Mindo with a toddler

If you’re planning a trip to Mindo with a toddler, you’re in the right place! Mindo, Ecuador is a fantastic spot for a nature-filled, gorgeous, and peaceful (or adventurous!) vacation. And, there’s plenty of fun activities to do for the whole family.

Why you should visit Mindo Ecuador with a toddler (and why you should listen to me)

I lived in Ecuador for four years, married an Ecuadorian, and have taken my now 2.5-year-old to Ecuador three times. I’ve been to Mindo 9 times over the course of my life. Of all the places I’ve traveled in Ecuador, Mindo is one of the most beautiful and safest places (tied with the Galapagos for safety, but I’d say that it’s the safest place I’ve been on mainland Ecuador). When traveling with kids, safety is always a top consideration. It’s a walkable town with a population of about 3,000 people and you can feel good about wandering the main streets even when it’s dark.

There are also tons of fun, kid-friendly activities in Mindo. Particularly important: there are many beautiful nature areas to explore outdoors. I am an outdoorsy person, but in general with a little kid, I find outdoor activities and experiences to also just be the easiest to manage. He’s happiest when he can run and play, which I think is true for many toddlers.

A lot will depend on the age of your kids and how comfortable you are with different levels of adventure. When we went to Mindo with our son, he was 2.5 years old. I’ll primarily address both Mindo with a toddler, but include a note about Mindo with older kids because it can look different with a two-year-old versus an eight-year-old.

Mindo with a toddler tips 

We took our toddler to Mindo and had a blast! Here are some things to consider about traveling to Mindo with a toddler.

• Some activities will be limited by your toddler’s age. As a parent of a small child, you’re probably used to this, but in Mindo for example you will likely not be able to do the ATV tours or the ziplining. Bird tours, while possible, may not be very enjoyable (I would not take my 2 year old on an early morning, several hour walk through the forest expecting him to be quiet so we can see birds).
• But you can still enjoy a lot of what Mindo has to offer with a toddler! We focused on hiking and swimming during our trip, but there are also tours like coffee and chocolate experiences that a toddler could definitely do, as well as butterfly gardens and hummingbird feeding experiences that are appropriate for a toddler.
• There are multiple pharmacies in Mindo that sell things you may need for your toddler, including wipes, diapers, baby sunscreen, and kid-friendly bug spray. One awesome thing about Ecuador is that you can buy things like diapers individually. So we were able to buy individual swim diapers for the times we went swimming, as opposed to buying an entire package. Win!
• There is a lovely park in town that your toddler will love, located on Avenida Quito south of the main plaza, between San Vicente Ferrer and Gallo de la Peña. It has a great playground and beautiful views.
• Leave your stroller at home, and definitely bring your toddler carrier! You will not be able to use a stroller on the bumpy, sometimes dirt roads in Mindo, but a toddler carrier will be very useful for walking and exploring. We never travel without our carrier.
• Hotels may or may not have a crib for your little one. Our hotel did not. We had a suite with two bedrooms as we traveled with my mother in law, and simply brought a twin mattress from her room into the floor of our room, which worked great. But be sure to check if the hotel has a crib if that’s important to you, or bring your own travel crib to be safe.

• Choose a hotel that offers you breakfast included in the price. Trust me, it is so much easier to roll out of bed and not have to think about where you’ll be going for food first thing!

• Mindo often has rains in the afternoons, especially during the rainy season (November-April, approximately). It’s best if you can get your toddler up and ready early to maximize the better morning weather. This also combines well with a relaxed afternoon that includes a nap for your little one.
  

Getting to Mindo Ecuador with kids

The bus system is pretty solid to get to Mindo from Quito. You can take a bus from the Ofelia terminal in Quito directly to the town of Mindo on the Flor del Valle Cooperative. If those times don’t work, you can take a bus to the “Y de Mindo” from Carcelen terminal, where there are more frequent departures, and catch a taxi the last 10-15 minutes to town from the Y.

You can bring a carseat on the buses if you’d like. Seats are large and comfortable, and buses are supposed to have seat belts.

Speaking of which, car seats are always a big question when traveling with young kids. In this case, I did not bring the car seat. My toddler was fine sitting on the bus, and locally we were pretty much on slow dirt roads so I wasn’t super worried about safety while taking taxis in Mindo. However, it is of course the safest choice to always utilize an appropriate car seat. When we travel with a car seat, we use this one which is lightweight, and keep it in this carrying bag for ease.

