El Refugio Cloud Forest Lodge is a reserve in the Ecuadorian sierra just three hours from Quito’s international airport, one-and-a-half hours from the market town of Otavalo. The house has a view of forest-covered mountainsides and the volcano Cotacachi. The property has trails along the Toabunchi River and in the forest to hike and to observe the great variety of cloud forest plants, as well as birds and other wildlife. Restaurant on site can provide $8 breakfasts & $12 lunches or dinners. This cloud forest rental is located along the Toabunchi River in northwestern Ecuador, just 33 miles from the market town of Otavalo. The stucco house is surrounded by gardens that attract the 200-plus species of birds from the retreat's 60 acres of forest. The often snow-capped 17,000’ Cotacachi mountain is in view from the house. Mild temperatures are the norm: an average of 75 to 80 F. Guests can hike along the river or up the mountain to view birds and orchids and other strikingly beautiful wildflowers. The area is free of tropical diseases. Meals are available from the resident caretakers who are also the cook and guide. A picturesque forty minute walk brings you to a 860 acre reserve, teeming with wildlife and thundering waterfalls. A thirty-minute drive takes you to the small town of Apuela, with stores, a health clinic and the organic Coffee Cooperative of ACRI, to witness the way the coffee process works--from farm to roasted beans. Not far away are the hot baths of Nangulvi. These natural hot springs are set in a deep valley, the mountains rising straight from the valley floor. The best part of Your Home in the Cloud Forest is the closeness to nature it provides. The refuge is well off the main road, so the sounds you hear are the birds and the river, and the clouds that frequently cloak the forested mountains make for a dramatic setting. Getting there: We are located 1.5 hours from Otavalo, the following are our transportation options: 1. If you have your own car: Take the road to Lago Cuicocha. Instead of going through the gates into the park, take the road to the left and continue another hour-and-a-half, approximately 25 km. El Refugio is at the bottom of a valley. When you come to a yellow church set in a schoolyard, you’ve reached Sta. Rosa. Take the road to the left of the school and drive less than one km, to El Refugio, on the left. Ask for Oswaldo Herrera or Lupe Sanchez. 2. Public TransportTransportes Otavalo has three buses coming to Intag every day, at 7:30 am, 10 am. and 2 pm. You should buy your ticket ahead of time. At the office in the terminal, ask for a ticket to Sta. Rosa de Pucara. If you tell us when you’re arriving, we can go out to meet you in Sta. Rosa de Pucara. 3. For an additional fee our driver and guide can pick you up from Otavalo in a comfortable 4X4 truck. The road to El Refugio winds past the volcanic lake of Cuicocha as well as the nest of a rare Black and Chestnut Eagle. Our driver will be more than happy to show you these sights on the way!