The Mindo Cloud Forest is a central Ecuadorian sanctuary where laid-back vibes meet adrenaline-fueled adventure. Take the 2-hour trip from Quito to Mindo for a refreshing, beautiful break from city life.

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Are you intrigued by the thought of spending 48 hours enveloped by the clouds? In a place where exotic nature awaits and endless greenery abounds? From waterfall hikes and canopy ziplining to birdwatching and chocolate tastings, this guide will show you the best things to do in the Mindo Cloud Forest. Whether you’re spending several days in Mindo, or just visiting as a day trip from Quito, the Mindo Cloud Forest is an unforgettable Ecuadorian escape you won’t want to miss! Let’s begin.

Complete Travel Guide + Best Things to Do in the Mindo Cloud Forest in Ecuador

In this post:

• Top 6 things to do in the Mindo Cloud Forest
  • Hike the Santuario de las Cascadas (“Sanctuary of Waterfalls”)
  • Enjoy a chocolate tasting + tour at El Quetzal de Mindo Chocolate Company
  • Visit the Mariposario
  • Join a morning bird watching tour
  • Tube down the Nambillo River
  • Zipline across Mindo’s amazing cloud-covered canopy
• Mindo trip-planning tips
  • Need-to-know Mindo info (safety, water, toilet paper etc.)
  • How to get to Mindo from Quito
  • Mindo packing list
  • Where to stay in Mindo
  • Where to eat in Mindo

A quick housekeeping note from DnA: our trip to Mindo took place in 2019. This original post was written in 2020. It has been updated with the most current information we have as of December 2023. Enjoy!

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▾ Need help planning your trip to Mindo? ▾

If this guide inspires you to visit Mindo, but you don’t have the time to research and plan your own trip, we’d love to help you create your own incredible experience. Whether it’s for a family vacation, a group trip, or a honeymoon, we’ve got you covered.

Visit our Plan A Trip page and fill out a quick questionnaire to get the ball rolling!

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Top 6 things to do in the Mindo Cloud Forest

There’s no shortage of things to do in the Mindo Cloud Forest, but here are our top 6 best things to do in the Mindo Cloud Forest!

1. Hike the Santuario de las Cascadas (“Sanctuary of Waterfalls”)

One of Mindo’s most popular attractions, the Santuario de las Cascadas runs along the Nambillo River and consists of 7 exquisite falls and beautiful natural pools. Plan to spend a big portion of your day hiking to each of the falls. Sure, you could do it in a morning, but add in time for swimming, snacking & relaxing, and you may need to plan a full day for your adventure.

We got started late, so unfortunately only made it to 3 of the 7 waterfalls. But since it was a weekday in the rainy season, we felt like we had the entire hike to ourselves. During weekends and holidays, you’ll have to account for the added number of local visitors you’re sharing the hike with, and possibly higher wait times for the tarabita—the yellow cable car that shuttles you across the valley to the waterfalls.

To get out to the waterfalls, the tarabita trip across the valley is a mandatory leg of the journey. If you’re afraid of heights, unfortunately you don’t have much of a choice. Close your eyes, and it’ll be over quickly. The ride is only 1-2 minutes 🙂

At the time of our visit, a tarabita ticket was $5 per person roundtrip (cash only).

Also, the last tarabita ride back from the waterfalls is at 4:30pm, which is one reason most people get started early in the morning.

PRO TIP: If you miss the last tarabita ride back, you will be stuck on the other side of the valley. Either that, or you’ll have a long, mysterious jungle expedition in front of you (NOT recommended!).

Let’s review: to get to the waterfalls, first you have to get out to the tarabita. So, how do you get to the tarabita?

There are two ways to find it.

Option 1: take a taxi or walk from town

Take a taxi up to the tarabita following the Via a Las Cascadas (road to the waterfalls). The taxi should be no more than $3-4 ($5 max) from the center of town.

You can also walk the roughly 2 miles (3.4 km), but expect that it’ll take between 1-2 hours depending on your pace. Some of it is gravely/rocky and some of it is paved, but it’s all uphill. Adam’s brother and his wife chose to walk and a sweet, enormous pup adopted them along the way!

