Day 1: Cloud Forest and the Intag way of life
Leisurely breakfast, followed by a walk through the woods, fields and gardens of Finca San Antonio. There's a chance to hand milk the cows and make cheeses, providing many photo opportunities! Depending on the season, you can pick strawberries, taxos, mortiños, oranges and physalis fruits; and harvest mashua, melloca, Oca, sweet potato and kale, which are a few examples of the fruits and vegetables that we cultivate in our organic gardens. There are plenty of seats, positioned so you can sit and enjoy the wonderful views of Cotacachi and Cotapaxi volcanoes, and of the nearby hills with their pastures and cloudforests.
There's also a great chance today to explore the 50 hectares (about 110 acres) of cloud forest on the farm, usually with Ned as your guide. There are many birds on the farm, including rare or relatively uncommon species such as the toucan barbet, 3 species of trogon, quetzals, and 2 species of guan.
After a delicious organic, home-produced lunch, prepared by Patricia, you might enjoy a nap in the hammock! Then, there's the opportunity to learn how to make a basket using vines taken sustainably from our forests; and if you'd like to make your own basket, perhaps for storing jewellry, buttons or eggs, or a bigger one for collecting garden produce, you are welcome. Others prefer to ride our horse ("blackie"), or pony ("el Juguete"), or fish for trout in the nearby trout pools.
Duration: circular walk takes around 3 hours at a leisurely pace with plenty of stops. There are plenty of shorter walks too. Basket making also takes around 3 hours, using vines prepared by Patricia. It's fine if you'd prefer just a demonstration.
Difficulty rating: easy
Equipment recommended: hat, rubber boots (provided), camera.
Cost: free for those staying at cloudforest adventure. $15 per person for day visitors, including lunch.