Mashpi Lodge

Founded as part of a 3,200-hectare conservation effort in Ecuador's Andean Chocó bioregion, Mashpi Lodge sits on a plateau at 950 metres above sea level, 100 kilometres northwest of Quito. The reserve protects habitat where 400 species of birds have been recorded, 35 of them found nowhere else. An in-house research team has documented 26 new species and published over 60 scientific articles in collaboration with universities. The lodge houses 24 rooms across three floors, each with floor-to-ceiling windows facing cloud forest. Wayra rooms measure 34 m² with king or double beds; Yaku suites on the first floor span 46 m² with king beds and views northwest over the canopy; the single-occupancy Wawa room covers 21 m². A two-storey dining room serves meals; the spa offers massages and yoga space.

Naturalist guides lead walks on trails that cross streams and reach waterfalls along the Mashpi River and its tributaries. The Dragonfly Canopy Gondola glides on cables above the canopy in an open car with 360-degree sightlines. A Sky Bike suspended above the treetops lets you pedal across the forest at dawn. An observation tower gives elevated views across the reserve. Nighttime walks depart after dinner. The hummingbird garden draws roughly 15 species to feeders; toucans and tanagers also visit. The lodge has operated as carbon-neutral since 2017. Forty-eight per cent of employees come from nearby communities; 2,284 hectares have been replanted with native tree species.