mountains in northwest Ecuador. The small town is surrounded by thick, lush, cloud forest and sits at the conjunction of mountains and coastal plains. This location is part of what contributes to Mindo’s biodiversity.

The cloud forest is often quite literally covered in clouds. You’re going to want to bring a rain coat and shoes you don’t mind getting muddy. Mindo is great, but it can be very muddy.

Flocks of tourists brave the clouds and mud to come here every year for the amazing bird watching. Mindo consistently wins the record for most species of birds seen in one day. Species counts are often well over 400. Not just 400 birds, but 400 different species of birds. That’s a lot of different types of birds.

Birdwatching has become an integral part of Mindo’s economy and identity. You’ll find all sorts of bird themed stuff throughout town, from decorations in cafes to murals on the walls. About 5% of Mindo’s population are certified birdwatching guides. Almost every local you talk to beams with pride when they discuss the birds of the area.

Needless to say, you should pack some binoculars. If you don’t want to lug around a bird guide book, the Merlin Bird ID app is super fun. I still can’t believe how excited I still get when I add a new bird to my life list.

How to Get to Mindo

You can reach this birdwatching paradise quickly and easily from Quito. In fact, Mindo is only a two-hour bus ride from Ecuador’s capital, or about 62 miles as the toucan flies. Make your way to La Ofelia terminal in the north of Quito. Then buy your ticket at the station and you’ll be on your way to avian heaven. You can check the bus company website for an updated schedule.

I’ve read numerous warnings in numerous other travel blogs about the safety of the buses that go between Quito and Mindo. Obviously, you should always keep an eye on your stuff while on buses everywhere, but we had absolutely zero trouble on the bus to Mindo.

In fact, a portly security guard in an oversized uniform took a shine to us at the bus station. He stood guard over our bags like they were the Queen’s jewels or something. He even helped us carry them and load them on the bus when it was time to go. It was totally unnecessary, but much appreciated.

Where to Stay in Mindo

Once you arrive in Mindo, you’ll find any number of hotels, hostels, B&Bs and more. Ignore all of them, because Mindo is home to one of the loveliest accommodations we stayed at in our entire trip through Latin America.

The Cabañas Armonía y Jardín de Orquídeas is a collection of cabins amid an orchid garden. It’s run by a local family, who were incredibly kind and attentive. The cabins are also quite romantic. While you stay, you’re free to wander around and admire the orchid garden.

The best part about Cabañas Armonía was the breakfast. The food was good, but breakfast is served amid a dangling orchard of hummingbird feeders. We spent every morning watching all sorts of tiny, tropical hummingbirds flit around us while we drank our coffee. It was pretty cool.

You can click here to book your stay at Cabañas Armonía. If you book using this link, you’ll also be supporting this blog at no extra cost to you. However, I liked Cabañas Armonía enough that I would recommend them for free.

Can You Visit Mindo as a Day Trip?

Some people decide to just visit Mindo on a day trip. Afterall, it really isn’t very far from Quito. If you want to visit independently, you just have to follow the instructions above to get there on the bus. Just make sure you leave yourself enough time to get back. If you catch the first bus at 8am, you could arrive in Mindo in time to take one short hike and be back to the bus station for the ride back at 5pm.

If you want to do more than this, you’ll have to book a tour. Get Your Guide offers a number of tours to Mindo that leave from Quito and are probably fun. These tours are more expensive than visiting independently, but they’ll give you more time. Maybe you could do a bird watching tour?

However, now that I’ve said all that, I want to try my best to discourage you from taking a tour or doing Mindo as a day trip. As much as I’d like for you to click my affiliate links and finally maybe break even on this blog, I have to be honest.

Mindo is a nice enough of a destination that it’s worth staying for at least a couple of days. If you just go on a day trip, whether independently or with a tour, you’re inevitably going to feel rushed. You can tick Mindo off your list, but you won’t have really experienced the town or its surrounding natural beauty. Do yourself a favor and spend a night or two in Mindo.

Things to Do in Mindo

Seeing as Mindo is Ecuador’s birdwatching paradise, you’ll probably want to do some birdwatching here. Even if you weren’t raised with a pair of binoculars in your crib, you should take advantage of visiting what might be the best birdwatching town in the world. Who knows? Maybe Mindo will turn you into a hardcore bird nerd.

There are, of course, some non-bird related things to see and do in Mindo. The surrounding cloud forest is beautiful, and Mindo has plenty of hiking options. Of course, you should bring binoculars on your hike. You also might find things to do like chocolate tours, ATV rides or rafting. We didn’t go in for any of that, but I’m sure it’s fun.

