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Birds and Bordado

Nature & craft retreat in the Intag Valley, Ecuador

February  21-27 2027

7 days, 6 nights

February 21-27  |  Starting at $2,800
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What to Expect

Spend a week in the mountains of Ecuador steeped in nature and craft. Take home hand crafting skills, enjoy bird walks and mountain hikes, soak in hot springs and sip coffee at a world-renowned finca.

Unwind and connect with nature on this week-long retreat in the mountains of Ecuador. During your time among the mountains and forest we will take you on a journey where our surroundings will connect you with craft and land. Spend time bird watching, hiking, learning embroidery and tour heritage textile craft ateliers.

❋ Connect

Your hosts will guide you with deep knowledge of the area, nature, and craft. Wake up each morning to bird song and a farm to table breakfast. Each day is thoughtfully planned for exploring, making, with plenty of time to relax and enjoy the clean mountain air.

❋ Collaborate

What's included:

  • Ground transportation to & from Quito to the Eco-lodge in the Intag Valley, west of Otavalo

  • Breakfast, dinner, and most lunches with many ingredients from the property’s garden

  • Shared or private room in the El Refugio eco-lodge

  • Guided nature walks and bird tours

  • Embroidery and natural dye lessons

  • Embroidery kit and all supplies for crafting for you to take home

  • Entrance to local volcanic hot springs

  • 4-hour weaving workshop with at a heritage indigenous weaving studio

  • Spanish language interpretation 

  • Coffee tasting

  • Welcome gift

What’s not included:

  • International airfare

  • Travel insurance

  • Alcoholic beverages

  • Souvenirs

  • Gratuities for drivers, porters, guides, custodial staff etc. (Ecuador uses the U.S. dollar so no need to change money)

Stay at the secluded El Refugio de Intag in the Intag Valley, where breakfast, dinners, and most lunches are prepared and served by our in-house chef. The land here is teeming with lush flora, fauna, and a diverse range of birds. Explore nearby towns rich with Ecuadorian culture, soak in mountain hot springs, take time to craft, relax with hand work, and be treated to a coffee tasting with a visit to a nearby world-renowned finca.

Sunday, Day One

Arrive & Meet

Airport pickup in Quito (UIO Airport) in a comfortable & private Mercedes Sprinter van, followed by a scenic 3-drive to El Refugio, a secluded eco-lodge that you will call home for the week. We will make a stop along the way for a hearty meal and sightseeing. Then you'll have time to settle into your room before our first El Refugio meal together.

During our first supper at the lodge, your hosts Gabriel and Arielle will share their backgrounds, their passion for nature and craft and discuss the exciting schedule for the week ahead. 

Dinner

6:30pm

Arrival in Quito

Ideally between 6:00am-12:00pm

Arrive at El Refugio de Intag

12:00pm-3:00pm

Monday, Day Two

Step into the Forest

Wake up to the sound of singing birds and enjoy a home cooked breakfast and get ready for a morning of nature bathing. Gabriel will take you on a naturalist tour of the property where you will learn about the local flora and fauna and meet several local bird species. 

We will enjoy lunch at the lodge and a bit of rest before we dive into your first embroidery lesson. In this lesson Arielle will take you through the basic stitches as we will begin to work on our samplers and get comfortable with a needle and thread. No experience needed- this is beginner friendly and just as engaging for the seasoned stitcher. 

The early evening allows for your own exploration of the property or feel free to sit back and read up on local bird species (or maybe enjoy a good book you've brought along or choose one from El Refugio’s library!)

We will enjoy dinner together where Arielle and Gabriel will happily elaborate on the topics of the day.

Breakfast

8:00 – 9:00am

Lunch

9:00am

Group Nature Walk

12:30pm

Creative Workshop

2:00pm

Dinner

6:30pm

Tuesday, Day Three

Color & Cloth

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before we dive into natural color. 

In the morning we will learn about natural dye and adhering color to cloth. After a demonstration and conversation about some of the most long-lasting colors, you will have the hands-on opportunity to dye some of our embroidery threads to use in the days ahead. 

After a quick cleanup we will have a hearty lunch to energize us for an afternoon of bird watching and an easy hike in the mountains. Gabriel is very familiar with the surroundings so be ready to learn about so much more than just birds. Make sure to bring your camera!

After the hike enjoy happy hour (alcoholic and non) at the lodge before a delicious dinner made by our in-house chef. We may have games to play!

Breakfast

8:00 – 9:00am

Dyeing Activity

10:00am

Lunch

12:30pm

Birding Walk

2:00pm

Happy Hour

5:00pm

Dinner

6:30pm

Wednesday, Day Four

Cultural Immersion

Make sure to have a big early breakfast before we adventure out to the nearby town of Otavalo. Otavalo is famous for its artisans market, which has been an indigenous trading post since pre-Inca times over 1,000 years ago, and specializes in many kinds of textiles. 

Before exploring the market, we will visit the village of Agato where we will be treated to a 4-hour traditional backstrap loom weaving workshop with a local artisan family in the ancient Tahuantinsuyo style.

In Otavalo, you’ll have the afternoon to explore on your own, eat at a local restaurant and peruse the market for souvenirs such as alpaca sweaters, Panama hats (which actually originate in Ecuador!), gemstone jewelry and more. You can learn more about this world-recognized market here.