Option 2: take the chairlift from Minjoy Park

From the center of town, follow the Via al Mariposario (road to the Butterfly House) until you arrive at Minjoy Park. There, you’ll hop on a teleférico (2-person ski chairlift) for a beautiful 15-minute ride above the Mindo Cloud Forest canopy. Once the chairlift drops you off, walk for 5 minutes through the forest to the tarabita entrance. Don’t worry, there’s only one path, so you can’t miss it.

At the time of our visit, the chairlift was $5 per person one-way, or $8 roundtrip. We bought a one-way ticket, since we only used the chairlift to get up to the tarabita. After our waterfall excursion, the four of us grabbed a taxi to take us back down to town.

travelhelix anecdote: Since our Airbnb was close to Minjoy Park, we decided to try option #2. As we entered the park, there was no one to be found, and the chairlift wasn’t running. Eventually, a man popped out of the attendant station. After a bit of confusion and broken Spanish explaining what we were trying to do, he turned on the chairlift and the gears started grinding into motion! As our friend gestured for us to buckle up, we exchanged one of those “OK, love you, if this is it, it’s been a good run” sort of looks. From there, we were lifted up into what became an epic 15-minute ride into the clouds. We arrived safely to the top and made the 5-minute stroll to the tarabita. From there, our yellow chariot escorted us across another cloud-filled valley, where a rainy hike, refreshing waterfalls and natural pools awaited us.

2. Enjoy a chocolate tasting + tour at El Quetzal de Mindo Chocolate Company

Any chocolate lovers out there? Well, you’re in luck. Mindo is home to multiple chocolate making and tasting tours. El Quetzal de Mindo is probably the most famous, and they’ve been serving up superb chocolate to visitors from around the world since 2009.

El Quetzal sources the best organic cacao from small family farms near Mindo. Then, they roast, refine, temper, mold and wrap the chocolate by hand. While the chocolate tour offers a deeper look into the chocolate-making process, our favorite part was the final chocolate tasting. D went back for 3rds 😉

Bonus chocolate activity: cook up some authentic, local hot cocoa

After the tour and tasting, we participated in a very cool hands-on experience. Our guide sat us down in a circle with a few other travelers, under the cover of a thatched hut. He then set up a large stone mortar, suspended over an open fire. As day turned to night and the mortar heated up, he told the tale of what could be the world’s first hot chocolate: a handmade specialty drink of local Ecuadorian tribes.

Soon, he threw a bag full of beans on the hot mortar, and roasted them. Then, we all pitched in smashing them with our hands to remove the shells, and threw them back on the mortar. Next, we took turns grinding the beans with a smooth heavy stone, perfectly-sized to fit in the palm of your hand. Finally, our guide heated the ground up nibs into a delicious drink, which we all enjoyed. Somewhere along the way, a local musician sat down and started strumming his guitar, as his son (maybe 5 years old) danced around, without a care in the world. The whole event took about an hour, and we would highly recommend it!

3. Visit the Mariposario

Have you always dreamed of being in an enclosed greenhouse with over 1000 species of butterfly circling around your head, looking for their next bite of banana off of your finger? Well, look no further. Mindo’s got that too!

A visit to the Mariposario doesn’t take long, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time admiring the exotic butterflies, the hungry hummingbirds, and the endless supply of flora and fauna. We spent roughly an hour on the property and the visit cost $7.50 per person for adults ($4 for children 4-11).

The Mariposario leaves out ripe bananas as food for the butterflies. Apply a little bit of banana to your finger, and it’s only a matter of time before a butterfly lands on you to start snacking!

PRO TIP: The butterflies will steer clear of you if you’re wearing bug spray. And since bug spray is a MUST in Mindo, visit the Mariposario first thing in the morning. That way, you can get your butterfly-feeding-fix, then enjoy the rest of your day with the protection of bug spray.

4. Join a morning birdwatching tour…or just chill with the local hummingbirds

Mindo is the type of place worthy of spending every waking hour outside. No matter what time of day, you’ll be graced by an endless supply of birds & wildlife. Whether or not you decide to join an official birdwatching tour, you will see hundreds of species of birds in Mindo.

