NOW OPEN, Wildsumaco Lodge
      at Wildsumaco Wildlife Sanctuary

Wow! is this place great or what? JA  Someone finally got it right.. the lodge is gorgeous  -  setting & infrastructure & food & lighting  -  I can read in my room! CV.  Great place for good old fashion neotropical birding! PS.  My 9th trip to Ecuador since 1975. This is the most outstanding destination yet!  -  birds, best trails, best accommodation, best hosts. FJA  Excellent, well-planned, well-run-wonderfully-hosted operation.  Don't leave Ecuador without visiting.  MM  The place is so comfortable, so friendly, the trails superb, and the birds staggeringly wonderful!  FW.  The best showers in Ecuador! PVL.  Finally a lodge in this altitude belt of eastern Ecuador  -  and what a lodge!  I'll be back. KE.  What a marvelous and ambitious set of goals, from restoration to preservation and research. BH. Wow!

Wildsumaco Lodge was built with you, a birder and outdoor enthusiast, in mind.  We know that at the end of a long day you want plenty of good food, a quiet, comfortable room, a private bathroom with a hot shower, outlets to recharge your electronics, and space to spread out your books and birding gear.  You'll find this and more at Wildsumaco Lodge.

At day's end, you can take a hot shower and head over to the dining area, relax on the deck or in the sitting room and bar.  If the weather turns rainy or cool, our fireplace will warm you.  The perfect place for groups to review their bird lists, our dining room, sitting area and bar are well lit and comfortable. 

We feature home-style cooking from around the world, and 3 meals a day are included in our rates.  Soft drinks, wine, beer, and bar drinks are available.

Set on a ridge in the Andes' Eastern Foothills, Wildsumaco Lodge has panoramic views reaching across the Rio Pucuno Valley and to the Andes beyond.  On clear days the distant snow-covered heights of El Altar, Tungurahua, and Antisana Volcanoes glow white against the blue sky.  North of the lodge is Sumaco National Park, and often the volcano Sumaco can be seen peeking through the clouds and mist surrounding it.

From other parts of our reserve you can look out south and east to Napo Galeras National Park, and let your eyes and imagination wander to the far-off Amazonian lowlands spreading out beyond.  Wildsumaco Lodge is located at a comfortable elevation of about 1400m (4600 feet), and our forest reserve ranges from 1200 to 1500m (3900 to 4900 feet).

Due to its location on the Equator, the steep Andean Foothills, and the close proximity of the Amazon, the Sumaco area holds one of the richest avifaunas in the world. A wonderful mix of cloudforest species, foothill specilties, and typically Amazonian birds share Wildsumaco's lush subtropical rainforest with a myriad of other animals.  Many of the birds here are rare, endangered, or very difficult to see elsewhere.

From Wildsumaco's trails you might see Gray-tailed Piha, Blue-rumped Manakin, and Chestnut-crowned Gnateater. Short-tailed Antthrush and Wing-banded Wren often sing, while more uncommon species like Gray-throated Leaftosser and  Plain-backed Antpitta are seen occasionally. The very rare Yellow-throated Spadebill has a territory along our Piha Trail, and at any time the endangered Military Macaw or rare Spot-winged Parrotlet might fly by, or Black Hawk-Eagle soar overhead.

The road passing through our reserve offers great road birding, and this is one of many areas from which to see flocks.  Possibilities here include Wire-crested Thorntail, Yellow-breasted Antwren, and Coppery-chested Jacamar. Several colorful species of tanager may be accompanied by Ecuadorian Tyrannulet, the recently described Foothill Elaenia, and sometimes Scarlet-breasted Fruiteater joins in.

In season up to 20 migrant species from North America are with us, including the threatened Cerulean Warbler. At night Great Potoo, Band-bellied Owl, Rufescent Screech-Owl and Foothill Screech-Owl often call from near by.

We've had 23 species of hummingbird visit Wildsumaco's feeders to date, including sought-after birds as Ecuadorian Piedtail, Napo Sabrewing, Black-throated Brilliant and Gould's Jewelfront.

Non-birding companions and other nature lovers enjoy relaxing and absorbing the fabulous views from the lodge area, or hiking our trails to experience the natural beauty and the immense variety of the area's flora and fauna. Butterflies and flowers abound at all times of the year, and photography is a delight.

Mammals are usually more difficult to see than birds, but Napo (formerly Black-mantle) Tamarin is often seen in the trees of our reserve.  Other large animals that have been seen here include two-toed sloth, Amazon dwarf squirrel, agouti, tayra, collared peccary, kinkajou, spectacled bear, puma and margay (see photos in the "Who We Are" section of this website, others on the Rio Pucuno Foundation website, above).

Because forest conservation is the driving force behind Wildsumaco, we turn over most of the profit from the lodge itself, as well as all profits from our bar and gift shop, to the non-profit Rio Pucuno Foundation to help buy and preserve additional forest.  Visitors have the satisfaction of knowing that their stay with us will help preserve the rainforest in a very real way.

We believe that you'll have a wonderful experience at Wildsumaco, and that you'll thoroughly enjoy your stay with us.   Wildsumaco Lodge is the perfect destination for anyone seeking great birds and the tranquility of the rainforest in Ecuador's Eastern Foothills.

When planning to bird Ecuador, plan to bird Wildsumaco!

Visiting Wildsumaco Lodge

Wildsumaco Lodge is happy to accommodate either individuals or private groups, or tour groups. If you'd care to engage the services of either a local bilingual bird guide, or a professional bird guide during your stay at Wildsumaco, please inquire when you make your reservations. We can also advise you about transportation options to Wildsumaco, including transfers from Amazonian lodges debarking in Coca or meeting you in Coca from Quito flights, and the short 2-hour drive from there to the lodge.

