14 wonderful days to discover butterflies in Loja and Southern Ecuador. Prepare to enter the ecological reserves in this part of Ecuador where you can encounter some of the 4,000 species of butterflies and over 1,600 recorded species of birds, including about 130 species of hummingbirds, amid the great biological diversity of Ecuador.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1
Quito Lodge, Quito Ecuador
According to your flight schedule, we will pick you up at the Mariscal Sucre International Airport near Quito and head toward the ecolodge in Quito. We will arrive at the lodge in 25 minutes, where you can enjoy the birds and butterflies until the next day.
Overnight in Quito Lodge.
Days 2-5
Loja to Yangana (Vilcabamba) Southern Ecuador
Ecuador boasts over 2,700 recorded species of butterfies, one of the highest in the world for a single country. Adding to your delight will be sightings of some of the over 1,600 bird species and abouy 130 hummingbird species. Vilcabamba, our second destination, is where we will spend the next 4 nights. Vilcabamba is a dry area, so here we find an entirely different habitat for butterflies. You will have a chance here to see and photograph particular species that we only find in this ecosystem. We will devote ourselves to finding some beautiful examples.
Overnight at Vilcabamba Lodge.
Days 6-9
Zamora area and Bombuscaro river
This morning after breakfast, we will proceed to Zamora, passing initially through farmland and dry Tumbesian arid scrub, and then crossing over the Continental. Divide as we traverse the pass on the main road at 9,000 feet and descend
through progressively taller and thicker forests into the wild and pictures valley of the Zamora river. At 5,200 feet of elevation, we will leave the main road to take the higher end of the lower section of the Old Loja-Zamora road, only 20 minutes from our comfortable lodge, with butterflies and parrots as our neighbors and where we will spend the next four nights.
Overnight at Copa Linga Lodge.
Days 10 -14
Nangaritza and Ecuador and Peru limits
We leave our lodge early, as we have a 3-4 hour drive ahead of us to the fabulous Nangaritza valley in the far eastern region of Ecuador, on the Peruvian border. We plan to arrive in the late morning in time to enjoy a nearly full day at Maycu Reserve, a place of notable success in the preservation of land and culture. We will enjoy easy access to two long and enjoyable trails at around 3,000 feet of elevation. We will cross to the east side of the wide Nangaritza River using a very long suspension bridge – this is great fun, and feels fantastically adventurous, especially given the epic setting with views upriver into the Nangaritza valley with vast tracts of forest-
clad hills and mountains, swirling mist, and parrots flying overhead. We will enjoy our time to the fullest as we continue to explore the area, for example along the main road south to Shaime, driving slowly along the unpaved track and looking out for puddle parties and areas with good numbers of butterflies. We will concentrate our attention on the ascent and descent to Miazi, the descent to Shaime, and the bridge over the Nagaritza River, with downriver views of the beautiful Miazi canyon. Here there are extensive puddling areas along the river beaches and beside the bridge, where concreted areas also attract many species. We overnight at a basic but comfortable lodge. Overnight at Cabañas Yankuam Lodge.
On your last day after lunch return to Catamayo Loja airport for your flight to Quito International Airport.
End of Itinerary
Trip Information
Starting city: Quito
Ending city: Quito
Physical difficulty: Moderate
Focus: Butterfly photography
Group size: All groups will be limited to a maximum of 8 participants.
-Specialized English-speaking butterfly photography guide
-Private transportation
-Accommodations
-3 meals per day
-All excursions and entrance fees to the reserves
-Tips
-Alcoholic beverages
-Any other item not specified
Experienced Bird and Butterfly Guide: All of our guides have over 20 years of experience as butterfly and birdwatching, bird photo guides in Ecuador
Your butterfly guide’s equipment: Binoculars, laser pointer, field-guide of butterfly Ecuador and special liquid (food) for butterflies and camara.
All eco-lodges are located in the most important and biologically diverse areas for butterfly and bird watching in the country. They are built with local materials and offer Wi-Fi, hot water, standard double and single rooms, and panoramic views.