At 900 metres above sea level, the transition zone in which Mashpi Lodge is located bridges the cloud forest — home to multiple species of epiphytes (orchids) and hummingbirds — and the lower tropical rainforest with its abundance of large trees, toucans, amphibians and reptiles. Being located in the transition zone offers the unique opportunity to witness the interactions between cloud and rainforest species of flora and fauna.  

According to Marc Bery, Mashpi Lodge’s enthusiastic operations manager, a former mayor of Quito, Roque Sevilla, bought the property from a logging company with the intention of conserving it. “The idea of a lodge came a few years later when it was realized that park rangers would be needed to take care of the forest,” he tells me. 

Most of the staff are recruited from nearby villages, including guide and naturalist Nestor Paladines. A long-time employee at Mashpi, Nestor hails from the neighbouring village of Pachijal and taught himself English in order to better share his passion for the nature with guests. Wearing rubber boots and aided by walking sticks provided by the lodge, we follow him out into the bush. 

He leads us along a slippery mud path to the Dragonfly, a two kilometre-long, horizontal five-person ski lift-type system that floats over and through the rainforest’s canopy, affording us a close look at this sensitive and unique ecosystem. (The lodge also offers a ‘Sky Bike,’ which allows for self-powered exploration of the forest heights.) We get off at the halfway point and climb down the tower to the floor of the rainforest below and make our way into the Magnolia River, where we slowly begin the three-kilometre trek upstream through the river’s shallow water toward the lodge. We stop to rest at the base of Magnolia Falls, and a few guests seize the opportunity to take a refreshing dip. 

While the frolicking is going on by the waterfalls, Nestor spots an extremely rare cloud-forest pygmy owl sitting motionlessly above us on a tree limb. The owl remains with us for awhile before flying downstream, quickly disappearing into the mist shrouded, evening dusk.