Ecotourism has grown extremely popular in recent years. To take advantage of this boom many tour agencies and hotels have slapped the prefix "eco" in front of their names in an effort to attract clients. To know if you are really getting the ecological experience that you've been promised, check out EcuadorExplorer.com's definition of "eco".

Ecological Farm in the Cloudforest ideal for Nature Lovers We are an ecological farm based on the principles of Permaculture (care of the Earth, care of the people, share abundance). We have replanted pasture with many different varities of fruit and lumber trees. We are recreating natural habitat for many native birds (some of which are rare to see) and animals. We are a perfect place for someone who loves Nature. Our accomodations are comfortable and we serve healthy delicious food.

"Casa de Amigos" is a beach front hotel located on one of the most beautiful beaches in Ecuador. This Familiar and cosy hotel in Same, Esmeraldas, has relaxed atmosphere with personalized services. Comfortable rooms can accommodate from two to six persons, all with hot water showers, air conditioner and cable TV. Complementary breakfast. Entertainment activities available, like: snorkling, kayaking, ping-pong, gimnasium, boogie boards, beach volley ball, football and more. International bar-restaurant with the best gourmet food on the beach.

Sapos y Ranas Hostel and Botanical Garden is an ecotourist hostel located in the Pichincha Province. Here you can spot 160 different species of birds while surrounded by sub-tropical forests, rivers, ecological paths, orchid nurseries, and medicinal fruits and plant farms.

Huasquila Amazon Lodge is your door to Ecuador’s Amazon! Located between the Andean mountain chain and the Amazon region, only 4 hours from Quito (by private car) within the Sumaco Biosphere Reserve, Huasquila offers six luxury cabins built in local kichwa style. Each cabin has a private bathroom, hot water, wide interior spaces and a balcony with superb views of the Amazon.
Enjoy delicious meals, bar service and exciting jungle tours, caving expeditions, excursions to petroglyphs, animal rescue center, horse trekking, kayaking and rafting with native kichwa guides. Best service & activities, all accompanied with a friendly family atmosphere.


Cabanas Tres Rios – Nine wonderful cabins situated on the banks of the Rio Quijos midway between Papayacta hot springs and Cascada San Rafael, famous for fantastic Ecuadorian, vegetarian and international meals. Hiking, bird watching, river running, horseback riding and our week long Spanish classes are all popular, but our guests say it’s an even better place to just relax and enjoy a quiet vacation. Perfect for school groups, family reunions or small conferences. “CTR is the nicest place I have ever visited.” Bill Meyers.

Termas de Papallacta - The best developed hot springs complex in Ecuador is Termas de Papallacta, a full service spa, hotel and restaurant and is located about one hour from Quito. One of Ecuador’s most popular visitor destinations, Termas de Papallacta is frequented by locals and tourists alike. The water that flows out of the mountain has been heated naturally and is piped into several attractive pools as well as into the hotel rooms and cabins. At Termas de Papallacta you can choose from a variety of massages, water treatments and more.

Black Sheep Inn - a unique eco-lodge perched on a hillside high in the Ecuadorian Andes. Much of the ten acres surrounding the Inn have been designed using Permaculture philosophy. Organic gardens, terraced reforestation to combat erosion using native tree species, recycling and composting toilets are all part of the Inn's effort to exist in harmony with Nature. The Black Sheep Inn provides quality accommodations while promoting low impact tourism.

Botanical Reserve & Eco-Lodge San Jorge - The regions only private reserve, 200 acres of native flora and fauna. An 18th Century Spanish Eco-Lodge, offering personalized service, restaurant, central heated rooms, swimming pool, Jacuzzi, lovely gardens and exotic birds. You will have the opportunity to explore San Jorge Botanical Reserve and The Last Incan Emperor's Trails. San Jorge's NEW eco-lodge in Milpe has pristine trails, swimming, running rivers, cascading waterfalls, panoramic views, 300 varieties of orchids, plus over 450 species of birds. San Jorge Eco-adventure tours include horseback riding, birdwatching, hiking/swimming, nature expeditions, medicinal plant tours, and mountain biking.

Owl moth.

Bellavista Lodge - a Cloudforest Lodge that offers a comfortable environment for relaxing, bird watching, and hiking on an extensive trail system owned and maintained by Bellavista. The Lodge is conveniently located just two hours from Quito.

Cotococha Amazon Lodge - Our unique lodge is located in the upper Amazon basin overlooking the majestic  Napo River. The lodge offers 17 spacious bungalows, built according to traditional architecture in harmony with the surrounding rainforest. All bungalows are equipped with a private bathroom, a private veranda with reclining chairs or hammocks to relax and enjoy the sights and sounds of the jungle. Daily excursions are organised, a perfect blend between soft-adventure, nature & cultural interaction makes your journey divers and educational. Imagine to drift down the river on tubes, or pan for gold on the river shores with an indigenous family, get informed about all different life cycles of a butterfly and make great hikes through virgin forest! Welcome to Cotococha Amazon Lodge, you're best choice to visit the upper amazon basin!

