This is a project that focuses on the management of the rural road Quito-Nono-Tandayapa -San Tadeo, thus contributing to the conservation of the important biodiversity of this area, with particular emphasis on birds and the improvement of the quality of life of the local communities of Nono, La Sierra, Tandayapa, and San Tadeo.

At present , there is a healthy flow of national and international tourists into the region of Tandayapa / Mindo attracted by the beautiful landscapes and large extensions of cloud forests, easily accessible from Quito. The development of tourism in this region started in the middle of the 1970s. Nonetheless, it was not until the last decade that its image as a world-class destination for bird tourism has truly developed. 
In view of this great potential, local people, as well as foreigners living in the region have dedicated themselves to tourism activities, particularly in the area of lodging and food services, although it is also sometimes possible to contract local guides for birdwatching and other recreational activities, such as horse-riding, hiking, sport fishing, etc.

However, these efforts do not take full advantage of the real tourism potential of the area, and thus do not provide full benefits for local communities. It is with this in mind that the establishment of the Ecoroute ‘El Paseo del Quinde’ is proposed, as an integrated tool to develop sustainable tourism and natural resource conservation activities.

The goal of the Ecoroute is  to truly and dynamically develop the economy of the local communities, creating jobs in activities directly and indirectly related to bird tourism and ecotourism (guiding, food services, handcrafts, security, conservation).
With this in mind, local communities have been consulted, and some priority lines of action have been defined, including  a course in guiding, a course in hotel services, and a course in the management of the Ecoroute itself.

In relation to the infrastructure  needed for the establishment of the Ecoroute,  it is estimated that at the end of the implementation phase (1 year) , the Ecoroute will have at least 36 interpretive signs, 3 principal control booths, 2 secondary control booths, 5 viewpoints and rest areas, and 3 information centres, besides an interpretation centre.