Head out of Quito to the northwest. In under an hour, you reach the Middle of the World complex, with its monument on the equator (or nearly!), its ethnographical museum, stores and restaurants.

From there, the highway climbs up past the Pululahua crater volcano which is definitely worth a detour. From there, it continues over a pass before heading down towards the Pacific Coast. Around two hours' driving from Quito and you reach the area known commonly as Mindo, which takes in the Tandayapa and Nambillo watershed, thickly forested hills cloaked in mists and cloudforests.

There are plenty of places to stay in and around the town of Mindo, so it makes sense to plan to spend at least a couple of nights to enjoy the forest at dawn.