"Main Region, with Jewels a-plenty" Provincia de Pichincha by HasTowelWillTravel

Provincia de Pichincha Travel Guide: 1,224 reviews and 3,627 photos

Maquipucuna

This lodge was the focus of my visit to Ecuador this past January. Located inside the province of Imbabura, about 90 minutes northwest of Quito, The Maquipucuna Foundation comprises a reserve of 6,000 hectares. This reserve, consisting of both primary and secondary cloud forests, serves as the base camp for a number of ecologically friendly education for Ecuadoreans, as well as ecotourism.

The foundation helps to promote ecologically responsible methods of tourism and living. They run workshops to help assist local farmers in organic methods of crop production. There is a bird-friendly, shade-grown organic coffee farm not too far away. They offer a multitude of hiking and birdwatching activities throughout the reserve. They run an orchid farm and propagation laboratory, helping to maintain rare orchids and prevent their extinction. Even their lodge is ecologically produced, made from local, sustainable bamboo varieties with a kitchen supplied from their organic farm.

It is a great area to visit and explore, I highly recommend it.

Last visit to Provincia de Pichincha: Jan 2008
Intro Written Jul 15, 2008
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Reviews (5)

white-necked jacobin (Flourisuga mellivora) - Provincia de Pichincha

Maquipucuna: Easy Bird Watching Things to Do (4)

One of the great things about the forest surrounding the Maquipucuna Reserve is the abundance of avian creatures. In... more travel advice

Deep in the jungle along the Palmitos Trail - Provincia de Pichincha

Maquipucuna: Palmitos Trail Things to Do (4)

This trail begins near the Scientific Research Station, climbing beyond the Reserve's orchid garden and angling upwards... more travel advice

Maquipucuna: Waterfall Trail Things to Do (4)

This trail is a short, pleasant hike from the road leading up to the Maquipucuna Lodge. About 1km before the bridge,... more travel advice

the Umchaca River - Provincia de Pichincha

Maquipucuna: River Trail Things to Do (4)

This moderate but exhilarating trail runs about 3 km in length, taking about 2-3 hours to complete. You start off... more travel advice

Hotels (1)
Ecolodge working for good

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Comments (2)

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MalenaN Sep 18, 2010 at 7:05 AM

The Ecolodge in Maquipucuna sounds like a great place to stay at and the surroundings looks beautiful!
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Elena77 Jan 13, 2009 at 12:22 PM

Great tips and beautiful photos, too. It seems like a fascinating place to visit!