🦜 Papallacta Birdwatching & Hot Springs Day Tour from Quito
Duration: Full Day (approx. 8–10 hours)
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Best for: Birdwatchers, nature lovers, photographers, and travelers seeking relaxation in nature
🕕 06:00 – Departure from Quito
Your guide will pick you up early from your hotel in Quito. As we leave the city, enjoy the changing scenery — from inter-Andean valleys to the high páramo ecosystem near Papallacta Pass (over 4,000 m).
Target species along the way: Andean condor, Carunculated caracara, Black-chested buzzard-eagle.
🕖 07:30 – Birding at Papallacta Pass
We’ll make our first stop in the high Andean páramo, a perfect habitat for unique high-altitude bird species.
Highlights: Andean tit-spinetail, Tawny antpitta, Ecuadorian hillstar, and variable hawk.
Enjoy panoramic views of snow-capped Antisana volcano (weather permitting).
🕘 09:30 – Papallacta Lagoon Birding
Continue toward Laguna de Papallacta, a scenic lake surrounded by lush vegetation and home to many waterbirds.
Highlights: Andean teal, yellow-billed pintail, Andean gull, and various tanagers.
🕛 12:00 – Lunch at Termas de Papallacta
Enjoy a delicious Andean-style lunch at a local restaurant near the Papallacta Hot Springs Resort. Optional visit to the thermal pools to relax your muscles after a morning of birding (entry fee not included).
🕐 13:30 – Optional Relaxation at Hot Springs
Soak in the natural thermal pools surrounded by mountain views and hummingbirds darting nearby. Great opportunity for photos and a peaceful break in nature.
🕒 15:00 – Return Birding Stop (Guango Lodge Area)
On the way back to Quito, we’ll stop at Guango Lodge, a well-known birding spot famous for its hummingbird feeders.
Possible sightings: Sword-billed hummingbird, Tourmaline sunangel, Collared inca, Chestnut-breasted coronet.
🕕 17:30 – Return to Quito
Arrive back in Quito in the late afternoon with amazing memories, great photos, and a long checklist of Andean bird species!