Arrival in Guayaquil. Transfer from the airport to our hotel. Welcome cocktail and briefing on the trip ahead. Dinner and night in a charming hotel. (Macaw Hotel). / - / - / D /.

Macaw Hotel

From Guayaquil, we will head south to the Mangrove Reserve of Churute. This reserve is the home of dry woods and shrubs and of a large area of mangroves, in the heart of which local fishermen hunt crabs. After walking the trails of the reserve, we will have the opportunity to make a boat trip through inextricable forests of mangroves in search of aquatic species native of peaceful mangroves. We will then continue our descent South in the middle of hectares of rice, bananas or cocoa plantations. Arrive late afternoon at the Buenaventura private reserve where we will spend the night. Dinner and overnight in lodge. (Buenaventura lodge). B / L / D /. Key species :Horned Screamer common, Pacific Royal Flycatcher quite common, Little Blue Egret common, White Ibis quite common, Jet Antbird, common, Rufous-necked Woodrail rare, Common Black Hawk rare. Read more

Buenaventura lodge

This reserve is part of the Jocotoco Foundation. Located between the altitudinal floors of subtropical and foothills forests, it is the home of many endangered species. The area is located on the contact zone between the Chocó bioregion at its southern end and the Tumbesian bioregion at its northern end. The reserve thus benefits from these 2 influences which you can appreciate through its richness in species. We will first explore the upper part: the most humid part of the reserve in search of Chocó influence species and explore two endemics of the reserve (endemic of the El Oro Province). Subsequently, we will hike the lower part of the reserve, drier for tumbesian species. We will also spend time around fantastic Hummingbird feeders to observe them. Dinner and overnight in lodge. (Buenaventura lodge). B / L / D /. Read more

Buenaventura lodge

This complementary day will be used to increase your birdlist. Dinner and overnight in lodge. (Buenaventura lodge). B / L / D /.

Buenaventura Lodge

The final day will be mostly a day's drive. We will leave Buenaventura early morning and we will go down south to the Peruvian border near the town of Macara. The few stops along the way will help us to find some typical species of semi-desert ecosystems of the tumbesian region. Arrive late afternoon in the Jorupe reserve. Dinner and overnight at the lodge of Jorupe. B / L / D /. Key species: Long-wattled Umbrellabird common, Rufous-headed Chachalaca common, Black-and-white Owl, common, Slaty-winged Foliage-Gleaner rare, Uniform Antshrike common, Brownish Twistwing rare, Song Wren, common, Thrush-like Schiffornis rare, Club-winged Manakin common, El Oro Tapaculo rare & endemic, El Oro Parakeet rare & endemic, Spotted Nightingale Thrush common, Emerald-bellied Woodnymph common, White-vented Plumeleteer uncommon. Read more

Jorupe Lodge

The Jorupe Reserve also belongs to the Jocotoco foundation. It protects several hectares of typical Tumbesian forest made up high inextricable shrubs and of low deciduous forest dominated by kapok tree (or Ceibos) with huge trunks. These dry forests have largely been destroyed to make way for agriculture. This ecosystem is home to many endemic and specialized species. We will seek all these specialties throughout the day from the access road and on the trails going through the forest so dense. Dinner and overnight at the lodge of Jorupe. B / L / D / . Key species: White-tailed Jay common, Slaty Becard common, Plumbeous-backed Thrush common, Ecuadorian Piculet common, Blackish-headed Spinetail uncommon, Rufous-necked Foliage-Gleaner rare, Watkins Antpitta, common, Pale-browed Tinamou quite common, Henna-hooded Foliage-Gleaner common, Ochre-bellied Dove rare, Gray-breasted Flycatcher common, Long-billed Starthroat common. Read more

Jorupe Lodge

We will now head to Utuana reserve, a new reserve belonging to the Jocotoco foundation. Our first stop will be at the village of Sozoranga looking for a colony of Chestnut- Collared Swallows. Then we will spend most of the day exploring the reserve's trails. It houses an altitude dwarf forest with shrubs and dense patches of Chusqueas bamboo. Many species can only be observed here in Ecuador. By early afternoon, we will continue to Tapichalaca lodge. Dinner and overnight in lodge. (Tapichalaca lodge ) . B / L / D / Key species: Jelski Chat Tyrant quite common, Loja Tyrannulet common, Chapman Antshrike quite common, Three-banded Warbler common, Black-crested Tit-Tyrant, quite common, Rainbow Startfrontlet, common, Purple-throated Sunangel common, Gray-headed Antbird rare, Black-cowled Saltator common, Piura Hemispingus rare, Chestnut-collared Swallow common. Read more

Tapichalaca lodge

This mythical reserve is located in the heart of temperate forest floor and houses the only known Ecuadorian population of Jocotoco Antpitta. The story of the discovery of this Antpitta is simply magical and have been high historical facts of the Neotropical birdwatching for the past 20 years. Will have the opportunity to observe this metical bird on the feeding area, where photography opportunity are available. The reserve is also the home of the edge of the Podocarpus National Park, with a large temperate forest under threat in this sector due to the fulgurant rise of agriculture and livestock. Several rare and difficult species are quite common to spot here. Dinner and overnight at the lodge of Tapichala. B / L / D /. Key species (Tapichalaca) : Amethyst Sunangel common, Citrine Warbler common, Chestnut-crested Cotinga rare, Rufous-naped Antpitta common, Rufous Antpitta, quite common, Jocotoco Antpitta, common, Slate-crowned Antpitta, quite common, White-browed Spinetail, common, Ocellated Tapaculo, common, Orange-banded Flycatcher common, Smoky Bush Tyrant quite common, Flammulated Treehunter rare, White-capped Tanager rare, Golden-plumed Parakeet quite common. Read more

