El Refugio de Intag Cloud Forest Lodge - Ecuador

El Refugio Cloud Forest Lodge is located in Intag, in Imbabura Province, Ecuador. The lodge is on 75 acres of land, partly fields and partly forest. The Toabunchi River passes through it. At 6,000 feet, the weather is spring-like, with cool temperatures in the evening, typically ranging into the 70s during the day.

Northwest Ecuador cloud forests have been described as perhaps the most biologically diverse in the world. There are many birds here or in the area, including masked trogon, toucan barbet, Andean cock-of-the-rock, white-faced nunbird, and black-and-chestnut eagle, as well as many colorful tanagers and hummingbirds. The farmland and woodlands of El Refugio have a prodigious number of orchids and other flowers, of trees (including the medicinal wonder-tree Sangre de drago), and of various epiphytes (plants that grow on other plants), such as bromeliads. Mammals can be harder than the birds to see, but many interesting ones live at or pass through the farm. There are many interesting walks on the property, as well as public trails and trails on other nearby reserves.


There are seven guest rooms. The Hummingbird House first floor has two bedrooms, a kitchenette, a bathroom, and a screened-in porch. The second floor suite has a private bath and balcony. The Trogon House has four guest rooms, each with private bath. The house also features two spacious glassed-in porches with comfortable seating.