Our greatest fascination during our stay? Observing the fluttering wings of hummingbird after hummingbird, as they bounce from flower to flower, feeding on the sweet nectar inside! Mindo is famous for hummingbirds, and they’re mesmerizing to watch from the cozy confines of an outdoor hammock!

5. Tube down the Nambillo River

We didn’t do this, but it looked fun! According to one local we talked to, a standard tube ride lasts for about 15 minutes. If you only have one day in Mindo, we’d mark this activity as skippable.

6. Zipline across Mindo’s amazing cloud-covered canopy

If you’re an adventure enthusiast, add this one to the list! Check out options on Viator, with daily tours available, ranging from 1-2 hours for $20 per person (if you are already there and looking for a local tour company – check out Mindo Canopy Adventures – we’ve heard good things!).

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▾ Explore all guided group & private tours in Mindo ▾

GetYourGuide | Viator | Tours By Locals

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Mindo trip-planning tips

Now that we’ve covered a few of the awesome things to do in the Mindo Cloud Forest, let’s help you get started planning your trip.

Need-to-know Mindo info

• Water: tap water is most likely NOT potable. Consider a reusable water bottle that also doubles as a water filter.
• Safety: like anywhere you travel, it is important to take basic safety precautions and be aware of your surroundings.
• ATM / cash vs. credit card: bring enough cash with you for your stay in Mindo to cover meals, activities & tips. ATM’s in the area have a tendency to reject your card, or run out of cash. Credit cards are accepted in some cases, but best to be prepared in case they are not.
• Toilet paper: many public and even private locations throughout Ecuador and Latin America do not have the sewage capability to dispose of toilet paper properly like we do in the US. More often than not, you will be asked to throw it away. Always handy to bring around a roll of toilet paper with you in case it isn’t available!
• Dry season: June – September, December & January.
• Rainy season: February – May, October & November.
• Taxis: most taxis in Mindo are actually pickup trucks.

How to get to Mindo from Quito

The drive from Quito to Mindo takes 2-2.5 hours and is absolutely breathtaking. Glance out the window and you’ll find yourself immersed in dense forests with wispy clouds above, alongside, and below you. About 45 minutes outside of Quito, the term cloud forest will truly kick in!

There are 4 reliable ways to make the trip: rent a car, hire a driver, take a taxi, or take the bus. While Uber is also available in Ecuador, most will refuse the ride without a guaranteed fare back to Quito. To convince an Uber driver to take you, you’ll probably need to pay a round-trip fare for your one-way ride, to make it worth their while.

We ended up taking the bus, as we couldn’t pass up the $3 price (per person) for a one-way ticket from Quito. As it turns out, this was our first and only experience with public transportation in Ecuador. More on that shortly!

Rent a car

Renting a car from Quito International Airport (UIO) is a breeze. You can search rental cars here, or take a look directly with Avis, the company we used both times we rented in Ecuador (once for our trip to Cotopaxi, and again for our trip to Baños).

Hire a driver

If you have a trusted contact while you’re in Ecuador—whether it’s through your tour company, accommodation, or someone else— you can prearrange to have a driver pick you up and bring you to Mindo. Through a friend, we found an option for $60 each way. But in the effort to save a few extra bucks during our 7-month journey in South America, we decided the $120 splurge wasn’t worth it here.

If you are short on time, and think you’ll only have one day to visit Mindo, there is always the option of taking a day trip by signing up for a private or group tour.

Take a taxi

Depending on your location in Quito, Rome2Rio estimates taxi fares to be anywhere from $70-$90 each way.

Take the bus

Despite being the most cost-effective option, there’s a price to be paid for the cash savings. The highway runs alongside sheer cliffs that drop off hundreds (sometimes thousands) of feet into the valley below. And these local bus drivers absolutely love to push that pedal to the metal! If the thought of zipping around sharp corners alongside giant cliffs at high speeds makes your stomach turn, choose a different mode of transport. The drive is absolutely stunning and it was amazing for all of us to be able to appreciate the views. But we wouldn’t recommend the bus for anyone that easily experiences car sickness.

