Four years ago, on 26 July 2018, UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme declared the Chocó Andino to be part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves,
with the approval of 195 states.
Located 45 minutes from Quito, this forest is an ideal location for adventure,scientific, academic, volunteer and educational tourism, as well as for admiring the magnificent fauna and flora of the region. The natural sanctuary surprises its
visitors with 3,200 plant varieties, 140 species of amphibians and 270 mammals,including the spectacled bear, the puma and the olinguito.

The reserve extends over three cantons and the Metropolitan District of Quito is home to 83% of its diversity. Hikers are accompanied by spectacular landscapes and birdsong on their adventures, giving the trails of the Chocó Andino a magical atmosphere.
This region has five basins and 12 types of forest, nine of which are protected and more than six are private reserves. You can also find the Ecological Corridor for the Andean Bear, which was created with the aim of protecting the habitat of this symbolic species.

The Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve in the Chocó Andino is one of the few craters in the world where people can live due to its fertile soil that makes
agriculture possible.

Thanks to conservation and community-based tourism projects, the villages of Yunguilla and Nono allow tourists to stay in family homes and learn about the local
way of life, the beautiful houses, and the decorations.
The ‘Festival del Chocó Andino’ is an annual celebration organised by the Municipal Association that aims to continue local traditions and commemorate the efforts of those working to maintain sustainable tourism, agroecology and gastronomy models.
For more information, visit https://visitquito.ec/sector_lugar/choco-andino/