Amazon Adventures

Ecuador

Galapagos Islands / Jungle Lodges / Active Adventures
Traditional Tours & Hotels

Bellavista Lodge

The British-run Bellavista Reserve is located in the spectacular cloud forests of northwestern Ecuador, on the edge of the Choco bio-region, one of the most biodiverse areas in the world.The expanding 700 hectare (2,000 acres) reserve is characterized by sharply angled and deeply forested mountains which descend into gorges sprinkled with cascading waterfalls and crystalline streams. We are concentrating our efforts to have a minimal impact on this pristine environment in the hope to truly practice sustainable tourism.

Only two hours from Quito, Bellavista is an ideal place for adventure and relaxation. It's a great option for those traveling to the Galapagos and don't have time for a trip to the Amazon. But above all, Bellavista is a wonderful place for discovering the cloud forest and its magical diversity of bird and plant life. And perhaps most importantly, you can walk the trails in peace at your own pace without bumping into crowds of other people.

We offer our guests a unique stay above the forest canopy in our four-story, thatch-roofed, glass-walled geodesic dome or our spacious Bamboo House. In this lofty paradise you can lie in bed and watch the sun rise over Bellavista or watch the mist lift from the deep valleys below. The 360 degree view from the dome allows you to gaze upon the rugged peaks of Pichincha and Cotacachi in the distance. You can also sit out on your private balcony and observe the activity at your own hummingbird feeder.

Our Dome offers all the comforts of home: hot showers, comfortable beds, friendly staff, plenty of relaxation, and delicious food. Our kitchen staff provides the finest in Ecuadorian and international cuisine (largely vegetarian, trout also a specialty) and refreshments. Full board and individual meals are provided. The dome offers 5 double rooms with private baths and balconies. Then on the top two floors, there are two single rooms and dormitory-style accommodation with a shared bath and large balcony. On the ground floor is our library and bar.

The Bamboo House close to the dome, which offers a further 3 rooms - one with 4 beds upstairs and access to a 2 storey balcony with an extra bed and a true bird´s eye view of the Tandayapa Valley! Downstairs there are two rooms, each with private bath and and also a nice big balcony. Designed for small groups or families, people are finding this to be a wonderful alternative!!

And again, if you want to be alone in your forest cabin, we have a 2 storey house with a bathroom on each floor, offering complete seclusion, truly your own mountain forest hideaway!

That makes a total of 10 rooms with private bath, and 10 beds in shared accommodation, so families and larger groups can be accommodated in comfort.

Staff speaks English, Spanish, French, and German.

The Bellavista Reserve is composed of pre-montane cloud forest. The elevation ranges between 1400 and 2600 meters above sea level, with an average mean temperature of 14-22 degrees celsius. Bellavista's forest contains a high level of epiphyte (plants that grow on other plants) diversity, so trees are festooned with hanging gardens of guest plants. Because of the steep slopes, light penetrating the forest floor allows a veritable jungle to grow. Within this enchanting green kingdom a profusion of life awaits your discovery, including botanical treasures such as bromeliads and orchids, as well as the fascinating families of Gesneraceae and Melastomataceae. Since Bellavista is located on the equator, flowers are in bloom year round.

Bellavista Reserve is affiliated with the Fundacion Siempre Bosque Forever Forest Foundation, a conservation organization being set up for the preservation of cloud forests in the Western Andes of Ecuador (as well as other regions), for educational, scientific, and recreational purposes. The Reserve's goal is to educate the public about the significance of biodiversity in tropical cloud forests and the ever increasing importance of protecting these unique ecosystems.

Within this magical place of mist and mystery, Bellavista and the Tandayapa Valley boasts 320 recorded species of birds...and the list continues to grow! The Tanager-finch, Giant Antpitta, Swallow-tailed Nightjar, Plush-capped Finch, Beautiful Jay, and White-faced Nunbird are all found here. Birders and nature lovers alike thrill to the sight of brightly colored tanagers and the Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan, and everybody loves to simply sit in our four-story dome and admire the multitude of hummingbirds hovering around our feeders. Bellavista's resident mammals include the endangered Spectacled Bear, (rarely seen but protected by the reserve), as well as the puma, Andean coati and tayra, to name a few.

Whether you want to bushwack with machetes through the Valley of Mist, hike upstream to the Hidden Falls, catch sight of the of epiphytes, or just relax in a hammock in the whirring company of fearless hummingbirds, Bellavista is a great place to commune with nature -- and yourself. Our guides are knowledgeable in tropical ecology and are familiar with the forest's elusive inhabitants and trails. Let us know what adventure you are craving and our guides will custom-tailor your days' adventures. (Rubber boots are provided.)

