Mindo is a tiny town surrounded by cloud forest in the northwest corner of Ecuador. It’s also backpacker and bird watcher central. And with great hiking, chocolate tours, a huge concentration of the birds of Ecuador, and adventure activities on offer, it’s not hard to see why. There are enough things to do in Mindo to keep you occupied for days of fun. In fact, it was my favorite place in Ecuador.
So if you like outdoor activities in beautiful settings, read on for the best things to do in Mindo.
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Explore the Mindo cloud forest with a day hike
Mindo doesn’t have trekking, but it does have some pretty great day hiking. The Mindo Nambillo Cloud Forest Reserve — with its series of waterfalls connected by good trails — is the best place to explore. It’s beautiful and safe for independent hikers.
Getting to the reserve involves a hike in itself. It’s 7 km, mostly uphill, from the town center. It’s a pleasant walk through thick forest, although you’ll have to dodge the occasional taxi driver.
Once you reach the outside of the reserve, you’ll have to take a cable car — otherwise known as the “tarabita Mindo” — to cross a wide river basin and enter the protected area. It’s beautiful, exhilarating and slightly terrifying. Don’t lean over the edges.
When you’re safely back on solid ground, follow the well-marked trails to the waterfalls. The best hiking is the 7 km walk past five waterfalls, including a couple that you can swim in. Prepare to get very wet and muddy if you undertake this hike.
Admission to the Mindo Nambillo Cloud Forest Reserve is $5, including your round-trip cable car ticket. Once you’re in the park, there is nowhere to buy food or water — bring everything you need. Better yet, carry a Steri pen (U/V water purification device) and fill up your bottle in the river to avoid contributing to plastic waste.
Go bird watching
Mindo is a major bird-watching destination. The forests and preserves surrounding the town center boast hundreds of species of tropical birds. For many people, none of the other things to do in Mindo matter — this is the sole purpose of their visit.
For the best chance of seeing bird life, hire a guide and set out by 6 am. Most guides will take you outside of Mindo proper, to one of several privately operated reserves around town. Expect to pay $50+ for a morning trip.
If you’re not a serious bird watcher, you’ll still enjoy the huge variety of wildlife you can see simply walking around the local trails. Follow the road to Mindo Canopy Adventure and keep your eyes open — you’ll surely spot a few rare species of birds.
For more information about the birds of Ecuador — many of which have habitat in the Mindo area — check out this guide.
Go Mindo River tubing or zip lining
Two of the most beloved activities among backpackers in Mindo are tubing down the river and zip lining through the trees.
The zip line is one of the most fun things to do in Mindo. Located a few kilometers outside town, it takes you through 10 lines ranging from a few meters to 300 meters — all about 40 meters above the tree line. You can ride normally (seated), upside down, or like Superman. Your guide will help you control your speed. You need to be fit enough to handle a small amount of hiking and ladder climbing.
When I did the canopy tour, every run had a back-up cable and it seemed 100% safe. However, it’s worth noting that a tourist died in 2012 when a cable snapped on the Mindo zip line. Probably nothing to be paranoid about, but if you’re a cautious traveler and don’t like heights, you may want to steer clear.
The zip line costs $20 for all 10 lines. The whole thing takes about an hour. If you go early in the morning, you won’t have to wait too much for other groups in front of you.
If you’re not up for such an active adventure, you can go tubing on the Rio Mindo instead. This involves floating on a tractor inner tube bound together with several other people on tractor inner tubes down mild whitewater. It’s a great way to cool off and meet other backpackers.
Unlike in other popular tubing destinations (I’m looking at you, Vang Vieng), Mindo river tubing is alcohol-free. It costs $7 for the three-hour trip.
Take a Mindo chocolate or coffee production tour
On the edge of town, the shop El Quetzal runs a small-scale Mindo chocolate and coffee production. They buy beans from farmers just down the mountain and source all the other ingredients from their backyard.
As a visitor, you can tour their production facilities and even help produce the chocolate and coffee yourself. Better yet, the tour ends with a tasting of all the different chocolates. You’ll try: 67% cacao, 100% cacao, 100% with sugar, cocoa barbecue sauce, cocoa ginger sauce, a marinade made from the pulp (it was kind of balsamic-y), and the famous brownie.
The Mindo chocolate tour runs every hour on the hour and cost $10 per person. You can purchase a ticket a few minutes before the tour leaves.
Other things to do in Mindo
If all the other things to do in Mindo and the cloud forest seem too active for you, try a visit to the butterfly garden or hummingbird farm. Both offer plenty of seating, so you can just relax and watch the butterflies and hummingbirds to their thing.
As an added bonus, the plant life in the gardens is pretty remarkable. The cloud forest can support an impressive array of flora, much of which is on display here.
The gardens are a short walk outside the Mindo town center. The butterfly garden costs $7.50, while the hummingbird/orchid garden is a cheaper $3.
How to get to Mindo from Quito
Mindo is out on a limb, and it’s only reachable by direct bus from Quito. Quito to Mindo buses leave from the northern bus station, Carcelen. You can get there by trole from central Quito.
If you only want to cover a few of these things to do in Mindo, it is possible to visit as a day trip from Quito. You should buy your return ticket when you leave to avoid getting stranded. But it’s better to stay for a couple nights. You can find the full Quito to Mindo bus schedule here.
In a pinch, you could walk a few kilometers uphill to the highway, where you could flag down (frequent) passing buses. This is also the only option if you’re heading to the coast after visiting Mindo.
It is possible to get from Mindo to Otavalo in a day, but you have to double back through Quito. Take an early bus and expect to spend at least six hours on the road.
Where to stay: Hostels and Hotels in Mindo
With so many fun things to do in Mindo Ecuador, backpackers flock here. And with the influx of backpackers comes a plethora of good budget hotels.
CasKaffeSu is a great guesthouse in the center of town. At $16 for a private room with a private bathroom, it’s one of the best-value options in town. It’s very clean and comfortable, the rooms are huge, and the management is friendly.
The dorm crowd should head to Guesthouse Mindo for a cheap bed in a homestay-like environment.
You’ll always be able to find a room at one of the Mindo Ecuador hotels, but book in advance if you have a specific guesthouse in mind. Just a warning — with so many great things to do in Mindo, you may end up wanting to stay longer than planned.
Mindo’s best restaurants
The food scene focuses on tourists, and most restaurants are expensive. If you’re going to splurge, the best options are the cafe at El Quetzal (especially if you’re vegetarian), and the Middle Eastern food at Beehive.
For budget meals, try El Chef — a local-style steakhouse in the town center. Set breakfasts and lunches run $3.50 for more food than you’ll be able to finish. Alternatively, pick up some arepas (Venezuelan stuffed corn pastries) at Arepera for $1.50 each. They even have veggie options.
With so many things to do in Mindo, plus a few great places to stay, it’s easily worth a few days out of your Ecuador trip. Don’t miss out on a few days in one of the Americas’ most beautiful cloud forests!
Looking for more Ecuador adventures? Read my budget travel guide to backpacking Ecuador!
Have you been to Mindo? What was your favorite activity? Would you try the zip line? Leave a comment and let me know!
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