The Antisana Ecological Reserve, an easy day trip from Quito, is Ecuador's best place to see Andean condors, which nest on the cliffs of the Antisana volcano and soar over the high paramo grasslands. A drive across the reserve reaches lookouts and lakes where condors are watched alongside caracaras and Andean gulls. Sightings hold up year-round, best on clear mornings when the volcano is out.
The Antisana Ecological Reserve, an easy day trip from Quito, is Ecuador's best place to see Andean condors, which nest on the cliffs of the Antisana volcano and soar over the high paramo grasslands. A drive across the reserve reaches lookouts and lakes where condors are watched alongside caracaras and Andean gulls. Sightings hold up year-round, best on clear mornings when the volcano is out.
Up to 78% sighting chance in Antisana Ecological Reserve, Ecuador. Best months: July, August, June.
Antisana is Ecuador's most reliable condor site, with a known population nesting on the volcano's cliffs and soaring over the paramo.
It is an easy day trip by car or tour from Quito, about two hours away, driving through the reserve to the lookouts and Micacocha lake.
Entry to the Antisana reserve is free (2026 prices); the high altitude and cold, changeable weather call for warm layers.
The reserve is superb for high-Andes wildlife, with Andean foxes, white-tailed deer, caracaras and the large Micacocha lake full of waterbirds.