Go on a Birdwatching Tour

As I said before, Mindo is the place to do some birdwatching. You can go off and birdwatch on your own, and you definitely should, but don’t pass up the opportunity to seek out Mindo’s birds with an experienced guide. I promise you’ll see way more types of birds with a guide than you ever would on your own. Local guides know the species in the area, and can bring you to the spots where they hang out. In fact, I’d say a birdwatching tour is basically mandatory for anyone who comes to Mindo.

You’ll find tour operators all over town and probably plenty online, too. I suggest you book your tour with the good people at Mindo Bird Paradise. Afterall, if you have to go on a mandatory birdwatching tour, you might as well go with the best.

Mindo Bird Paradise is a family operation, with tours done by a local mother and son team. We did our tour with the mother, Sandra, whose passion for birds was infectious. She also had an incredible eye.

We’d be walking along a forest trail, minding our own business, when suddenly she’d stop and point at what looked like an empty tree. She’d whip out the telescope and we’d see a group of parrots or something that a moment ago looked like nothing more than leaves.

I can’t remember how much our tour was, but it was very reasonable considering the number of species we saw. You can contact Mindo Bird Paradise via their website or their office in town. They’ll make suggestions depending on which birds are around that time of year and what sort of bird watching experience you want.

My only regret is that we didn’t opt for the longer tour and head deeper into the mountains. I would have liked to see one of those crazy looking blue toucans. Maybe next time.

Take the Cable Car at Tarabita

After you’ve completed your mandatory birding tour, you’ll find Mindo has a lot more to offer. Especially appealing to someone like me are the numerous hiking trails that wind through the surrounding Andean cloud forest. Of course, you can’t escape the birds. Bring a pair of binoculars.

One of the most popular options for hikes is the Tarabita cable car and trails. Entrance costs about $5, and you get to take a small cable car over a green forested ravine. It’s very scenic. The cable car leads to a trail that heads to a number of lovely waterfalls. It’s a nice way to spend some time out in Mindo’s nature.

While I enjoyed our visit to Tarabita, I wasn’t able to explore as much of the area as I would have liked. A heavy downpour hit us right after we got out of the cable car, and the trails became way too muddy to be fun. We only made it to the first big waterfall, Cascada La Reina. Despite this, it still ended up being a nice day, and I’d recommend it even if you don’t make it very far down the trail.

Tarabita is located some seven kilometers (4.3 miles) out of town. Best to take a taxi and save your energy for the hike.

Hike the Casa Amarilla trails

Closer to town, you can find some excellent trails in Casa Amarilla. The “Yellow House” is a hotel / tourist complex that has its own private nature reserve with a decent network of forest trails. It’s also a great place to see birds and other animals. Did I mention you should bring binoculars? In fact, when you’re in Mindo, you should never leave your hotel without binoculars.

Casa Amarilla is a short walk from the center of town. Head north east of the central park on El Trogon Street. The reserve costs about $6 to enter. It’s totally worth it.

We spent a solid four hours here hiking around and exploring the trails. We also made friends with a horse that was just chilling in the middle of the trail. I can’t promise the horse will be there when you visit, but I promise it’ll still be a good hike.

Final Thoughts on Mindo

I understand not everyone grew up in a birdwatching family. You might think to yourself “I should skip Mindo, because I don’t think looking at birds seems very exciting.” I don’t understand what isn’t exciting about waking up early in order to stand outside and be real quiet while looking through a pair of binoculars or a telescope, but that’s just me.

While Mindo’s main attraction is its birds, and you should at least try birdwatching here, the town has a lot of other stuff going for it, too. The town itself is a relaxed, charming place that has enough tourist infrastructure without feeling suffocating. The surrounding cloud forest is beautiful, and there are a number of easily accessible trails. And of course, the people are also quite friendly and welcoming, if a bit bird obsessed.

Even though I grew up with birdwatching in my life, I have to admit that I didn’t used to enjoy it. For years, I was in the “birdwatching is boring” camp. Afterall, how could standing outside looking for birds compare to a nightclub or concert?

But now, I get it. And maybe my time in Mindo helped me get it. Some of the tropical birds here, with their bright, colorful and sometimes weird plumage, are absolutely stunning. And nothing can quite describe that exciting moment when you first focus your binoculars on a new species of bird you’ve never seen before.

It’s almost worth waking up at 5:30am for.