BEST TOURS TO THE AMAZON OF ECUADOR [2023]

Best Tours to the Amazon of Ecuador

Why are these the best Amazon Ecuador tours?

Lake Cuyabeno is an incredible marsh area in the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, while another part of the Cuyabeno National Park, at the border with Peru, where three great nature reserves come together from Ecuador, Peru and Colombia, together forming about 2.5 million hectares of Amazon protected areas. At the Peruvian side of the border river, lives a wonderful Sequoia Indian community that host our guests. Other than this community, nobody even lives near this region and is one of the most isolated regions of the entire Amazon of Ecuador and Peru. Wildlife watching is great, and in the river mouth of the border river into the Aguarico River, one almost always finds Pink Dolphins. The area consists of a network of lakes and creeks, that often are covered with floating vegetation and fallen trees. Navigating in this area always requires some searching and exploring, as the floating vegetation moves about and may block passages to the lakes and creeks. As a result, this is the most adventurous part of Amazon to visit from Ecuador.

How to get on our Amazon Tours?

Our Amazon tours start in the Amazon towns of Lagoagrio or Coca. In Lagoagrio you board our private bus to the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve entrance where you board our agile motorized canoe to our Cuyabeno Lodge.

In Coca you board a high velocity public river transport to the hamlet of Nuevorocafuerte at the border with Peru.

Butterfly licking salt from boy's face.

Picnicking on a "blanket" of palm leaves.

Ecuador Amazon Tour, Day 1

Our transport meets you in Lagoagrio to take you in about 1 hour 30 minutes to the the canoe landing location Nuevo Uniion, on the Aguarico River.

Cuyabeno Loop route takes you on a 200km odyssey through the Western Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve.

The tourist canoe of the Cofan Lodge.

Upon arrival in Zabalo, you will be shown around in the village and taken to your cabins to freshen up and rest, as it has been a long day since your departure from Quito.

The restaurant of our Cofan Lodge.

One of the cabins of the Cofan Lodge.

Upon arrival in Zabalo, you will be shown around in the village and taken to your cabins to freshen up and rest, as it has been a long day since your departure from Quito.

Relaxing in the hammocks in our restaurant.

A view of our Zabalo village.

In the evening, you will be taken on a night excursion to discover the critters of the night.

Tree frogs are everywhere, but it is a bit difficult to spot them. The moment you think you finally have one in your camera, they leap away to never be found again . On a rare occasion, with lots of luck you may catch the green eyes of a wandering Ocelot Cat in the beam of your flash light.

Ecuador Amazon Tour, Day 2

Early in the morning, we take on one of the few Ecuadorian black water rivers, where the clear water provides an ideal conditions for Giant Otters. Black water gets it color from decaying leaves fallen in the forested lowlands and swamps, while there are little or no sediments. There is also a vivid population of Scarlet Macaws as well as a great variety of tropical birds and monkeys.

The Zabalo River is one of the few clear black water rivers in the Amazon of Ecuador.

The clear black - sediment poor - water of the Zabalo river mixes with the sediment loaded water of the Aguarico River. The color comes from the soil particles dispersed in the water.

Ecuador Amazon Tour, Day 3

The day starts out with a discovery of the Cofan ways. You will be taught how to use a blowgun, and

get to see the traditional Cofan dresses.

Learning how to shoot with a blowgun.

The shaman with some of the children of the village and of visitors.

Ecuador Amazon Tour, Day 1

The traditional Cofan vegetable garden produces a part of your food.

The Cofan turtle breeding program has restored the turtle population in the Zabalo River.

After breakfast, we take you to the mouth of the Cuyabeno River, where usually some river dolphins hang out. From there you will be taken to the Canopy tower, to have an impression of the natural canopy.

The Mouth of the Cuyabeno River is frequented by Amazon Dolphins.

The highest canopy tower in Cuyabeno takes you all the way into the crown of a gigantic tree.

Admiring the view from the canopy tower platform.

Looking down from the canopy tower.

Most of the time you will be able to spot an Amazon Dolphin (of course no we can never guarantee this) or maybe, if you are very lucky, even a Manatee.

Blue and Yellow Macaws fly noisily over the jungle, while Hoatzins whisper their hoarse sounds as they scope the Macrolobium trees for food. You may also hear the mysterious swelling sound of the Howler Monkeys or see a troop of squirrel monkeys bouncing through the treetops. In fact, 10 species of monkeys have been recorded in the reserve.

Ecuador Amazon Tour, Day 4