Ecoruta--Alambi Valley Area

Northern Andean Montane Forests Ecoregion
Elevation 7,913' (2411m)

The Alambi Valley, tucked into the western foothills of Ecuador’s Andes, is a place where cloud forest and subtropical lowlands blend into a lush, living gradient. Mist drifts through steep, forested slopes, feeding an ecosystem shaped by millions of years of uplift, rainfall, and the slow migration of species between the Chocó and Andean bioregions. The Alambi River threads through this green corridor, its clear, fast water carrying nutrients downslope and carving out pockets of habitat that shift from moss‑draped trees to bamboo thickets to sunlit riverbanks. This meeting point of elevations and climates has created one of the most biologically rich transition zones in the country.

Wildlife thrives in this mosaic. Tanagers, toucans, and quetzals move through the canopy, while the valley’s famous hummingbird gardens can host more than a dozen species in a single morning—among them the Violet‑tailed Sylph, Booted Racket‑tail, and the tiny Purple‑throated Woodstar. The river itself shelters Andean torrent ducks and a surprising diversity of amphibians adapted to cool, rushing water. One delightful bit of trivia: the Alambi area sits near the heart of the “Chocó–Andean bird bottleneck,” a natural funnel where migratory and resident species concentrate, making it one of the most celebrated birding hotspots in the world.