Western Slopes to the Pacific Coast - Adventure Guide to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands - page 238

The largest city between Quito and the coast, Santo Domingo de los
Colorados is a good place to begin explorations of the region's natural
attractions. Most travelers stay in Santo Domingo if they are not
lodging at one of the facilities mentioned below.
As a destination in itself, Santo Domingo is not on my hotlist. In fact,
it was not much of a city until after the road to the coast was built,
though now it has close to 200,000 inhabitants. It is named after the
original regional natives, Los Indios Colorados , who were once
known for their red, earthen-dyed, bowl-cut hair and native dress.
There is a reserve for these natives nearby, although the Tsáchila
people, as they prefer to be called, don't wear their traditional attire.
Now the city is a busy economic center, especially as it relates to the
surrounding plantation activity. Most people detour around the city
center and continue on. It may, however, be a good base if you are in-
terested in exploring the surrounding region.
As in any busy city, practice caution late at
night and watch your belongings in busy
market areas.
Adventures
For many visitors, the primary attraction of the western slopes are
the ecological reserves close to Quito, within an abundance of species,
particularly birds. They provide excellent nature retreats that are
comfortable, yet only a short distance from “civilization.” In addition
to birding, general wildlife viewing, and just relaxing, there are am-
ple opportunities to hike among ecological life zones completely dif-
ferent from those within the Avenue of the Volcanoes. The difference
here, though, is that you may want to bring along your rubber boots.
Once you reach the coast, of course, there are plenty of surf- and sand-
related activities, as well as lowland coastal rainforest communities
to visit. But we'll save that for the next section.
On Foot
Birding & Hiking
The closest nature retreats - all of which offer spectacular
cloud forest adventures - are Bellavista , Maquipucuna
Reserve and the Mindo-Nambillo Protected Forest .
These are special places that not only provide habitat for
unique and prolific bird life, but also plenty of exploratory trails for
the avid hiker.