A colorful bird perched on a tree branch

Guayaquil - Cerro Blanco Dry Forest

Join us on a tour of the Cerro Blanco Dry Forest, just outside the city and one of the largest, best-conserved dry forests in Ecuador. This forest protects approximately 100 of the 500 species of registered vascular plants that are endemic in the tropical dry forest region.

  • Discover one of the largest and best-preserved dry forests in Ecuador
  • Hike trails over small slopes with beautiful scenery
  • Experience the forest's amazing biodiversity
  • Encounter the forest's 54 mammal species

  • Difficulty level

    Level 3: Medium

  • Duration

    4 hours

  • Min. passengers

    20

  • Booking Code

    A-GYE1

  • From

    $ 83

  • Notices

    Comfortable hiking shoes, rain coat, light cotton clothing (long sleeves and long trousers preferably) / Insect repellent and sun screen strongly suggested, above all during the rainy season from January to April. Note - Wildlife sightings are not guaranteed. The order of sights/pathways visited may vary.

We start our excursion by walking along a trail through several landscapes of forest and mangrove. The trail is about 1.1 km long and has an elevation change of 150 metres. The route is divided into two sections: one, semi-mountainous terrain with small slopes, rocky paths and beautiful scenery, and where native dry forest vegetation grows, and two, second-growth forest.

The biodiversity of Cerro Blanco protected forest includes:

  • 700 species of vascular plants, 20% being endemic to the south-west of Ecuador
  • 54 species of mammals: monkeys, peccaries, agouti, six species of wild cat including the jaguar, and 34 species of bat
  • 221 species of birds, including the Great Green Macaw (Papagayo) – a species in critical danger in Ecuador and the symbol of Cerro Blanco
  • Eight species of amphibians
  • 12 species of reptiles

PRACTICAL INFORMATION: 

  • Duration: 4 hours
  • Language: English
  • Included: Chips, juice box, seasonal fruit
  • Remarks/requirements: Comfortable hiking shoes, rain coat, light cotton clothing (long sleeves and long trousers preferably) / Insect repellent and sun screen strongly suggested, above all during the rainy season from January to April.
    • Note - Wildlife sightings are not guaranteed. The order of sights/pathways visited may vary.
  • Walking information: Irregular and unpaved terrain. Medium hike - about 5 km (3 miles), but with ascents and descents. January to May is the rainy season in the Coastal Region and the terrain could be muddy and slippery.
  • Wheelchair accessible: No

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