DAY 1:
Morning departure through the towns of Calderon, Guayllabamba, Tabacundo arrived in two hours to the viewpoint of San Pablo lake, where we will taste coffee and biscuits own site with a view of the volcano Imbabura. Then we continue 20 minutes to get to Otavalo one of the biggest handicraft markets in South America.
Then we will do a hike to the “Peguche” Waterfall knowing some plants and birds of this sacred place to the indigenous cosmovision. (Optional we can climb a rock to be next to the waterfall and feel the splashing of the sacred water of this waterfall). Then we descend to the town of Cotacachi where we have lunch and then time to visit the famous leather shops (bags, wallets, belts, hats, boots, jackets, etc.), and then we will drive 2 hours approx. To get to “San José de Sigsipamba” at 9448 feet. This afternoon we will watch the Spectacled Bear in the “Pisque” River Canyon, we will have dinner and stay in a local house of this community.
Optional, instead of Peguche or Cotacachi, we can visit the Condor Park Bird Rescue Center.
DAY 2:
(Option 1)
We will get up at 06h00 AM to go up for 15 minutes by car to the town of Shanshipamba to make the journey in a small reserve where there is cloud forest to watch Thrushes, Caciques, Tanagers, Hummingbirds, Flowerpiercer, Cotinga, Toucans, and others.
After that, we will come back to the viewpoint to watch the Spectacled Bear who lives on the other side of the canyon, for bear watching we will use binoculars, telescope, and we can see the bears as they feed “achupallas”, “higuerón”, “aguacate”, “aguacatillo” or sleeping on the steep walls of the canyon.
NOTE: Depending on the weather conditions, we can switch the order of the visits (First the Bear Watching and then the Birdwatching)
This bear species is the only one in South America that is in danger of extinction due to poaching and because man is invading its territory through agriculture.
In this area thanks to the conservation project you can see bears with their young, adult male bears, which are very good climbers and sit on vertical walls to rest and feed.
After observing this Andean mammal we will have lunch at the house of Danilo Vasquez (nicknamed “The Bear”), who will provide us with local lunch. And then he will explain to us how he began his noble work of protecting the bears from glasses and we will see some videos of the bears and the species of the area.
In the afternoon at 14h00 approximately we will return to Quito to arrive at 19h00.
Includes Bilingual Certified Naturalist Driver Guide, Private Transportation, Accommodation, Breakfast, Lunch (second day), and Water. If you don’t have binoculars we can provide it.
Not included: Any donation to BMC, Entrance fee to the Bird Reserve, Extras expenses and tips, etc.
| Number of passengers: | 1 Pax | 2 Pax | 3 Pax | 4 Pax or More |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $550 | $300 Per Pax | $270 Per Pax | $230 Per Pax |
Trip Advisor Reviews
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Un d��a completo y muy divertido. Fuimos a la cascada, al lugar de las aves enormes, al lugar de las mariposas, a la clase de caf�� y al lugar de... read more 
Christopher K
January 31, 2023