We are now offering horseback riding around Bellavista on quiet and friendly horses, which will also have a gallop if desired. Small extra cost. For those who want a longer horse riding experience, we offer horse rides originating in Pululahua Crater near the Equator Monument and ending up in Bellavista (or viceversa).

Package Prices: including accommodation, round trip transportation, guide service and meals. Tax and Service are included. Note: Specialist birding guide, or individually exclusive guide service, costs extra). Add $40 for English-speaking transfer person.

2 days/1 night	2nd floor, private bath	3rd floor, shared bath
1 person	US$195	US$175
2 or more	US$155 each	US$129 each
children 12 & under	US$100 each	US$80 each

3 days/ 2 nights	2nd floor, private bath	3rd floor, shared bath
1 person	US$239	US$199
2 or more	US$215 each	US$170 each
children 12 & under	US$120 each	US$93 each

extra nights	2nd floor, private bath	3rd floor, shared bath
adults	US$55	US$40
children 12 & under	US$40 each	US$20 each

PRICE LIST – DAY TRIPS FROM BELLAVISTA

Notes:
1) All prices are per person , with a minimum of 2 people.
2) For groups of 5 or more, the prices are reduced US$10/person on each trip option. For children up to 12, price is reduced US$10/person
3) Various trip options can also be done on way to or from Quito

Tulipe Trip: Newly discovered ruins. Includes local speciality lunch, transport, entrance fee to ruins
Cost: Spanish-speaking guide and transport: US$50 per person
English-speaking guide and transport: US$60 per person.

Mindo Trip: Famous cloud forest area for birding. Includes box lunch or restaurant lunch, transport, entrance fees
Cost: Spanish-speaking guide and transport: US$55 per person
English-speaking guide and transport: US$65 per person.
Bird specialist guide: US$89 per person minimum

Nono Road (Verdecocha): Another famous birding area. Includes speciality lunch with smoked trout; also horses, transport, guided hikes in reserve. Can be combined with mountain biking from above Quito to the upper area of the reserve (US$29 per person extra cost).
Cost: Spanish-speaking guide and transport: US$59 per person
English-speaking guide and transport: US$69 per person.
Bird specialist guide and transport: US$99 per person minimum

Nono Road Biking Tour Biking down the exquisitely scenic Nono road, to Bellavista. The last part is uphill, a good excuse for a backup vehicle.
Cost: Spanish-speaking guide and transport: US$65 per person
English-speaking guide and transport: US$76 per person.

Pedro Vicente Maldonado (2 or 3 days) A scenic trip dropping down to the lowlands. The goal is a really nice reserve in lowland rain forest, with a huge waterfall with a large pool at its base, quite off the beaten track. To get to the simple lodge, you have to cross a river on horseback!!
Cost: Spanish-speaking guide and transport: US$76 per person per day
English-speaking guide and transport: US$89 per person per day.
Bird specialist guide and transport: US$110 per person minimum per day.
Overnight costs with meals and guide into reserve: Extra US$66 per night, with all meals for pax, guide and driver.

Nono Road: Birding Tour on way to or from Quito: Includes box breakfast and specialist bird guide. Optional stopover in Yanacocha Reserve (US$5 entrance fee per person)
Cost: Please enquire – depends on guide and number of pax.

Pahuma Orchid Reserve or Mitad del Mundo Stop-Off: Includes time for a short visit to reserve. No entrance fees or guide provided. However, additional entrance fee to reserve will include Spanish-speaking guide option.
Cost: US$10 per hour or fraction that the transport waits for you.

ALTERNATIVE TRAVEL OPTIONS

It is possible to take various alternative modes of travel out to Bellavista.

a) Mountain bike: This trip leaves Quito with a vehicle that takes you up to the pass on the Nono road. From there, you bike down hill to Tandayapa. Then the vehicle takes you up to Bellavista

b) Mountain bike and Horse-riding option: this option is a multisport option that ends up in a private Reserve (Verdecocha) on the Nono road with a lunch that includes smoked trout.

c) Horseback from Pululahua: A vehicle takes you to Pululahua for one of 2 alternatives: a) Full day horseback explorations within Pululahua b) 3 day horseback trip through the mountains to Bellavista. For the one day trip, a vehicle can pick you up in Pululahua for your trip by car to Bellavista

d) Rafting combination: Logistics permitting, you can be picked up at an agreed pickup point – usually Nanegalito – after a day´s rafting on the rushing rivers of the northwest.

e) Nono road sightseeing: This option has an additional cost compared with usual trip out by main road.. Cost will depend on whether the trip is designed with lots of stops en route or not.

f) Pickup or Drop-off in Mindo, Maquipucuna or Los Bancos: No extra cost

g) Pickup or Drop-off in Otavalo, Papallacta or Cotopaxi: Extra cost

Prices subject to change