Travel report: Nature Trip to Ecuador 2026: The Impressive Spectacled Bears

In January 2026, guide Jan Kelchtermans led a small group of nature lovers into the wilderness of Ecuador. The trip was undoubtedly a success. In total, they spotted no fewer than 24(!) specimens of the mythical spectacled bear. Below you can read an abridged version of Jan’s report.

If you would like to read the full travel report of this nature trip to Ecuador and relive Jan’s experiences in detail, please click here: Travel Report Ecuador – Jan Kelchtermans.

The first bear spectacle

North of Quito, we explore a remote valley where spectacled bears have been monitored for over seventeen years. A local farmer turned his avocado plantation into an ecotourism project and built up an impressive knowledge base of more than a hundred individual bears.

We stay just a day and a half, yet we observe fourteen different bears. It feels unreal. Unlike brown bears in Spain, these spectacled bears are active all day, and here we can descend into the valley for close encounters. That makes all the difference.

The setting is stunning. A winding stream, steep slopes, and fig trees draped in Spanish moss where bears feed, rest, and sleep. Watching a mother and cub up close among the branches feels almost spiritual.

On the first evening, a large male appears, known locally as Santiago. His calm presence reflects a place where food is abundant. Below, a mother with a tiny cub carefully navigates the slope, the youngster playfully biting her hind legs before they disappear into a fig tree.

More bears follow. A solitary individual, a mother with two cubs, and even a trio inspecting an abandoned hut in a plantation. The idea of sitting inside that hut while bears roam around it is surreal.

Day two brings even more spectacle. Once again we see Santiago and several mothers with cubs. When one female climbs into a reachable fig tree with her young, we descend into the valley. The steep descent brings shaky legs, but what follows is pure nature magic: mother and cub up close in the soft morning light. A dream moment.

Later, we count even more individuals. In total, we see nine bears at once spread across the valley. Through the scope, we watch them skillfully picking and eating avocados. A mother with a large cub, a subadult, and a heavy female stretched out in a fig tree, resting in the sun. The large cub seems close to independence.

On our final morning, we take position in a treetop platform high in a eucalyptus tree. Almost immediately, we spot new bears again. It remains striking how food abundance creates such a concentration of animals, much like brown bears in Spain or grizzlies at salmon rivers.

When the familiar mother with her two cubs finally leaves the tree, we know it is time for us to go as well. What we experienced here goes beyond observation. It is a privilege. Time to move on, our minds still filled with bears.

Birds and mammals of Antisana, Chakana and Tambo Condor

We visit Antisana and Chakana twice during the trip, and it never feels repetitive. The open páramo, snowcapped volcanoes on the horizon, and the thin mountain air create the perfect backdrop for an impressive Andean fauna.

Many species here proudly carry the “Andean” label: Andean gull, Andean ibis, Andean coot, and of course the iconic Andean condor. The same applies to mammals, with Andean fox, Andean bear, tapeti, and white-tailed deer.

A true highlight is the morning when four Andean condors circle above our heads. They glide along the cliffs and pass so close that you almost feel the air they displace. An unforgettable moment. As if that were not enough, we also encounter our fifteenth spectacled bear of the trip that same day. We observe it at two different locations, fascinated by the way it carefully feeds on a bromeliad.

Along the trail, bright orange Chuquiragua shrubs are in bloom, attracting Andean hillstars that show beautifully. Stunning hummingbirds. Equally spectacular is a group of carunculated caracaras foraging across the open plains. They run along the ground and pass right by observers and telescopes without hesitation. With their black chest, white markings, and striking orange face, they are truly remarkable. A species with a very limited range, and it shows.

The Andean fox remains hidden at first, but as we leave Antisana, we finally spot one, partially concealed in a clump of grass. We keep our distance and let it be. Common tapeti and white-tailed deer are seen more regularly.

Tambo Condor has become a classic stop. Lunch with a view over the cliffs of Chakana, while Andean condors soar outside, is pure enjoyment. The feeders attract impressive hummingbirds: giant hummingbird and great sapphirewing, the largest in the world, and of course the unmistakable sword-billed hummingbird with its absurdly long bill. Shining sunbeam, sparkling violetear, black-tailed trainbearer, and tyrian metaltail add constant activity around the flowers and feeders.

And as if scripted, during coffee at our first visit an Andean fox appears again in the nearby field. Mountains, condors, bears, and now even a fox with our coffee. Ecuador keeps surprising us.

The endangered Tapirus pinchaque – “Sacha Huagra”

Thursday, January 29. Early in the morning, we enter Cayambe Coca Reserve in search of the elusive mountain tapir. With us are Mario, a local tapir expert, and a park ranger.

We check open pastures where tapirs are sometimes seen grazing among cattle. Yesterday there was still a spectacled bear here, but today the area is empty. At another site where a tapir had been observed before, we find no signs at all. No tracks, no trails. Only vast highland landscapes that feel both breathtakingly beautiful and strangely quiet.

From the second checkpoint onwards, Mario takes the lead. With a machete, he cuts his way through the páramo while we follow, short of breath in the thin air. At the top, we are rewarded with sweeping views… and mosquitoes. Even at this altitude.

We systematically scan lakes, dams, and grassy slopes. Large mammals remain absent, but the Andes reveal themselves in detail: white-tailed deer, tapetis, carunculated caracaras, and a black-chested buzzard-eagle. Two highlights stand out: a flushing noble snipe and a male rainbow-bearded thornbill feeding on a flowering plant.

By midday, the clouds roll in and visibility disappears. We slowly head back, but Mario refuses to give up. In rain and mist, he continues searching, exploring patches of Polylepis forest. Outside the park, we try a few final locations. Motivation starts to fade. The hot springs begin to sound very appealing.

