Churute Adventure: Howler Monkeys & Cocoa Farm

Embark on a full-day wildlife and culinary adventure in Churute Forests and Cocoa Farm. Explore the tropical dry forest, spot exotic birds and mammals, and observe howler monkeys in their natural habitat. Indulge in a delicious open-air lunch featuring traditional Ecuadorian cuisine.

Duration: 7 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Reserva Ecologica Manglares Churute - “The adventure begins with a visit to an extraordinary protected reserve, home to an incredible variety of wildlife. Visitors will encounter 54 different species of mammals, including the magnificent Howler Monkey, along with 221 species of birds, 8 species of amphibians, and 12 types of reptiles.
    After…
What's Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Local guide
  • Bottled water
  • Lunch
  • Driver/guide
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • Transport by private vehicle
What's Not Included
  • Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Uncover a hidden gem just 90 minutes from Guayaquil: the Churute Forest. Begin your day by engaging with the local community, gaining insights into traditional red crab fishing and agriculture.
Stroll along the Howler Monkey Trail, a safeguarded tropical dry forest, where you can observe exotic birds, reptiles, and mammals—including the intriguing howler…

Location
Viasam day trip. Tours privados
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(53 Ratings)
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1 star
Corvidae2018
Aug 17, 2025
Fantastic due to the great guides - This was such a wonderful trip due to the kindness, care and knowledge of our guides. Yamil was incredibly thoughtful in adjusting our itinerary for a group member with mobility issues, while still allowing us to have the experiences we wanted. Daniel was a wealth of great information! Loved it and wouldn’t hesitate to book with them again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lindaoz6514lw
Jul 29, 2025
Nature and Cacao - I signed up for this fantastic experience for the nature part of the day - but was equally enthralled by the tour of the Cacao farm. This was an excellent experience - The English-speaking Guide, Simon, who grew up in the area, has profound knowledge the environment (in all its aspects) and people. The walk through the dry forest accompanied by howler monkey calls was enhanced by Simon's ability to explain relationships between plants and animals (mammal, bird, reptile, insects) of all kinds. His tour around the farm provides an interesting overview of cacao production from planting/grafting to processing, including making your own hot drink and chocolate bar (the latter by Don Alberto). A small cacao souvenir shop allows you to bring some of this experience home for you and/or others. The tour company, Viasam, were amazing. They made early contact to check on my dietary preferences (I'm a vegetarian) and a delicious lunch with Ecuadorian ingredients/recipes, many grown on the farm, were included. They were flexible / agile in their adjustments to ensure I got to see as many of the areas around Guayaquil as possible in the few days I had here.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shannonhq3688ke
Jul 3, 2025
Amazing!!! - Our guide was amazing! We saw so many howler monkeys, and the chocolate-making/tasting experience was incredible. Very cool to learn so much about the cultivation of cacao and fruit trees. Lunch at the farm was delicious! Do prepare for mosquitoes on the hike… wear thick enough clothing that they can’t bite through and a good repellent. Glad we didn’t miss out on this VERY cool opportunity!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rblais
Jul 1, 2025
Awesome tour guide and tour - It was a great day. From the pickup until the drop off Yamil kept the whole trip interesting. We learned about this history of Equador and a great deal about chocolate. We went to Cerro Blanca where we got to go on a very nice hike. The trail was easy to navigate and our guide pointed out many interesting plants and wildlife. Afterwards we headed to a chocolate plantation where we got to try some chocolate and then toured the plantation. Lastly we stopped for a wonderful lunch with amazing food. I highly recommend taking a tour with Yamil as I am sure you will have a wonderful time.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Santiagobd4250ry
Jun 29, 2025
Excellent experience - An unforgettable experience surrounded by lush nature and the warm hospitality of our guide and the hosts of the cacao and mango farm. Magical moments in harmony with nature! The importance of knowing your country and valuing the work and effort of our producers.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bertrand
Apr 27, 2025
A perfect tour! - Perfect day trip, nature, agriculture, wildlife… and a very kind and passionate guide! A private tour, much better than expected!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jenniferwo3709ms
Jan 2, 2025
Don't pass by this trip, it is an amazing experience! - This trip was AMAZING! We saw several Howler Monkeys on the hike with our excellent guides Jamil and Roberto. Please do follow their advice and bring A LOT of bug spray and wear long sleeves and pants, this makes the hike far more enjoyable. Jamil shared the most delicious mangos and pineapple I have ever tasted. Cacao and Mango was the highlight of our trip. Young Jamil and family served up a tree to table meal that was worthy of Michelin Stars. The freshest ingredients pared with artistic plating can't be beat. Then the cacao. This was the best chocolate I have ever tasted, from the pods we harvested to the dried pods we roasted and peeled. They smelled and tasted like brownies baking in the oven! Don't pass this trip up! It is a once in a lifetime experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
J6208zlemilys
Oct 5, 2024
Fun, educational, and delicious! - This trip is really fun. It's a long drive from downtown Guayaquil to the National Park, but there was so much to see along the way that that the time went quickly. Simon was a wonderful guide and full of information, and was happy to answer all our questions, not only about the activity but also about life in Ecuador. We saw only a few monkeys, but the hike was enjoyable - although we had to bundle up because of the mosquitoes. Then the cacao farm tour was so educational, and delicious - especially the lunch that was almost completely from products from the farm. It was great seeing not just cacao but also all the many other fruit grown there. And it was fun seeing cacao go from tree to hot chocolate! We highly recommend this activity!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Evan_r
Jun 28, 2024
Delicious and exceptional excursion outside of Guayaquil! - This was an incredibly memorable, educational, and fun excursion. The care given by Simon and Yamill was first class. They had exceptional knowledge and ability with tours, driving, howler monkeys, chocolate, coffee and farming. The knowledge of the area and working with the monkeys was very helpful to our tour. The lunch that was prepared for us was 3 courses and was beyond our expectations. Ending with the house made coffee was a treat! Then we made chocolate from harvesting a pod on property all the way to roasting it, grinding it, and preparing a spectacular hot chocolate. We ended with our own homemade chocolate bar personalized to our tastes. The entire group highly recommends this excursion!
Review provided by Viator
Kirstin
Aug 16, 2025
Great Day Trip - Jamil was great! Very knowledgeable and we learned a lot. The only downside was not getting to see any Howler monkeys, which is of course not the fault of the guides. I would definitely recommend this to anyone staying in Guayaquil before going to the Galapagos.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $205
up to 10 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).