QUITO, ECUADOR—There is a new destination for experiencing natural beauty, biodiversity and eco-adventure in the Ecuadorian Andes: the Mashpi Rainforest Biodiversity Reserve. Located two-and-a-half hours west of historic Quito, this 3,000-acre reserve protects a small slice of the Tumbez-Chocó-Magdalena biodiversity “hotspot,” and will be home to a new retreat called Mashpi Lodge, new on the heels of its sister property Casa Gangotena that opened in Quito Old Town in October.
This lodge has been designed as a springboard for exploring the biodiverse world of its reserve. A private getaway only accessible to its guests and located on a high plateau, Mashpi Lodge offers views of the forest and valleys at nearly every angle and combines the highest standards of comfort, service, guiding and cuisine.
Perched at 3,116 feet above sea level and surrounded by lower montane forest and rainforest, the lodge is enclosed by a profusion of plant species, from ferns and bromeliads to hundreds of orchid species, many newly discovered. A staggering 500 species of birds—including some 36 endemics—are estimated to inhabit the forest, fluttering through the canopy. Monkeys, peccaries and even puma make their homes in a forest crisscrossed with waterfalls and hiking trails.
The lodge, built with the latest techniques in sustainable building and employing hydroelectric power in the near future, is designed to blend with its surroundings. It features contemporary, minimalist decor, mixing warm earth tones and clean lines.
Twenty-two Guestrooms
Mashpi Lodge will accommodate a maximum of 44 guests in 22 understated yet luxurious rooms, including three “Wayra” suites (Quechua for “wind”) that cover 400 square feet and feature private Jacuzzis-with-a-view plus 19 “Yaku” rooms (Quechua for “water”) that cover 366 square feet. Three pairs of Yaku rooms interconnect for groups of friends or families.
Social areas include lounges with vast picture windows inviting nature into the lodge and a Reading Room offering Internet access and an extensive collection of books and videos on the natural world.
The Spa will feature a Jacuzzi and specialized massages and treatments using natural local ingredients such as earth, stones, herbs and leaves from the Mashpi Reserve.
The Dining Room offers a gourmet experience where Mashpi’s chefs draw from the diversity of Ecuadorian cuisine and use the finest fresh organic ingredients from the surrounding rainforest such as naranjilla, papaya, palm heart, coffee, chocolate and plantain.
Canopy Gondola Offers Upper Canopy View
A novel system known as a canopy gondola or aerial tram that glides through the upper canopy will take groups of up to six guests with their resident naturalist on a trip of 1.3 miles to where the most exciting life in rainforests happen. The gondola is the backbone to discovering the Reserve, both as an activity in itself (a round trip taking about two and half hours to complete in all) or as a means to return to the lodge following extended hikes in the forest.
Trained local guides and expert naturalists join guests for their explorations to bring the Reserve’s riches to life.
The Mashpi Rainforest Reserve introduces a Butterfly Vivarium housing local species of butterfly in a natural yet protected environment to assure the best development of pupae and butterflies.
In line with the Reserve’s goal to improve scientific knowledge about the Reserve’s ecosystem, scientists have been hard at work making inventories of its flora and fauna, as well as discovering new species.
A deep respect for the local people and their communities is at the heart of Mashpi’s sustainability goals. The project has worked on an innovative funding scheme with the Ecuadorian government, whereby, in return for a non-refundable credit, an association made up of employees and local people will become shareholders in 15 percent of the project. Overall, the aim is for 80 percent of the staff to come from the local area.
Click here and here for more information.