Day visitors are welcome to use the Wildsumaco Wildlife Sanctuary trails, gardens and sites of interest after checking in at the lodge for a pass. A day-use fee will be charged. Please contact us.

We anticipate that many of our guests will choose to visit us with a tour company, visiting a number of birding sites and staying at several other lodges on their way to our location. These companies will provide you with a package including transportation and a guide familiar with Wildsumaco's birds.

Because Wildsumaco Lodge is still quite new, not all tour operators know us yet.  If we aren't mentioned in your favorite tour group's East Slope itinerary or Amazonian lowlands jungle tour, or as an optional add-on, do yourself and them a favor and insist that Wildsumaco be added to your trip!

Rates and Reservations

Rates and Reservations: reservations@wildsumaco.com

2010 Wildsumaco Lodge Rates

1 person, double occupancy, $99 plus 22% government & service tax = $120.78

1 person, single occupancy, $110, plus government & service tax = $134.20

All rates are per night, and include 3 meals per day plus full use of our trails and facilities. 

Spring Migration Special, Wildsumaco Lodge

For transfers to or from the lodge, or to Coca, please contact us.

What to Bring

Answers to questions often asked:

The US dollar is the currency used in Ecuador, common credit cards generally accepted. Note that US currency in denominations larger than $50 is difficult to cash anywhere in the country.  ATM machines accepting most bank cards are found in larger cities, never in the remote areas where the birds are. Plan accordingly, as even on a prepaid tour you'll occasionally want to buy drinks, souvenirs, batteries, things you've run out of, lost or forgotten. Tips to lodge staff are always greatly appreciated.

Electric power in Ecuador is 110 volts, 60 Hz, and you'll have outlets in your room at Wildsumaco Lodge for recharging your batteries and other electronics.

The climate at Wildsumaco is usually quite moderate, fine for T-shirts during the day, and it cools off a bit at night to about 18 degrees Celsius (64 F). Although it can rain at any time, our wettest seasons tend to be December through February, and May through July.

To Bring:

• Binoculars
• Telescope if you have one
• Camera
• Flashlight for night birding
• Light day pack
• Sunscreen
• Insect repellent
• T-shirts
• Long sleeved shirt
• Sweater, jacket or fleece for night birding
• Light jacket, water resistant, or poncho
• Hiking boots or sturdy shoes
• Sandals
• Hat
• Umbrella
• Personal toiletries
• Quick-drying nylon pants are perfect, but jeans or other cotton pants are comfortable as well.

Although few of our trails require them, we provide rubber boots in many popular sizes for rainy days.

Now you can travel with Wildsumaco!

Want to bird the Andes' eastern slope?  After many requests, Wildsumaco now offers an East Slope Birdwatching Tour! Journey from Quito to the heights of Papallacta, then visit all the important birding locations and elevations in eastern Ecuador on your way to Wildsumaco Lodge.  This comfortably priced 8-day tour may be taken with or without a local guide.

 Volunteering at Wildsumaco

Our work in Wildsumaco is just beginning, and right now we have special need of extra hands and skills. If you have time to spend working with us there are many ways in which you can aid our grassroots conservation efforts. Whatever your contribution, your visit with us as a volunteer at Wildsumaco will give you the personal satisfaction of helping to make a difference in a unique part of the world.

Because so little is known about the flora and fauna of the area, we especially seek self-starters, people who can come into the area with an idea, pursue it for a couple weeks or longer, and leave us with something definitive in terms of a list or short write-up or photos that can be used now or built upon in the future.

Are you a biologist?  We need help identifying our common plants and insects, reptiles and amphibians.

Do you have computer or camera skills?  We hope to make photo cards of our common plants and animals for our guests' use, using either some of our file photos or new ones.

We are also looking for volunteers to lend a hand with the following:

• assist with reforestation
• during boreal winter (Sept-May), conduct surveys of North American migrants, with emphasis on Cerulean Warbler, Canada Warbler, and Olive-sided Flycatcher
• identify and develop lists of the area's mammals, reptiles, insects and plants
• help develop and maintain lodge landscaping
• assist with various odd jobs around the lodge and trails

Under our general supervision, volunteers usually work quite independently.  They may be alone on a project, or may work closely with the local people on projects ranging from building construction to making trails in the forest.  While some knowledge of Spanish is very useful, it's not absolutely essential.

The area is quite hilly and at an elevation of about 1400m (4600 feet) so volunteers should be in at least average physical condition.

Volunteers stay in our basic but functional staff quarters containing bunk beds, cooking and dining area, and a shared, cold-water bath house.  Three meals a day, cooked to local dietary preferences, are included in the $20/day fee we charge volunteers.  If you have special physical or dietary requirements, please let us know when you contact us, as we may or may not be able to accommodate them. 

Volunteers should bring the items listed above for lodge guests, plus:

     Sleeping bag, sheets
     Rubber boots
     Soap and shampoo
     Towels

To make the experience a meaningful one for all concerned, we ask volunteers to stay with us for a minimum of 2 weeks. Due to space limitations, we cannot accept more than 3 volunteers at a time.

If you have special talents or skills, or know of other ways in which you might be able to help out, we'd be happy to discuss your ideas.

Contact us with any questions about our volunteer program, or to sign up for it.

Please visit Rio Pucuno Foundation's website, www.riopucunofoundation.org if you'd like to help our forest conservation or other efforts, but don't wish to volunteer.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU in WILDSUMACO!!!