The cloud forest around Mindo is accessible through trails on private lodge properties and through the Bosque Protector Mindo-Nambillo, a protected area of around 19,000 hectares that lies to the west of town. The Bosque Protector is accessible via the tarabita route, and several lodges have their own trail networks through intact forest.
What makes the cloud forest compelling beyond the birds is the texture of the habitat itself: the trees are covered in moss and epiphytes to a degree that makes the whole landscape look waterlogged and alive. Bromeliads trap pools of water in their centres that become microhabitats for insects, frogs, and other organisms. Orchids — hundreds of species in the Mindo area — grow on bark and in the forks of branches. Glass frogs with see-through bellies cling to leaves over streams. The detail repays slow walking and a quiet approach. The early morning and late afternoon are the most productive times; the middle of the day tends to go quiet.