Mindo's Cloud Forest: Sanctuario de Cascadas

Mindo'S Cloud Forest: Sanctuario de Cascadas

I paused for a minute, absorbing the wall of sound around me. The jungle was alive. Birdsong cut through the constant drone of insects like vocals over a bassline. Hues of green shone in the light as lush, dense vegetation packed in tight around me. The natural orchestra of Mindo’s cloud forest was in full flow, singing, calling and croaking their way to a cacophony of noise.

It was an enlightening moment in many ways as I took a break whilst the rest of the group continued down the path. Sometimes, it’s nice to have a minute alone to really appreciate the incredible environment in which you find yourself; a world away from your life at home. I had imagined being immersed in these surroundings before my departure from the UK. Yet only now that I was here, amidst the wonders of the rainforest, could I truly begin to appreciate the rich, diverse habitat stretching out before my eyes.

Information

Mindo, a small village deep in the rainforest of the western Andes, is based two hours drive from Quito, the capital of Ecuador. Rich in wildlife and geographically located at the point where two highly diverse ecological regions meet, the area is a very popular spot for bird-watching and adrenaline sports. Although short, my two-night stay in the sleepy Andean pueblo was certainly a highlight of my time in South America.

Transport… We left our hotel early at 08:30am and caught a taxi from Mindo village square to Minjoy Park. This is the location of a wonderful telerifico (cable car) that lifts you up high above the forest canopy offering some outstanding views of the surrounding landscape. Keep an eye out for some wonderful wildlife in the treetops as you’re transported to the upper station.

From here, it’s a short walk along the trail to the right-hand side down to the road, where you take a right-turn in order to reach the tarabita de montana. This is another cable car which again offers incredible views. Once you’ve crossed the valley and safely disembarked, you’re ready to begin the hike.

Cost… Taxi $3.00 (single trip), Minjoy Park Telerifico $8.00 (return), Tarabita de Montana $5.00 (return) and Taxi $3.00 (single trip).

Essentials

These are essentials when visiting Mindo’s cloud forest. The environment quickly lived up to it’s name with some heavy rain throughout the time we were there, especially late afternoon/early evening. Hence the reason we departed for our walk early in the morning when we largely escaped any wet weather until getting caught in a torrential downpour midway through our return journey on the cable car to Minjoy Park. We were so close!

Waterproof raincoat… In one word, essential. It won’t be much fun if you’re drenched through to the bone and still have a fair way left to walk. I have a Patagonia Torrentshell and it proved fantastic during the inclement weather.

Hiking boots… Some of the trails can get very muddy and wet. A sturdy pair of hiking boots with good grip are invaluable. We also had to cross streams along our route.

Insect repellant… Very important to keep away Mindo’s mosquitos and any other bugs.

Food and water… As with any walk, it’s so important to have enough food and water on-hand to maintain energy levels and hydration. There’s a number of small supermarkets throughout Mindo’s main high street where you can stock up on supplies.

Tip… One of the best things I purchased prior to departing for South America was a Lifestraw Filtration bottle. It was excellent for refilling from sources such as taps and the waterfalls themselves when they may not be suitable to drink. The in-built filter removes any bacteria, pathogens or other nasty elements that can make you ill. It also saved me plenty of time and money sourcing and buying bottled water plus it’s better for the environment!

Sanctuario de Cascadas

There are certain moments in your life, peculiar as they may be, that you will remember forever and so our adventure began. We’d arrived early at Minjoy Park as the first visitors that day to ride the telerifico, springing the owners into life as they shuffled to get the ski lifts moving. It led to a great moment that will remain forever etched into the memory; two of the operators climbed into one chairlift before turning around and whistling. Their dog, a beautiful cream labrador, casually leapt on to the following seats, where another member of staff secured the safety bar and away he went. We stood amazed as he remained completely unfazed whilst his car made the ascent over the trees and up the valley; by the time we arrived at the top twenty minutes later, he was happily foraging through the bushes without a care in the world.

Dog on a cable car, Mindo cloud forest — The Labrador hitching a ride

The summit provides a wonderful view of hillsides clad with thick jungle and crowned by wisps of cloud floating lazily across the valley. It was breathtaking and something akin to what you’d see in Jurassic Park. We made our way down the narrow dirt path to the right of the chairlifts to the road where after another right turn, you can reach the tarabita de montana. Markedly different to the modern, ski resort style chairlifts on the hill above, the tarabita is more box-like as it whizzes you high above the jungle canopy. 150 metres above the ground, you almost feel like you’re flying. It’s remarkable to see the operator carefully controlling the engine driving the line from the main station before you embark.

It’s once you reach the other side, however, that the experience really begins as you decide which of the waterfalls you wish to visit first. To your right, you can head down to Cascada Reina, the tallest at 50-feet. Unfortunately for us, with it being the wet season and Mindo having experienced a deluge of rainfall, the path was deemed too dangerous and subsequently closed. I understand that it takes an hour to walk to the waterfall and due to this, it is often overlooked by the majority of visitors, leaving the trail relatively free to those who take it. We therefore took the lefthand route to sanctuario de cascadas.

