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The lodge

Getting Here

Directions and how to get here

About Us

25 Mar,2013

  • About Us
  • Mission & Vision
  • Country Information

  • Guango Lodge is located on private property surrounded by temperate forest teeming with flocks of birds. "Guango" in the Quichua language means "a place of great mountains that crisscross, whose waters concur to form mighty rivers in deep valleys covered by the cloud forest of the Andean slopes, under an ever-changing climate and a typical drizzle". This combination of geographic and climatic factors makes Guango a true gateway to the rainforests to the east or west. Guango has always been a necessary stop along the traditional route from Quito to the Napo River and remains one to this day. As part of the Papallacta region, Guango is the central point between the cold forest and Andean highlands and also between the Amazonian ethnic groups and Quito.


    This regular stop for travelers and transport carriers for years was transformed in the mid-twentieth century into a cattle farm. Today, it is a hostel specializing in nature tourism located between the Antisana Reserve and Cayambe-Coca National Park. Over the years, the majority of the property has remained untouched.

     

  • MISSION & VISION:


    To develop an eco-tourism operation that attracts guests interested in visiting the rich primary forest in order to enjoy its natural wonders, and who afterwards have developed a greater awareness of the importance of its conservation.


    To achieve a profitable eco-tourism operation through the implementation of sustainable measures that benefits the community and ensures the preservation of Guango’s ecological reserve.

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    Arrival

    Upon arrival, you will need to first pass through immigration before claiming your bags clearing customs. You will then exit out into the main international arrival reception lobby where you will be met by your private driver and/or guide or you can choose to take a taxi or bus (Aeroservicios) if you have not arranged for a transfer to Quito. Please be aware that the new airport is outside of Quito, and it can take around 1 to 2 hours to reach the city. There are easily identified airport porters with carts to help you with your bags.


    Electricity:

    Electricity in Ecuador is 110v, and you almost never find 220v except in the larger hotels. You may find it helpful to bring 2 and 3-prong adaptors since for use in smaller hotels. Payment options for personal expenses at Guango Lodge are cash and travelers checks. Credit card payments are an option but are accepted only in the Quito office and not at the lodge. The currency in Ecuador is the US Dollar. Please bring small bills ($1 to $20). ATMs are available on in larger towns and cities, so we recommend that you bring all the cash you think you might need for your trip.


    MORE INFO ABOUT:
    Name your delight, Ecuador has it all!! Two high and parallel ranges of the Andes, traversing the country from north to south, topped by tall volcanic peaks, makes our country one of the most biodiverse in the world. photography   photography   photography   photography   photography   photography

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Getting here

25 Mar,2013

  • 1 hour trip from the airport
  • Location and description

  • Reaching Guango Lodge from Quito is easy, especially with much of the road now recently paved.

     

    From Quito, takes the Via Interoceanica east past the towns of Cumbaya, Tumbaco, and then Pifo in the central valley. You will notice that the road starts to climb toward the continental divide, or what is also known as the Papallacta Pass, and then afterwards continues as downward slope passing through the small town of Papallacta. Guango is located 10 kilometers past the town of Papallacta town. You will see a sign on the right side of the road.


    Guango is at 1 hour drive from the new airport, so why drive to Quito with intense traffic, when you can be in the middle of nature in just one hour?



  • mapa san isidro

    Guango Lodge, located at 2,700 meters above sea level, is a charming tourist facility on the eastern slope of the Andes, surrounded by a 300-hectare reserve in an area classified as humid temperate forest, a habitat characterized by its more stunted trees, cooler climate, and stunning orchid diversity.

    Guango is only a short drive from the tree-line forests and treeless paramo zones above, where an almost entirely group of bird and plant species await you. Only 11 kilometers down the paved Interoceanica Highway from the town of Papallacta, Guango is easily reached from Quito in about 1 ½ hours, and serves as a Gateway of sorts to Ecuador’s Amazon region. Why fly to the lowlands directly when you can start here and travel down the slopes of the Andes while enjoying the magnificent scenery, wildlife and culture?

     

    Our now famous hummingbird feeders adorn the gardens of the great stone lodge house, attracting some exciting hummers such as the Sword-billed Hummingbird, Tourmaline Sunangel, and Mountain Avocetbill among many other species.

     

    Trails that radiate out from the lodge, which is surrounded by our orchid garden, dazzling flocks of temperate forest birds, and comfortable accommodations make Guango a strategic starting point from which to begin your Amazonian adventure. The lodge’s location also means you have the opportunity to spot a Spectacled Bear, Mountain Tapir, or Andean Fox, all of which are seen with increasing frequency thanks to the newly established national park and the images captured by our trap cameras in the forest. Guango Lodge guarantees that another large area of ecologically important land is both productive and protected, allowing guests to appreciate Ecuador's natural beauty.

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