To catch a bus from Quito to Mindo, head to La Ofelia Bus Station. As of our visit in March 2019, there was no Wi-Fi available at the station, but there was a bathroom you could pay to use. We bought our tickets upon arrival ($3.10 per person) and waited about 20 minutes before our bus began to board.

Bus schedule from Quito → Mindo & Mindo → Quito (March 2019):

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Mindo packing list

At the most basic level, these are our “must haves” for a visit to Mindo (#1 being of the utmost importance!).

1. Bug spray. Don’t leave home without it!
2. Rain jacket or shell
3. Sunscreen
4. Hiking boots (trails can be muddy and steep)
5. Day pack
6. Day pack rain cover
7. Reusable water bottle
8. Swimsuit
9. Quick-dry towel
10. Waterproof camera (highly suggest a GoPro or something similar!)
11. Binoculars

If you’re interested in the brands and products we use, check out our gear & tech page for our top outdoor apparel and camera gear recommendations.

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Many of these products are associated with affiliate partner programs, meaning if you purchase through the links above, we may get something in return. Other products on this page may not be affiliated, meaning there’s no “something” in it for us, if you make a purchase. If you have any questions or concerns about affiliate partnership programs, please shoot us an email.

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Where to stay in Mindo

Mindo is full of every type of accommodation. From hostels and Airbnbs, to beautiful jungle resorts. Depending on what type of stay you are looking for, Mindo has it!

We stayed in this incredible Airbnb, run by our super-awesome host, Fernando (known locally as, El Chileno). Fernando’s eco-friendly property—”La Lomita”—is nestled just outside of Mindo’s center square. It’s easily accessible by foot (~20 minutes), bicycle (~10) or car (~5).

Fernando also happens to be one really cool human, so if you decide to book here, tell El Chileno we said hello!

Before discovering La Lomita, we were considering a lodge outside of Mindo. Instead, we opted for a spot that would allow us to be walking distance to everything, as we explored the cloud forest on our own. There are many places that offer complete, curated packages for your visit to Mindo (tours, accommodation, transportation etc.), check them out!

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▾ Search additional Mindo accommodation ▾

Booking.com | Hotels.com | Airbnb | Hostelworld

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Where to eat in Mindo

While we took advantage of La Lomita’s breakfast offering and our full kitchen for a couple other meals, we did manage to fit in a few restaurant bites during our time in Mindo.

• El Miel del Cielo — perfect for a quick snack, this spot has some of the best arepas we’ve ever tried!
• El Sabor de la Chulita — recommended by a local taxi driver, and the food was fantastic!

Flavorful fruit find: The owner El Sabor de la Chulita graciously offered us some complimentary fruit after our meal. We’re always on the lookout for new flavors, and lucky for us, we had yet to discover this fruit in Ecuador. As it turns out, it was an Ecuadorian guava—not to be confused with the guava we’re used to in the USA. Don’t let the picture below fool you—these things are huge! Each one was 1-2 feet long. Crack open the outer green shell, and you’ll find 8-10 large white seeds with a cotton-candy-like texture. Put the whole seed in your mouth, suck off the sweetness, and discard the black seed.

Additional dining options

Here are a few more Mindo restaurant recs, courtesy of Fernando (our Airbnb host):

• Dragon Fly Inn Restaurant — priciest restaurant in town, known for large platters and tasty mojitos
• El Chef — across from the Dragon Fly Inn, locals flock here for beef cooked on hot stones
• El Sitio — delicious vegetarian and non-vegetarian options
• La Mecha — Italian alternative to the local flavors
• El Tigrillo — for almuerzos, a la carte or pizza
• La Sazón de Marcelo — tasty almuerzos for $3

PRO TIP: Almuerzos = traditional lunch served in Ecuador (also known as “menu del día”). Typically comes with juice, soup and a main course.

For vegan/vegetarian specific options, check out Happy Cow’s list of recommended restaurants!

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Cheers!

-DnA