Mindo with a toddler itinerary

I’d recommend spending 2-3 days in Mindo if you are traveling with a toddler. That is enough time to explore and enjoy what you can with your little one. Here’s how I would recommend spending the days.

Day one Mindo with toddler itinerary

You’ll likely be arriving in the late morning or early afternoon if you take the main bus. So your first stop will probably be lunch! Get roasted chicken plates at Los Pollos del Vecino Asadero (located on one of the corners of the main plaza/park area) and then return to your hotel if your little one needs a nap. If s/he doesn’t, head to the mariposario, or butterfly garden, Mariposas de Mindo. Learn about the lifecycle of the butterfly and see hundreds of beautiful butterflies!

If you’re ambitious, you can also check out the Frog Concert at Mindo Lago. It’s a one hour walk with a guide around the grounds of Mindo Lago hotel looking for and listening to frogs and other insects. Note that the tour actually starts at 7 pm, not 6:30, which is what we were told/understood. Be sure to bring an umbrella if there are cloudy skies! You can read more here.

Day two Mindo with a toddler itinerary

Enjoy your breakfast, and then get an early start to hike at the Sanctuario de las Cascadas. You’ll take a taxi ($6) up the mountain and ride the famous yellow cable car across the canyon to hike. There are many waterfalls you can visit. I recommend heading to the route with 7 and stopping to swim at Cascada Guarumos. Not all the waterfalls have nice areas for water play, but this one does. You can go to as many waterfalls as you’d like but honestly you’ll probably be happy with just getting to Guarumos!

Alternatively, head straight to Cascada Nambillo. This is one of the most impressive waterfalls in the area and has a nice place for water play too. It’s on a different path than the route with 5 waterfalls that Guarumos is on, and worth a visit.

In the afternoon, check out El Quetzal chocolate tour and tasting. Your little one will love trying the chocolate at the end of the tour!

Day three Mindo with a toddler itinerary

On day three, head up to Las Montañas hotel. It’s beyond the terabita that you took yesterday, further up the same road. There, you can feed the hummingbirds. We also saw an agouti (did not get a photo unfortunately!) as well as a tayra, which is like an Ecuadorian wolverine.

After feeding the birds and marveling at their incredible rainbow of colors, you can take a hike down to waterfalls and the riverside, and then take another gondola ride back to the property. We ended up just hiking down to the first waterfalls and then back up because of time constraints, but really enjoyed it! It was about 15 minutes of walking down to get to the waterfalls where we played, and the setting in the Mindo cloud forest was incredible. And swimming is always a win with little ones!

Return to town, have lunch, rest or nap, and if you have time later in the day you can enjoy some time at the park and grab a drink at the lovely Mindo Forest Coffee & Tea.

Mindo with kids (older than toddlers!)

If I were taking older kids here, I’d definitely add on ziplining, because the ziplining is incredible. Kids should be able to zipline starting around age 4 or 5, but double check with the tour company.

I’d also consider adding on a tubing excursion (it only takes about 20 minutes) and birdwatching if my kid were chill enough to walk around for a couple hours looking for birds in the early morning.

There are definitely a few things that are cool activities in Mindo that you can do with kids, that are not fun or not possible with toddlers. These are the ones I’d add in with older kids. 

What to pack for Mindo with a toddler

Some of this will depend on your own toddler’s needs, of course. But here’s a general list. Some links are affiliate links.

• Play clothes. I like to pack jeans, a mix of long and short sleeve shirts, and activewear shoes
• Bathing suit and swim diaper if needed. We’ve used these reusable swim diapers and like them.
• Quick drying towel. You’ll want this for waterfall excursions, so you don’t use your shower towel (which is also heavier)
• Daypack for hiking and kid supplies. I absolutely adore my Cotopaxi hydration pack.
• Toddler pack and play or toddler travel bed if needed.
• Quick dry sun hat
• Kid-friendly bug spray. The mosquitoes can be intense. Picaridin works well.
• Travel toys. Some of our favorites: self-propelling cars, books, light board toy 
• Water shoes. Our son adores his water sandals.
• Portable white noise machine. This is a lifesaver and space saver! We use a Hatch at home but this is way easier to pack.
• Toddler carrier. Absolutely essential!

Final thoughts on Mindo with kids

Ecuador is a fantastic place to visit, and highly underrated. Mindo Ecuador with kids is awesome, because it’s safe, has beautiful nature, has ample activities to do, and a is a peaceful setting. If you have any questions about Mindo Ecuador with kids, let me know in the comments.

And check out some of my other posts on Ecuador, like my Complete Guide to Mindo.