Are you looking to experience luxury in the middle of nature? Then you want to stay at Mashpi Lodge in Ecuador, one of the most unique lodges in the world, according to National Geographic. And once you’re there, you’ll quickly understand why. Mashpi Lodge is an architectural masterpiece, situated deep in the cloud forest. It is also part of the protected Mashpi reserve, the habitat for thousands of birds, animals, butterflies, and plants. As a visitor to Mashpi, you not only get to explore the extraordinary world of flora and fauna but also contribute directly to the preservation of this unique ecosystem. In this article, I will tell you everything you want to know about Mashpi Lodge and why this is a must-visit during your trip to Ecuador.
Do you also want to stay at Mashpi Lodge in Ecuador? Check the latest prices and availability here.
Welcome to Mashpi Lodge in Ecuador
Starting from the capital, Quito, you embark on a journey along the Panamerican Highway before turning west towards the Pacific coast. Mashpi Lodge is situated in a unique part of the cloud forest, exclusive to this region of Ecuador. After passing through various small villages, you’ll encounter a long, bumpy, and winding road leading to the entrance of Mashpi. Once the gates of the vast reserve open, you’ll feel like you’re entering Jurassic Park. From here it is still a 20-minute drive to the lodge. What a remote place! Yet, you can reach it within 3 hours from the capital Quito.
Upon arrival, you’ll be amazed by the modern and chic glass structure, deep in the rainforest. A team of staff is ready to assist you with your bags and literally everyone of the staff greets and asks how you’re doing. After check in, it is time for an official presentation by the hotel manager, followed by a three-course lunch.
Do you also want to stay at Mashpi Lodge in Ecuador? Check the latest prices and availability here.
Introduction Mashpi Lodge Ecuador
“Mashpi” means “friends of water” in indigenous languages. It comprises a 3000-hectare nature reserve, located between 500 and 1400 meters above sea level. The Mashpi reserve is situated in Chocó in the northwest of Ecuador, an area with unique flora and fauna found only in parts of Ecuador, Colombia, and Panama. Millions of years ago, this region was connected to the Amazon in the east, but due to the formation of the Andes Mountains, the area was split in two, creating a unique ecosystem that forced animals and plants to adapt to their new environment. A significant portion of the plant, bird, and animal species is found therefore only in this area.
To share some facts, Mashpi Lodge boasts 200 species of orchids, 400 species of birds, constituting 25% of the bird species found in Ecuador, and five types of big cats, skunks, anteaters, wild boars, armadillos, and many rodents.
The Mashpi reserve
Mashpi’s presentation begins with an old photo from 24 years ago when Mashpi started as a small-scale project to protect the area from hunters and illegal logging. Park rangers from surrounding villages were contracted to stand guard. As the project proved successful and nature began to recover, it was expanded. Therefore, financial resources were needed. The idea of Mashpi Lodge Ecuador was born and carried out in collaboration with the local population, resulting in the lodge it is today: A luxurious stay where visitors get acquainted with the beautiful nature and also contribute directly to the preservation of the environment. It is interesting to note that 60% of the staff comes from the immediate vicinity of Mashpi Lodge in Ecuador.
Do you also want to stay at Mashpi Lodge in Ecuador? Check the latest prices and availability here.
Mashpi Lodge Ecuador
Mashpi Lodge is a piece of extraordinary architecture, located on a plateau surrounded by pure cloud forest. The majority of the building is made of panoramic glass, with a corresponding sleek design. Inside, it is modernly furnished and impeccably clean. The lodge consists of a spacious restaurant with fully glazed surroundings, an adjoining terrace, a reception with a small expedition shop, a welcoming space where lectures take place, a rooftop terrace, spa, and 21 rooms spread throughout the building.
Rooms are luxurious, spacious, stylishly furnished, and equipped with all comforts. The beds are of good quality, and through the large window, you can observe life in the cloud forest. On the first day, we were already able to observe a Tayra family, a marten-like creature, moving outside our window.
Do you also want to stay at Mashpi Lodge in Ecuador? Check the latest prices and availability here.
Restaurant
At Mashpi Lodge in Ecuador, dining is a true experience. In the restaurant, a daily varied three-course menu is served for both lunch and dinner, in addition to breakfast. You choose the courses on the spot from the à la carte menu. And these are not just any dishes; you are served culinary masterpieces here.
An extra bonus is that there are time slots instead of fixed times. Breakfast is available between 7 and 10 am, lunch between 12 and 3 pm, and dinner from 7 to 10 pm. All meals and drinks are included during your stay. Only alcoholic beverages need to be paid separately afterwards.