There’s much more to this hike than the cascadas alone. The entire cloud forest is teeming with life as you climb and descend the trails, stimulating the senses with vivid colours, numerous sounds and various scents. A strong, damp but fresh aroma hung in the air from the prior day’s rain. Small, colourful birds were flitting between trees, diving and swooping on unsuspecting bugs as the constant drone of crickets provided a backdrop to the calls and cries of the rainforest inhabitants. With over 500 species of birds living in the Mindo area, there’s ample opportunity to see some stunning avifauna throughout the walk. As you continue down the trail you’ll hear it before you see it; the roar of the waterfall and the rush of water flowing through the valley. We’d reached Cascada Nambillo, my favourite of them all.

Tarabita de Montaña Cable Car, Mindo Cloudforest — Tarabita de Montaña Cable Car

Cliffs part as the natural phenomenon thunders through the passage and down into the gorge. Even from the safety of the yellow suspension bridge, spray and mist hit you as the water flows rapidly below. This was a perk of visiting in wet season as we witnessed the fall in all it’s glory. The bridge offers prime viewing of the Cascada Nambillo and the opportunity to take some outstanding photography as the white water crashes through the green, moss-laden cliffs on either side. There is also an additional viewing platform above the fall that you can access for a $3.00 fee – I’m not sure if we were aware of it at the time but in any case, we didn’t go.

The views we had were more than sufficient as we gazed in awe at the power of mother nature as she violently threw the water into the canyon. It set the tone for what was a wonderful adventure through the cloudforest and we were lucky to see many of the waterfalls in full flow with the river often looking swollen. I’ve since looked at videos and pictures of Cascada Nambillo in the dry season and it’s unrecognisable; the visitor’s frolicking in the calm waters would have had no chance in the raging torrents we witnessed that day. Whichever season you visit, you’ll be able to appreciate its beauty in different ways.

Waterfall flowing through a canyon in Mindo Cloudforest. — Cascada Nambillo, Mindo Cloudforest

We continued along the trail, stopping off at Cascada’s Ondinas, Guarumos and Colibries. Each fall had it’s own unique beauty; I was never really disappointed at any stage. From the smaller, wider falls gushing through the valley to the narrow, taller cascadas plunging over the rockface, each one had its own distinct charm.

The diverse wildlife was also on show, displaying a range of weird and wonderful plants in various colours and sizes. Spindly caterpillars crawled slowly puncturing holes in the leaves whilst two butterflies huddled together riverside as white-waters rushed downstream from Cascada Guarumos. It was quite poignant that these beautiful creatures were seemingly unperturbed that their fragile frames were perched so close to the powerful, destructive torrent of water.

After departing from Cascada Colibries and continuing to make our way uphill, we were served a reminder of the previous nights weather and the havoc it can cause. A tree had collapsed over the pathway, completely blocking our route in a tangle of leaves, trunk and branches. A forest ranger arrived and began hacking through the barrier as he sought to clear the way.

As we waited further downhill, we noticed a fascinating lizard lying stationary on a large leaf, sporting a stunning green and black tiger-style colourway. He didn’t seem concerned as we manoeuvred to catch some great photos. Sadly, on our return back down the path later on, the plants he’d so proudly posed on had been crushed by the debris removed by the ranger. My first thought was to hope he’d managed to avoid any harm. Unfortunately, our quest to visit all five remaining waterfalls fell short at Cascade Madre as there’d clearly been a landslide overnight blocking the only available route. Casey managed to make her way to the large rock in the centre of the river but found it too dangerous to continue so we decided to turn back. We were, however, still able to get some good photo’s before leaving.

Green & Black Lizard, Mindo Cloudforest, Ecuador

To give you an idea how long the walk took us, we started from the tarabita de montana at 09:45am and returned to the viewpoint at the top of the chairlift to Minjoy Park at around 13:00pm. Of course, the hike would have been much longer had we been able to visit Cascada Reina and Cascada de los Maderas; perhaps around three hours extra. As it goes, we timed it just right, settling down for lunch at the viewpoint as we saw a flock of around 15 toucans roosting in a tree. This was a real treat considering I’d only seen these birds sporadically and on their own during my time in South America. It was amazing to see them all in flight moving from tree to tree across the valley.

Remember I said to bring a waterproof coat earlier? Well, we needed them. Halfway down the chairlift to Minjoy Park and just as we thought we’d avoided any downpours, the heavens opened. Whats more, whereas we’d had an uninterrupted ride up to the summit earlier that morning, we were left hanging for a couple of minutes at one point as the rain drizzled down, drenching us all. Keep those coats.

If you enjoy hiking and the benefits of getting out into nature, I wholeheartedly recommend a visit to sanctuario de cascadas. It’s an incredible environment displaying the very best of nature, drawing appreciation and respect for our magnificent planet. It also gave me cause for reflection on why I’d made the trip to South America and justified the decision in its entirety, introducing me to the beautiful ecology of the rainforest and the wonderful array of animals that call it home. I’d love to go back again.