Andean bears are one of the most emblematic and elusive mammals found in the highlands and cloud forests of Ecuador.  Since 2008, our tour guide, bear ecologist Santiago Molina, has been conducting scientific research on Andean bear populations in different parts of Ecuador. The scientific knowledge generated has lead to the creation of the Andean Bear Corridor in the Northwest of Quito, and to the recognition of the bear as the emblematic mammal of the city of Quito. The surroundings of Quito provide different opportunities to find wild bears and other emblematic fauna with good chances of close encounters. Bears can be found in the cloud forests and paramos (highlands) around the District of Quito. However, because of the dense vegetation in cloud forests, the encounters are difficult and depend on the availability of a special fruit in a private reserve and the surroundings (two months every year, no season pattern); or hiking to areas where researchers have deployed camera traps for monitoring the bear populations: exciting, but time- and physically demanding.

It is  in the paramo, north east of Quito where, in few days, you can increase your probabilities of a great encounter with bears and other Andean wildlife, sometimes close enough to have wonderful views and photographs.

The area to visit covers the surroundings of two national parks with special natural feeding sites where the presence of bears is frequent all year around.  The paramo ecosystem is mainly flat and covered with grasslands, small bushes and elfin trees, making it easier to search for bears. The area has a system of roads and trails of varying difficulty, allowing us to cover big extensions of territory in short time. Other wild mammals that may be encountered during the tour are: Andean Fox, White tailed Andean deer, Andean Tapir: and the rare Puma, Pampas cat, and Pudu. A visit to the cloud forest is the perfect complement in this journey, with chances of seeing the newly discovered Olinguito, a Kinkajoo,  and Tayra among other species.

Early pick up from your hotel in Quito and head out to Tambo Condor Reserve. In the surroundings of Tambo Condor, a locally owned private reserve, bears are frequently seen. Search for the Andean Bear and other wildlife, including the Andean Condor. Enjoy the presence of several species of hummingbirds visiting the feeders around the Reserve.

Later, continue to explore Antisana National Park and La Mica Lake, with chances of seeing the Andean deer and Andean fox.

Enjoy a box lunch while you admire the beauty of the landscape.

Antisanilla, one of Jocotoco Foundation’s reserves offers good opportunities for bear  watching: it hosts a large congregation of Puyas, the bears’ favorite food in the paramo. Horses available to explore the Reserve will allow you to cover more ground increasing your chances for wildlife encounters

Dinner and overnight in Tambocondor.

INCLUDES: Pick up from your hotel in Quito, private transportation, specialized bilingual guide, entrance fees to the Reserves,  lunch, dinner, overnight at Tambo Condor, breakfast. 

OPTIONAL: HORSE RENTAL $35.00 EACH

After breakfast in Tambocondor, you will head out to Papallacta Pass, in Cayambe National Park. Along the highway there are several sites with Puya congregations, where you will have good chances for bear encounters. Taking secondary roads around the National Park will allow you to explore areas that are not commonly visited. If weather allows, you can hike through the paramo on beautiful trails with good chances for wildlife encounters.

Later, move on to Guango Reserve for lunch. After lunch you will hike along the trails  around the lodge to get a taste of the beautiful Andean temperate forests. There are opportunities to find Andean tapir in the area.

Dinner and overnight in Guango Lodge.

INCLUDES: Private transportation, specialized bilingual guide, entrance fees to the Reserves, lunch, dinner, overnight at Guango Lodge, breakfast.

After breakfast, head out to Cayambe  National Park. A special permit will allow your guide to drive you within the Park, reaching several sites that bears have been regularly visiting. 

Enjoy a box lunch in the National Park, and then continue to explore the area around Papallacta Pass and the Papallacta- Pifo Highway.

Overnight in Garden Hotel San Jose de Puembo.

INCLUDES: Private transportation, specialized bilingual guide, entrance fees to the Reserves, lunch,  overnight at Garden Hotel San Jose de Puembo, breakfast.

After breakfast, head out towards Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve. Waterfalls and pristine subtropical rainforest vegetation on this 700 hectare property  are truly outstanding. This combination invites you to a day excursion in the surroundings, which will acquaint you with the exuberant vegetation of the cloud forest, its  diversity, and the fascinating adaptations of life in this unique ecosystem. Bellavista's resident mammals include the Spectacled Bear, as well as the the newly described Olinguito. When this species was discovered, it was the first time that scientists had named a new carnivorous mammal found in the Americas in 35 years! Researchers at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History were examining fur and skeletal samples from several species of olingos that had been preserved in the collections of various museums. In the process, they noticed that some specimens were significantly smaller and also displayed other differences. They did some DNA testing to double check, and it turned out that these smaller specimens indeed were not olingos at all, but rather a new species, which they named “ Olinguito”  (Bassaricyon neblina). 

At the lodge they have set a fruit feeder that attracts this nocturnal and otherwise elusive species. The night also offers the chance to see kinkajoos.  In the next morning you might have the chance to see Tayras (Eira barbara), an omnivorous mammal from the weasel family, native to the Neotropics.

INCLUDES: Private transportation, specialized bilingual guide, entrance fees to the Reserves, lunch, dinner, overnight at Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, breakfast.

After breakfast, explore a new trail while enjoying the unmatched beauty of the cloud forest. On your way back to Quito a stop at Alambi Reserve is a must: it is a hummingbird paradise where  over 12 species visit their feeders every day. It's an outstanding place  right  by the main road.

INCLUDES: Private transportation, specialized bilingual guide, entrance fees to the Reserves, lunch, drop off at your hotel in Quito.