Cabañas San Isidro - In the lush subtropical zone of the eastern Andes, Cabañas San Isidro has gained a reputation as one of the finest cloud forest lodges in Ecuador. 1,300 hectares of reserve (with well-designed trails) connected to two major Andean national parks, over 300 species of birds (including some of the most sought after in South America, like a probable new species of spectacular owl), recent sightings of large mammals such as Spectacled Bear, Puma, Jaguarundi and Giant Anteater, divine fusion cuisine considered as some of the best in the country, along with top-notch accommodations are all among San Isidro’s strengths. San Isidro is also a forerunner in conservation with many new land-purchases. If all of this, in addition to long hikes through virgin cloud forest teeming with native wildlife, and warm hospitality in a breath-taking setting all sound appealing, San Isidro is a destination that you won’t want to miss. Our travel agency, BirdEcuador, can help you in designing a personally tailored birding or general interest tour to our lodges and throughout Ecuador.


Casa del Suizo - with its panoramic view of the Napo River, Casa del Suizo is a great choice for a first or hundredth trip to the rainforest. First class accommodations, with many of the conveniences of home, and excellent food in the tranquility of the rainforest make Casa del Suizo the ideal getaway.


Casa Mojanda - A dramatic mountainside inn, organic farm and retreat located above the town of Otavalo in the foothills of Mojanda featuring spacious rammed earth cottages with magnificent mountain vistas. Guests will enjoy the world famous Otavalo crafts market, horse tours, hiking, biking, birding and kayaking the Mojanda Lakes, as well as a large international reading and video library, traditional hot tub, delicious primarily vegetarian meals, children's activities, and excellent ethno-cultural tours. Casa Mojanda seeks to exert a minimal impact on the natural environment while actively supporting local community traditions and culture as well as projects in rural public health, education and conservation of the Mojanda Lakes paramo, forests and watershed.

Hacienda Primavera - located in the lush cloud forest reserves of Northwest Ecuador, this exclusive ecolodge provides first-class service for those who want to tromp in the jungle during the day but sleep in full luxury at night. Explore ancient forests, crystal clear rivers, and magical waterfalls through a multitude of activities including whitewater rafting, horseback riding, jungle excursions, mountain biking, bird watching, fishing, and swimming in our fresh-water pool. Relax in a hammock, teach in the local schools, or work the hacienda. Indulge in pampered delight after a tropical adventure with excellent organic gourmet cuisine and an exquisite selection of Chilean wines.

El Monte - offers charming riverside cabins in the Cloudforest surrounding Mindo. El Monte, owned by an Ecuadorian-American couple, provides an array of activities including, horseback riding, hiking, swimming in natural pools, birding, and whitewater inner tubing down the Mindo river. At the end of the day savor home-cooking by candlelight and listen to the night-sounds of the forest.Moreover, El Monte has just opened up the Mindo Biological Station for researchers, students groups, and ecologically focused tourists looking to truly explore and discover the natural treasures of the cloud forest.

Guacamayo Tours and Rio Muchacho - Certified Ecotourism - based out of beautiful and sunny Bahía de Caraquez, Guayamaco uses tourism to fund a variety of socio-ecological projects - an organic farm, a recycling plant, the world's first organic shrimp farm, and much more. Dedicated to ethical, environmentally responsible tourism, Guayamaco offers a variety of tours, specializing in birdwatching, horseback riding, whale-watching, and agro-ecological tours of all kinds.

Achupalla plant.

Playa Escondida - the river Malpelo winds down from the foot hills of the Andes mountains to a breathtaking bay called Playa Escondida ("hidden beach"). The area, now part of the 100 hectare Playa Escondida Ecological Refuge, has retained its beauty despite the years because, as its name points out, it is off the beaten path. Swim in warm tidal pools full of marine life, explore the caves and tunnels of the dramatic coastal rock formations carved by wind and waves, or just relax in a hammock and listen to the sound of the surf.

Sacha Lodge - is an ecotourist´s dream. Primary Amazon rainforest, a birdwatching tower, a butterfly nursery, an extensive network of trails, and comfortable accommodations make Sacha Lodge one of the world´s premier eco-lodges.

Sani Lodge - perched on an oxbow lake deep in the Ecuadorian Amazon between Cuyabeno Natural Reserve and Yasuní National Park, Sani Lodge is what comes to mind when one thinks of the perfect ecological getaway amidst virgin Amazon rainforest. The perfect blend of modern comfort and rustic simplicity, the lodge is the perfect place to relax and explore the surrounding jungle on foot and in dugout canoe, stopping to fish for piranha, delight in the songs of Amazonian birds, search for caiman under the light of the moon, or just soak up the magical energy of the biological heart of the planet.

Tinalandia - a family hacienda and nature preserve that remains true to the concept of eco-tourism that it helped to start. As one of Latin America's first eco-tourism destinations, Tinalandia is responsible for the trend that may save Ecuador's natural world. Known as one of the world´s top birdwatching locals, Tinalandia maintains a rainforest preserve located on the western slope of the Ecuadorian Andes. Tinalandia offers comfortable lodging, excellent food, and a myriad of outdoor activities.

Yachana Lodge - the ideal place to discover jungle life and lore. Nestled on the banks of the Napo river, deep in the rainforest of eastern Ecuador, Yachana Lodge and its 3.000 acre reserve are the perfect setting to discover the magic of the tropical rainforest; walk under century-old kapok trees, swim in crystal waterfalls, spot tropical frogs, exotic birds, and other unique Amazon life, or simply let the forest's energy envelop you while relaxing in a hammock. At Yachana Lodge, you will learn about the Ecuadorian rainforest from the people of FUNEDESIN - an extraordinary foundation that, for years, has fought to protect this precious region from the cultural and environmental threats that face it. To top it off, you will do all this while feasting on the finest meals made from the highest quality, organically grown ingredients brought to you from the local farms of Yachana Gourmet. Experience Yachana and unlock the secrets of the rainforest!