Then, while we are waiting at the last stop, it happens. Mario’s whistle is answered.

Suddenly all fatigue is gone. We scramble uphill over rocks and through dense vegetation. The final meters are steep and require focus. Adrenaline takes over. Then Luis signals us.

There he is.

The mountain tapir!

Calmly feeding on the slope, half hidden in the mist. Its dark body almost blends into the landscape. When Mario whistles, the tapir turns its ears toward us… and whistles back. A wild tapir responding. Unreal.

We watch as it uses its flexible snout to pull in leaves and branches. Occasionally it raises its head and curls its upper lip in a clear flehmen response. Pure wilderness.

Even the group member who had stayed behind at the lodge manages to join and see the tapir, now resting on the slope. Everyone gets the view. Everyone feels the moment.

What started as a long, wet, and uncertain search ends in an unforgettable encounter with one of the rarest mammals of the Andes. A moment that lingers.

Zura Loma and Paz de las Aves: gold in the cloud forest

Paz de las Aves, near Nanegalito, is legendary in the birding world. What started as a small initiative by Ángel Paz and his brother has grown into a family run operation with international recognition. Yet the soul of the place remains unchanged: with knowledge, patience, and even earthworms, birds that usually remain invisible in the dense Chocó cloud forest are brought into view. The fact that this site was saved through global support only adds to its story.

We arrive early, still in the dark. Along a narrow trail, we head to a hide for one of the Andes’ icons: the Andean cock-of-the-rock. Right at sunrise, the first raw calls echo through the forest. Soon after, the males appear at the lek, brightly colored and irresistible in their theatrical displays. A magical start to the day.

Along the way, a rufescent screech owl provides an early photo opportunity, and shortly after, Luis manages to locate a cloud-forest pygmy owl after an intense search. A needle in a haystack, but found.

After coffee, the real antpitta spectacle begins. Where an initial attempt with “Willy” fails, two yellow-breasted antpittas later show beautifully near a small waterfall. Then comes the star of the site: the giant antpitta. Thanks to the groundwork of Patricio, an impressive female suddenly appears from the vegetation. Like a fluffy ball on legs, she hops forward to pick up earthworms for her chick. Everyone holds their breath.

As if three antpitta species in one day were not enough, we also get close views of ochre-breasted antpitta. This is followed by a short but explosive visit of toucan barbets at a feeder. Color, noise, action. Back at the lodge, we enjoy views of powerful woodpecker and a pair of lyre-tailed nightjars, perfectly camouflaged on branch and rock.

On our final day, we head to Zura Loma, higher up and another hotspot. With coffee in hand, we scan the feeders. One shared dream hangs over the group: the rare black-breasted Puffleg, a critically endangered hummingbird with an extremely small range.

Hours pass. Meanwhile, a constant flow of hummingbirds, tanagers, and flowerpiercers keeps us entertained. Then suddenly, the call we have been waiting for: “Puffleg!”

A short but intense moment. The bird appears, disappears, and luckily returns. Black breast, violet blue throat, white leg puffs. Check. What a finale.

We end the trip in Yanacocha with more hummingbirds and mountain tanagers, and even a pair of tawny antpittas along the way to the bus.

A journey that began with bears and ends with one of the rarest hummingbirds in the world. Ecuador at its very best.

Spectacled bears all the way

Friday, January 30. After breakfast, we drive to Guango, near Papallacta. We have already seen most of our target species, but one recent addition draws us in: a feeder for grey-breasted mountain toucan. A third mountain toucan species on the list would be a nice bonus.

We climb up to the shelter near the feeder, surrounded by endless green forest. As a staff member hangs grapes and bananas, we wonder whether the birds will even find this small buffet in such a vast environment. An Andean guan appears first. A good start.

Then we spot a grey-breasted mountain toucan in a nearby fruiting tree. Soon, more follow. Once the feeder is stocked, activity explodes. For the next hour, three to four toucans move back and forth, offering close views in perfect light. Mission accomplished.

After coffee and a short feeder session with tourmaline sunangel, long-tailed sylph, and white-bellied woodstar, we head back, more than satisfied.

But the real spectacle is yet to come.

On the way to Quito, we leave the highway and take the old mountain road through a high Andean landscape of cloud forest, grasslands, and bromeliad covered slopes. Luis warns us: “Watch for dark shapes in the grass.”

Moments later: “Bear! Bear!”

We jump out of the vehicle. A spectacled bear stands on the slope at close range, having just come down from a fruiting tree. Its pink nose and pale facial markings stand out against the landscape. Just us, no one else. The bear observes us, sniffs the air, scratches, and eventually lies down with its head resting on its front paws. What a moment.

We continue, already thrilled with seventeen bears on the trip. But at the final stop, everything changes.

Luis steps out “to quickly check something.” When he returns smiling over the guardrail, we already know. Bears. Plural.

What follows is pure madness. One bear feeding in a bromeliad patch. Then another. Then a mother with two cubs. Higher up the slope, yet another bear moves through the vegetation. Lower down, three more are feeding together.

Seven spectacled bears at once, spread across a single hillside. Seven!

Including the earlier sighting, we count eight bears in one afternoon. The total for the trip reaches twenty four. Twenty four spectacled bears.

Jan bursts out laughing. So do we. This is beyond belief.

What an ending to the journey. Ecuador gives everything, right to the very last moment. Belgium, here we come. We have stories to tell.

If you would like to read the full travel report of this nature trip to Ecuador and relive Jan’s experiences in detail, please click here: Travel Report Ecuador – Jan Kelchtermans.