El Monte Sustainable Lodge

What an amazing place! The location is just incredible, you feel right in the middle of the cloud forest.
The staff were lovely and the food was fantastic.
A special mention goes to Gabriel and Jorge, who were amazing hosts/guides, such enthusiasm, you couldn't help but feel excited and happy around them. They had such amazing knowledge about all the wildlife surrounding you. They were fantastic.
The rooms were great, clean and comfortable.
I would definitely recommend a stay to anyone.

Staying at El Monte was a truly memorable experience. The grounds themselves were abundant with flora and fauna, which we learned about from well-informed and super friendly guides, Jorge and Gabriel. Our whole family enjoyed the nature hikes, bird watching and other activities on the lodge grounds and nearby. The accommodations and main building were beautifully constructed and the food was superb.

Loved the staff, the accommodations, the environment and the mission of El Monte! The food was awesome.

This place is magical. My wife, son and I spent three nights here and would have loved a couple of more nights. The food was superb of top quality. We all looked forward to each meal. The property is so great. They have a wonderful trail that takes under an hour to walk. On their land we were able to see types of birds, fronts and cool spiders. The staff was absolutely lovely.

Wow! Just wow! We spent a few days here after the Galapagos. I had no idea how emerged I would become in Mindo and Tom’s place. So much to do within walking distance. So much landscape and nature to see. River tubing, hiking, waterfall playing, butterflies galore, roaming the town to experience the culture, and more! Great places to relax and read a book right within the resort. Something for everyone!

Now, the food. It was just absolutely amazing. We eat at Michelin restaurants, and our food experience was as good if not better than the activities we experienced. I am certain I ate more bread those days than I eat in 6 months, but I couldn’t pass up a single plate put in front of me. Every dish is served directly to you. No buffets. The food was so fresh, an led there was so much pride in the taste and service we received.

The accommodations are extremely spacious. Fresh water in your cabin at all times.

Bonus - Tom is from MS just like me. It was fascinating to hear his story. As most of us live our daily lives trying to earn more and more money, Tom is living the dream! You can just sense his peace and happiness out in the cloud forest!

Our two night stay at El Monte was the pinnacle of our Ecuadorian travels and the perfect place to relax before heading back to the US. Tom arranged a fantastic guide, Jorge. The staff prepared flavorful meals. The cabanas and lodge were beautiful, as was the land. We can’t wait to return!

I stayed 3nights/4days. The food was excellent. The trails were well maintained.
Sleeping in the cabin along the river was excellent white noise and made for good night's sleep.

A truly wonderful property! The food was incredibly tasty; sometimes simple, sometimes a modern take on a traditional dish, all beautifully presented and delicious! The lodges are uncluttered (as you'd expect from an Eco lodge), but extremely comfortable and the main 'house' (for dining, relaxing, drinking at the bar) is amazing. This is the place if you want to escape and get back to nature. Tom and Mariela are both lovely and will arrange guides and activities in Mindo if you want to leave the sanctuary of the Lodge behind. The wildlife (birds) in particular are amounts the most diverse in the World and Tom will take you on guide of the many trails around the property to help you spot hummingbirds, toucans and many more.

We had amazing three days at El Monte and definitely want to go back. Why? First of all the place feels a bit like in a fairytale. You can only access it via a tarabita over a small but wild river. The huts are very comfortable and spacious and you have a stunning view on the cloud forest while taking a bath. The food was the best we had during our travels through Ecuador. It is organic and most of the ingredients come directly from their garden. Speaking of the garden: we had great walks through the garden and its surroundings with very good guides who patiently showed us the amazing birds and plants. During the meals we had very inspiring conversations with the owner and it almost felt like being part of the family. We recommend this place to everyone visiting Ecuador.

I stayed here quite few years ago while researching ecolodges for my travel business tourworld .ca and my specialty website worldwideecolodges.com. Tom was a terrific host and the project they've built here is a model of ecotourism, in my opinion. The area is spectacular for birders and the town of Mindo is charming. Who can possibly resist the chocolate? The whole experience from arrival, to visiting the many birding sites, the zipline, and the lodge facilities were very authentic and showed a true dedication to the concept of ecotourism. Oh, and the rooms and food were fantastic too.

Another amazing trip to El Monte--my first trip there was so spectacular that I brought my parents to experience it too this time. The best eco-lodge I've come across in S. America. The food is high caliber, healthy, and prepared by a first class chef. Exceptional and friendly staff. The love put into this lodge by the owners Mariela & Tom is evident throughout. You will not be disappointed!

There is no place else like El Monte Sustainable Lodge. Once you have visited this exclusive lodge, you will want to go back and we found out most guests do. The food is amazing, organic, and fresh (grown on site). The accommodations are dreamy. The owners are delightful and a wealth of knowledge. The staff is stupendous! Mindo is loaded with activities. You could spend at least a week here.

Very nice accommodations. Tom & Mariela have a beautiful property. Tom doesn't put out feeders but plants flowers and vegetation that would attract native birds like hummingbirds

An amazing ecolodge and experience. It’s like paradise. The staff could not be more accommodating and amazing.

Incredible experience! Atmosphere was amazing, the staff friendly and extremely helpful, and the food (locally grown on the property) was sublime.

Amazing wildlife experience. Exceptional birding. Incredible healthy food.

Such a wondeful place!

I love it

El lugar perfecto para estar en contacto con la naturaleza. Si eres aficionado o simplemente te gustan las aves, aquí encontrarás todo. Las habitaciones van con el entorno natural, son muy cómodas, amplias y limpias.

C'est un endroit merveilleux. Le personnel est le plus attentionné que j'ai jamais connu (et j'ai été dans des hôtels de grand luxe auparavant). Des gens sincères, écoresponsable et qui se soucient du confort de tous. La cuisine est délicieuse et abondante. Je le recommande fortement a tous ceux qui passent par Mindo.