Activities Mashpi Lodge Ecuador
All excursions at Mashpi Lodge are included and tailor-made. Every day, you discuss your preferences with your guide, and based on that, a customized program is created. You also go out with new small groups each time. Mashpi works with local Spanish-speaking guides who know the area inside out and English-speaking biologists and researchers who share their scientific knowledge and experience. So, you almost always go out with two guides. I stayed at Mashpi Lodge Ecuador for two nights and three days. Here is an overview of the excursions I chose.
Upon arrival, you receive boots that you can use during your stay, a handy backpack, and a water bottle to fill.
Day 1 – Arrival day
After a nice lunch on day 1, the first activity takes place and this is a unique one. Mashpi Lodge owns a Sky Bike, a cable car system where two people cycle about two hundred meters above the cloud forest of Ecuador. You overlook the surroundings and observe the tall trees and dense vegetation perfectly.
Afterwards, you visit the thirty-meter-high observation tower, which gives you a completely different experience of the area. With some luck, you may spot toucans, woodpeckers, tanagers, and parrots, as well as raptors. You also have a good view of Mashpi Lodge, marveling again at the lodge’s unique location.
Do you also want to stay at Mashpi Lodge in Ecuador? Check the latest prices and availability here.
Day 2 – Activities
The Dragonfly
The Dragonfly is one of the technical highlights of Mashpi Lodge Ecuador: a two-kilometer-long cable car where you float in a gondola with acomfortable seats from one tower to another. You have a 360-degree view, and can hardly believe that you’ll find yourself above the treetops.
The total distance of the Dragonfly, back and forth, is 4.5 km and takes 1.5 hours. But it is more enjoyable to combine the Dragonfly with a hike. Accompanied by a guide, you walk through an impressive cloud forest path to the Magnolia waterfall, named after the Magnolia trees found in the area.
After a refreshing swim, you continue the trail along the river towards tower number 4. An adventurous walk because you sometimes walk through the water up to your knees, but it’s not to be missed. Left and right, you look up at a high wall of green vegetation. Along the way, you see different types of bromeliads. Also, pay attention to the creepy water spiders that sometimes walk along the edge. As long as they stay there, I’m totally fine observing them.
Life Center
A popular activity is the visit to the Life Center. Here, not only butterfly research is conducted, but you can also closely observe the entire pupation process from caterpillar to butterfly. There is a butterfly garden with numerous colorful butterfly species to be observed. More than 200 butterfly species have been identified in the Mashpi reserve.
A nearby platform offers a view of the cloud forest. In addition, there are feeders, places with natural products like bananas and sugar water, used to attract animals and birds so that they can be admired up close.
Professional birdwatchers work overtime here with binoculars, telephoto lenses, and other equipment. But even as an amateur bird lover, you can enjoy both familiar and less familiar birds. We were able to observe the toucan and many colorful birds, including various tanager species. On top of that, an agouti appeared. Early in the morning and late in the afternoon are the best times for bird watching.
Night activities
Depending on the weather, you have the opportunity to explore the cloud forest in the dark with local guides. And this is highly recommended because many insects and frogs become active during the night and are often well visible. You have a chance to see moths, miniature glass and tree frogs, croaking toads, birds, owls, luminescent fungi, and sometimes rodents.
Day 3 – departure day
Hummingbird Garden
The hummingbird garden is perhaps one of the most popular activities at Mashpi Lodge Ecuador. Who does’t want to see these beautiful creatures up close? In the Mashpi reserve, more than 32 species of hummingbirds live, and around this garden, there are 19. Unlike all other activities, the garden is not visited on foot but with a van. It’s a 20-minute drive.
Upon arrival, the first hummingbirds immediately whiz around you. They are so fast, and the colors are so bright and beautiful. We were able to spot the smallest hummingbirds, species with immensely long tails, a blue-green species, and many more. At first, I tried to remember the names and make notes in my booklet. But then, my enthusiasm took over, and I couldn’t stop watching the birds.
Do you also want to stay at Mashpi Lodge in Ecuador? Check the latest prices and availability here.
We also got to hold a bowl of sugar water, bringing countless hummingbirds to sit on our fingers. I had never been able to take such beautiful photos of hummingbirds.
Other activities
Lectures
If you stay at Mashpi Lodge in Ecuador, you definitely want to attend one of the informative lectures. Every evening at 7 pm, a biologist takes the floor to talk about the research and conservation projects that Mashpi is working on. During my stay, a talk was focused on camera traps and how in this way the behavior, but also the population of certain animal species, is monitored. Apart from being very interesting, it also gives you an idea of how many animal species live in this area. Each evening has a different theme.