When we return to the lodge we will have time to work on our embroideries if you choose. Arielle will be available for more instruction and questions and answers. 

We will enjoy a relaxing communal dinner together while we exchange stories about our day. 

Breakfast

7:00–8:00am

Drive to Otavalo

8:30am

Weaving Workshop

10:00am-2:00pm

Market Exploration & Lunch

2:00pm-4:30pm

Relax at El Refugio

5:30-6:30pm

Dinner

6:30pm

Thursday, Day Five

Climb into the Cloud Forest

Enjoy a hearty breakfast at the lodge before setting out on a morning bird tour with Gabriel.  Lace up your hiking shoes and grab your binoculars as we head up higher into the nearby cloud forest reserve Siempre Verde, where we will try to get a glimpse of stunning South American birds endemic to the region such as Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan and Andean Cock-of-the-Rock. As we keep our eyes out for birds we may glimpse other animals while Gabriel teaches us about the plants and trees along the hike.

Don't worry if you don’t have binoculars, we will have a few pairs to share! 

Lunch will be al fresco today with a mountain picnic. Everyone will get their own packed lunch before we head up the mountain. 

Then you'll have time to relax, stitch, nap, or read before a nourishing dinner at the lodge.

Breakfast

7:00–8:00am

Drive to Siempre Verde

8:30am

Lunch

12:00pm-1:00pm

Relax at El Refugio

1:30-6:30pm

Dinner

6:30pm

Friday, Day Six

Sip & Steam

Breakfast will be served at the lodge before we head out for a coffee farm tour. This region is famous for its shade-grown Arabica coffee, and coffee is even grown on the property of the lodge (you’ll be served this coffee every morning at breakfast). Start with the coffee farm at El Refugio, where we will learn about coffee production from Oswaldo, the resident coffee farmer (and guide and handyman!). From the farm we will head to the nearby Finca Soledad for some more coffee sampling. They are a world-renowned finca that has won a prestigious award for best coffee in the world for their Geisha cultivar, and their coffee now sells for upwards of $400 a pound!

We’ll have lunch at Finca Soledad; after lunch we will relax in nearby mountain hot springs with epic views of the Intag Valley, so make sure to pack your bathing suit!

Once we turn to prunes in the warm mineral-rich volcanic waters we will head back to the lodge for our final meal together. This meal will be served with a special treat to make the end of this trip even sweeter. 

In the evening you will have time to work on your embroideries along with Arielle's guidance.

Breakfast

8:00–9:00am

El Refugio Coffee Tour

9:30-10:30am

Head to Finca Soledad

9:30-10:00am

Coffee Tasting & Lunch

10:00am-12:30pm

Hot Springs

2:00-4:30pm

Dinner

6:30pm

Saturay, Day Seven

One More Morning

Wake up on your last morning with the mountain views out your window and bird song in the air. Enjoy your last morning at the lodge with a communal breakfast to vitalize you as we return to the Otavalo market on the most bustling day, Saturday, for souvenirs and treats. Lunch in Otavalo. From there we will continue on to the airport to take you home or to wherever your next adventure begins.

Breakfast

8:00–9:00am

Otavalo Market

10:30am-12:30pm

Airport Transfer

12:30-2:30pm

Airport Arrival

2:30pm

  • Double shared room: $2950.00 per person | Single room: $3450.00 per person | Early Bird Special- sign up before November 15th $2800.00 per person (share) or $3300.00 per person (single).

  • A $400.00 deposit is required to hold your reservation. Deposits are non-refundable but they are transferable. Maximum 12 participants.

  • Planning on staying in Ecuador before or after the retreat? Reach out and we can suggest how to make your time safe and fun. Note that schedule subject to change due to weather conditions, unforseen events etc. Have more questions? Reach out to us!

Learn more about your guides, Gabriel and Arielle:

Arielle Toelke

a multi-disciplinary artist, textile lover, author, and adventurer, and is interested in almost everything. She has been studying natural dyes for over ten years and has written the book, Cooking Color, finding a rainbow in the kitchen, a practical guide for natural dyeing at home. She teaches textile techniques including natural dyes, embroidery and screen printing at craft schools together with Sanborn Mills Farm (NH), SnowFarm (MA), and Yellow Studios (NY). 

Arielle has owned and designed for her soft goods brand Four Rabbit for over 6 years, learning the ropes to textile production overseas and locally. She travels for art often, loves making things in new places, and eating chocolate - and she can't wait to make things with you in Ecuador. fourrabbit.com + ariellecutspaper.com.

Gabriel Willow

a naturalist with a particular passion for birds and urban spaces. He is an environmental educator and ecological tour guide in New York City, where he leads tours and teaches classes for The NYC Bird Alliance (formerly NYC Audubon) and Wave Hill, among others. His tours focus on seeking out the overlooked and ignored elements of wildness hiding all around us, ranging from boat trips on the East River, to kayaking on Newtown Creek, to seeking the elusive Peregrine Falcons nesting on skyscrapers near Wall Street.

He has created programs for The Audubon Society, Lincoln Center, the Morgan Library and Museum, the NY Botanical Garden, and more. Gabriel is a past Vice President of theLinnaean Society of NY. He is also an artist, illustrator, and DJ. gabrielwillow.com.

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