Tapichala Lodge

We will explore today, the different paths of the reserve that will allow us to access different ecosystems of altitude. We will also take half a day to go down to the upper valley of the Rio Marañon home of several endemic species in restricted spaces. Dinner and overnight at the lodge of Tapichala. B / L / D /. Key species (Valladolid route) : White-breasted Parakeet, rare, Highland Elaenia, quite common, Silver-backed Tanager, common, Marañon Thrush, unusual, Black-faced Tanager quite common, Red-pileated Finch rare, Rufous-fronted Thornbird rare. Read more

Tapichala Lodge

On the last day, we will go a little further east on the other side of the Podocarpus National Park, near the city of Zamora. Dinner and overnight in charming lodge. (Copalinga). B / L / D /.

Copalinga

In the next three days we will explore the different possibilities offered by the region. We are located on the foothills of the eastern mountain range near the city of Zamora and on the eastern edge of the Podocarpus National Park. We will first of all hike on the Copalinga lodge trails for lowland species. We will also spend time in front of the hummingbird and the frugivore wild fauna feeders of the lodge. Then we will go to the Bombuscaro entrance of the Podocarpus National Park to admire limited species at higher altitudes. We will travel along the different paths of the park. Finally, we will not forget to visit the famous old road from Loja to Zamora where we will see uninterrupted Thraupidae flying around. Dinner and overnight in the same lodge (Copalinga). B / L / D /. Key Species: Speckled Chachalaca common, White-eyed Parakeet common, Blackish Nightjar common, White-tipped Sicklebill quite common, Spangled Coquette unusual, Coppery-chested Jacamar common, Black-streaked Puffbird common, Lanceolated Monklet unusual, Equatorial Graytail rare, Foothill Antwren unusual,Foothill Elaenia unusual, Orange-crested Flycatcher common, Yellow-cheeked Becard common, Amazonian Umbrellabird quite common, Chestnut-vented Conebill rare, Golden-eared Tanager common, Flame-crested Tanager common, Grey Tinamou quite common. Read more

Copalinga

A long day's drive ahead today. We will leave the warmth of the tropical atmosphere of the extreme East to go north. On the road, we will stop in xerophytic vegetation to admire some altitude birds. Then down along the Giron road to the reserve of Yunguilla. Dinner and night in a standard hotel .B/L/D-. Key species: Rainbow-bearded thornbill quite common, Scarlet-bellied mountain tanager common, Viridian metaltail common, Crescent-faced Antpitta rare, Mountain Caracara rare, Blue-backed conebill common. Pale-naped Brush Finch COMMON, Blue-backed Conebill and the rare Red-faced Parrot . Read more

Early breakfast and transfer to the reserve of Yunguilla to observe the unique population of the endemic Pale-headed Brush Finchand certain other complementary species of this small area of piedmont forest; Chestnut- crowned Antpitta, Tawny-crowned Pygmy Tyrant, Ecuadorian thrush, Golden Grosbeak . . We will arrive in Cuenca in the evening. Dinner and overnight in colonial hotel where we will taste peacefully on our return to civilization. Dinner and overnight in colonial hotel. (Posada del Angel) B / L / D- . Key species :Pale-headed Brush Finch rare, Chestnut-crowned Antpitta common, Tawny-crowned Pygmy Tyrant common, Ecuadorian Thrush common, Golden Grosbeak common. Read more

Posada del Angel

Cuenca is undoubtedly the most beautiful and pleasant colonial town in Ecuador. We will dedicate the day to explore these streets, these facades, its history, its cuisine and its people. Since Vado to the Cathedral Square, passing through these pre- inca canaris ruins, no detail of this beautiful city will escape us. Dinner and overnight in a charming hotel. (San Rafael Hotel) B /L/D- .. Read more

San Rafael Hotel

Today we will visit El Cajas National Park or Park of thousand lakes. At the heart of sumptuous and majestic landscapes we will explore different ecosystems of altitudes: temperate forest, Polylepis forest, paramo, Altitude Lake. In these high altitude zone, we will go in search of specialized species. After a lunch to over 13.123 ft, we will head to the tropical scorching zone with plantations of banana, palms and cocoa to the largest city in Ecuador. We will arrive in Guayaquil in the afternoon for our international flight. B/L /- /. Key species :Gray-breasted Mountain Toucan common, Andean Teal, common, Yellow-billed Pintail, common, Andean Ruddy Duck, common, Tawny Antpitta, common, Giant Conebill common, Tit-like Dacnis, common, Red-rumped Bush Tanager rare, Violet-throated Metaltail, rare, Blue Toucan common, Pearled Treerunner not common, Andean Guan uncommon, Ecuadorian Rail rare, Blue-backed Conebill common, Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager common. Read more

Departure