Spa
At Mashpi Lodge, you can relax in the spa after a day of exploration in nature. Different massages and treatments are offered. It is also recommended to relax in the jacuzzi with a view of the cloud forest.
Binoculars
Always wanted to learn how to use binoculars properly? It might sound unnecessary, but learning how to use binoculars well can really make a difference when spotting wildlife and birds. At Mashpi, you can go to the rooftop terrace early every morning for an explanation that you can immediately put into practice throughout the day.
Laboratory
Want to know more about the scientific research carried out by Mashpi Lodge in Ecuador? Mashpi Lodge has a research center on the premises where you can walk in and have a chat with scientists and biologists. Recommended!
A complimentary service offered by Mashpi Lodge is the clothing drying service. Since it rains quite a bit in the cloud forest, there’s a good chance that your clothes will get soaked multiple times. You just drop off your clothes at the reception, and they’ll be dry within a few hours.
Mini Travel Guide Mashpi Lodge in Ecuador
How to reach Mashpi Lodge in Ecuador
Mashpi Lodge is about a three-hour drive from Quito in Ecuador. You can rent a car and drive there yourself (make sure to get a four-wheel drive), but the easiest way is to have your transportation arranged by Mashpi Lodge. In that case, you will be picked up and dropped off at your hotel.
Curious about what to do in Quito? In my Quito Ecuador Travel Guide you will find all my insider tips for things to do, museums, restaurants and cool neighborhoods in Quito.
Car rental
Looking for a rental car for your trip to Ecuador? Use Rental Cars to search and compare your car rental options. A quick and easy tool and no need to have up multiple tabs trying to figure out which company is the most affordable. They also have great discounts and cancellation policies.
Packing list
What to bring for your stay at Mashpi Lodge in Ecuador? First of all, it is good to know that Mashpi Lodge is exceptionally luxurious and comfortable. There is also a small shop with quality outdoor products. Nevertheless, there are some essential things that you need to bring yourself. Here is a detailed handy packing list.
- Walking shoes (boots are available during you stay)
- Comfortable socks
- Sandals
- A Travel Insurance
- Light clothing (long and short sleeve, no bright clothing)
- Something warm for the evening (for when it cools down)
- Rainwear/poncho
- Daypack
- Dry bags and Ziploc bags
- Binoculars – they are also available on site.
- Cameras + long lens
- Self-charger because of humidity
- Headlamp/Flashlight
- Water bag and/or water bottle
- Hat against the sun
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Anti-mosquito spray
- After bite
- Medicines and other personal items
- Bathing suits for in the spa
Travel Insurance
Looking for a travel insurance? World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance, with coverage for more than 150 activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more. Buy at home or while traveling and claim online from anywhere in the world.
How much does it cost to stay at Mashpi Lodge in Ecuador
A stay at Mashpi Lodge in Ecuador is not cheap. It is therefore not without reason that you find yourself in one of the most unique lodges in the world. You pay around 1200 euros per night for 2 people. This includes all meals, which are prepared and served to a high standard. All excursions and activities are also included. Moreover, with your visit you contribute to the conservation of this unique area of nature. Mashpi Lodge in Ecuador is an experience from start to finish.
Do you also want to stay at Mashpi Lodge in Ecuador? Check the latest prices and availability here.
More hotels in Ecuador
In every country I look out for the most beautiful and unique places to stay. A boutique atmosphere, a stylish design, a lovely setting, and a good service are important topics for me, when choosing a hotel. In addition, I like to support the locals and love a sustainable approach around a hotel. Are you curious about my favorite hotels in Ecuador? In the next article you will find an overview of the best boutique hotels in Ecuador, where I personally stayed.
More about Mashpi Lodge in Ecuador
More information about Mashpi Lodge can be found on their website, facebook, or instagram. Do you also want to stay at Mashpi Lodge in Ecuador? Check the latest prices and availability here. Curious about special offers at Mashi Lodge combining a stay at Casa Gangotena in Quito? Contact me at contact@passporttheworld.com.
More about Ecuador
Did you enjoy reading this article about Mashpi Lodge in Ecuador? Let me take you on a journey along the most beautiful destinations and places to visit Ecuador. In the next articles you will find my Ecuador travel guides with lots of inspiration and tips.
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- Casa Gangotena – Discover this boutique hotel in Quito Ecuador
Disclaimer: I was invited to stay at Mashpi Lodge Ecuador but this review is based on my personal view and is independent from the invitation.This article may contain affiliate links. If you purchase something using one of our links, we may receive a commission at no extra cost to you, which helps us keep this blog alive. Thank you for your support! Please see our disclosures for more information.