Cuyabeno Jungle Tour

Day 1: Your guide will meet you and the rest of the group in Puente Cuyabeno, where you will have a late breakfast. Here you also have to register in the Reserve’s office. Your guide will give information about the reserve, important recommendations and other tips to begin the three-hour canoe ride on the Cuyabeno River to the lodge. During the canoe ride you will get a first glimpse of the amazing plants and wildlife found in the jungle. Along the beginning of the river you can observe some species of monkeys and birds from up close because this part of the river is narrow. Once arrived at the lodge, the staff will show you around the lodge and you will have lunch. Afterwards your guide will give you a briefing on the upcoming activities for the next few days and about the area. Dinner will be served in the lodge.

Day 2: After an early breakfast you will start your journey, because brisk morning hours are the best time to see the rainforest’s thriving activity. You will trek into the rainforest with your naturalist guide who shares his wealth of knowledge. You also have the opportunity to learn about how life in the tropical rainforest co-exists in a fragile balance. Etno-botanic information emphasizes the use of the medicinal plants, which has been taught by the local ancestors for generations. You can also find some species of amphibians, butterflies, centipedes and millipedes, snakes, birds, monkeys or any footprints of mammals in the trail. After the hike you will return to the lodge for lunch. Later you will navigate along the Cuyabeno River to go around the Kapok Island trying to find species of monkeys. Here you will also have a good chance of seeing the freshwater pink dolphins (Inia geof-frensis and Sotalia fluviatilis) in the amazing river scenery. Before dinner you will venture into the forest for a night walk, to find species of insects, spiders, tarantulas, snakes or colourful frogs. The night world of the Amazon is perfect for viewing small species and enjoying the nocturnal sounds of the jungle.

Day 3: An early morning activity permits us to enjoy the nature with a good chance to watch some monkeys and birds. After breakfast you will follow the taricaya (turtle trail) to visit the Seoqueya Community, where some local families of the Siona indigenous group live. A member of the family will show you how they prepare the yuca bread which is called cassava and you will have the opportunity to bake a bread yourself. Meanwhile your guide will explain local traditions and cultures from the past to the present. Then it is time to taste the bread you just baked in the form of a delicious lunch. After the visit you will return to the lodge, here you have time to relax and to enjoy the environment. In the afternoon you will go out again, going upstream with the motor canoe to visit the Laguna Grande where we navigate around the amazing lake and admire the forest which is flooded by black water or Igapo as they call it here, which is a rainforest ecosystem that is dominated by the famous Macrolobium trees which are the homes of Epiphytes plants and birds. Except for the dry season you will be able to swim in the lake while you can admire the spectacular sunset in the rainforest. Before returning to the lodge we venture downstream to search for caimans (alligator family) and fishing bats. You will have dinner at the lodge.

Day 4: The last early morning activity is a short canoe excursion to enjoy the sunrise over the jungle. This is a good opportunity for bird watching. It permits us to create the last memory of this wonderful place. After breakfast you have time to prepare your luggage for the trip back. The navigation is upstream to reach Puente Cuyabeno. Once arrived at the entrance of the reserve around 10:00 AM you will be given a box lunch to enjoy on your way back to Quito.

In the 5 days / 4 nights tour, a morning walk, an extra canoe excursion in which you can admire the wonderful landscape in the afternoon and a night walk are scheduled for day 4.

Note: The lodge reserves the right to change the itinerary at any time due to weather, events out without our control and operational decisions where deemed advisable for the comfort and well-being of the passengers. In this program the exact activities and its order can change depending your guide, the weather, the season and your day of arrival.