Our Properties
Welcome Home!!!
The hot-spots that follow belong to our families, and are only some of the many options you can choose between. Here are some of our favorites…
El Arupo Hostel
Located in a central neighborhood of Quito, offering comfort and charm at a very reasonable price.
You can also find tourist information just a few steps away, such as tour operator agencies, banks, museums, restaurants, cyber coffee-bars & discos, and Spanish & dancing schools, and so much more.
Cuevas de Alvaro Underground Lodge
This amazing lodge, located near the town of Pifo, only 45 minutes from Quito, is a system of caves that were dug-out by hand underneath a beautiful paramo knoll.
Owned and run by well-known Quito local, Juan Simón Bustamante, it was once the home and farmhouse of his mentor (and eccentric uncle), Alvaro Bustamante.
After years of disuse, Juan Simón took on the monstorous task of restoring this unique and historical master-work and converted it into one of the most original tourist lodges anywhere in the Andes giving every visitor an unforgettable experience underground…
You have to see it for yourself to believe it!
San Isidro Birding Lodge
Cabañas San Isidro invites you to immerse yourself into a cloud forest environment where waterfalls still run clean and the wilderness still reins.
We have been hard at work for over 20 years combining top-notch service with a conservation ethic that stands unrivaled on Ecuador’s east-slope; our private reserve (set at about 2,000 meters elevation) is the cornerstone of a forest corridor that links the expanse Antisana and Gran Sumaco reserves.
This, plus ten comfortable cabins, all with private bath and hot water, not to mention the world-class, fusion cuisine, have lured many guests time and again.
If you’ve never tried quinua-breaded fish or black pepper ice cream, here is your chance!
What might you see and do? Although you will need some luck, Little Spotted Cat, Giant Anteater, Spectacled Bear and Black Agouti are sometimes seen traipsing around the cabins and nearby forest only a short stroll from the guest cabins.
Some of the more daily events are the gaudy hummingbirds that dash about at the feeders, in addition to another 300 bird species to be found in the area, such as quetzals, trogons, toucans and tanagers – some of the flashiest in the neotropics.
Why all of the wildlife? Kilometers of trails spill out through a lush 1,300 hectare - about 3,000 acres - forest reserve through some of the most pristine and accessible primary forest in eastern Ecuador.
A dip into a cool mountain stream is always a favorite for the kids, whereas more nature-oriented folks might enjoy a search for the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, a gorgeous and large orange bird that squawks at a mating lek along one of our trails in the early mornings and late afternoons.
For those interested in a firsthand look at some of the research going on in the area, a visit to the biology station up the road is always interesting and can help one better understand how biologists go about unraveling many of nature’s unanswered questions; one such project is the butterfly rearing station where researchers are actively looking into many of the insect/plant relations.
If nothing else, Cabañas San Isidro is a great place to relax in comfort and take in the marvelous Andean scenery, such as from the observation deck near the cabins where the view is simply magnificent!
Guango Birding Lodge
And this isn’t all! Our sister lodge, not far from the town of Papallacta, offers a very different high temperate cloud forest experience with a colder climate and hummingbird feeders on the front porch that have become famous with visitors, touting such names as Sword-billed Hummingbird, Mountain Velvetbreast and Tourmaline Sunangel.
Eight double rooms with private bath and hot water, a welcoming fireplace and plenty of forest trails – with habitats different from those found at San Isidro - make this spot a perfect complimentary visit.
Cañon de los Monos Lodge
Cañon de los Monos Jungle Lodge is located right along the edges of the Coca River near the site where the Spanish explorer Francisco de Orellana (in the year 1541) boarded his boat to discover the great Amazonas River.
The lodge sits at 250 mts above sea level in the Amazon basin engulfed by a humid, tropical climate. You can get here by air from Quito via daily flights to the town of Puerto Orellana (Coca); from here it is only 15 minutes by car. The alternate scenic, and much longer route, winds down the Andes by car via the Quito-Baeza-Lago Agrio-San Sebastian del Coca roads (350 kms).
The main house has 4 spacious and comfortable double rooms with ceiling fans, and private bathrooms and hot water.
All interior and exterior social areas are ample and cozy. The 2 houses are surrounded by secondary forest which forms a small haven for native birds and other wildlife – including Black-mantled Tamarin monkeys – and is a great place to spend a relaxing morning.
From here you can board motor canoes and navigate along the Coca and Napo Rivers, Ecuador’s gateway to the Amazon jungle. You can also make some extensions to other lodges and natural parks close to the property.
It is an ideal place to relax, study and feel the exciting tropic without getting too far from the town and roads.
Casa Arupo - Galapagos
El Arupo Hostel is also proud to offer “Casa Arupo”, their comfortable and centrally-located house in the Galapagos Islands.
Located in the port town of Puerto Ayora – Santa Cruz Island – it has 4 double rooms with all the comfort you need to start your exploration of the islands.
Contact Us
Wirak Tour Designer
Lizardo Garcia E545 y Juan Leon Mera
(005932) 2523528 / (005939) 9479373 / (005939) 8023659 www.wiraktours.com / cbustamante@wiraktours.com, epita@wiraktours.com
Quito-Ecuador
