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360° Deep Cuyabeno Experience – 8 Days

Start Days

Tuesday, Friday

Location

Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve

Hotel

Tapir Lodge
Double Room (Matrimonial Bed or 2 Twin Beds)

Join us for an unforgettable adventure into the heart of the Ecuadorian Amazon with this complete Cuyabeno experience.
Stay in eco-lodges deep in the jungle, where you’ll enjoy comfortable and sustainable rooms surrounded by nature. Explore the rainforest on
guided walks, spot amazing wildlife like monkeys, sloths, and pink dolphins, and meet the local Kichwa community to learn about their culture and traditions.
A special part of the journey is a peaceful canoe ride in a traditional Killa de Remo, taking you to a birdwatching tower with stunning views over the forest, perfect for seeing toucans, parrots, and other tropical birds.
Our expert guides will be with you every step of the way, making this the perfect trip for nature lovers who want to connect deeply with the Amazon.
Contact Us Today to Start Your Amazon Adventure!

Tour Itinerary

Day 1. Welcome to Cuyabeno wildlife reserve!
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
After arriving at “El Puente,” we will take a short break to enjoy a box lunch. Then we will begin our trip by motorized canoe. You will receive a rain poncho and life vest, and we will cover your luggage with plastic in case of rain. As we travel down the narrow Cuyabeno River for about 2 to 3 hours, you will see many plants and animals along the way. When we reach Tapir Lodge, you will be shown to your room to relax. After dinner at 7:30 p.m., your guide will give an introduction about the lodge, the Cuyabeno Reserve, and the activities planned for the next days.
Meals: Breakfast,  Lunch, Dinner.
After breakfast at 7:30 am, we will begin a full-day adventure exploring the upper Cuyabeno Reserve by killa de remo, a traditional canoe. We’ll paddle upriver to Laguna Grande, enjoying a peaceful 1.5-hour ride through the rainforest, spotting unique plants and wildlife along the way. We’ll explore the flooded Igapo forest and see ancient trees like Macrolobium that grow straight from the water. Later, we’ll hike the Palma Roja trail for about 3 hours, looking for birds, monkeys, and other wildlife. After lunch by the lake, we’ll continue paddling to discover orchids, butterflies, and more. Guests can swim and, if the weather allows, enjoy a beautiful sunset. We return to Tapir Lodge by 7:30 pm for a relaxing evening, dinner, and possibly a short night walk to see frogs and other creatures.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
We will spend a long and good morning traveling by motorized boat to the beautiful Canagueno Lake. There, we will enjoy exploring the lake on board traditional killa de remo paddle canoes. It is a real pleasure to see this magical place, with grasslands where birds like Jacanas feed on insects. We will also spot groups of hoatzins, egrets, greater Anis, and many orchids like Cattleya and Epidendrum. This activity lasts all morning, and we return to Tapir Lodge for lunch around 2:00 pm. In the afternoon, guests can relax and enjoy the last sunset over the lake. After dinner, we will have a farewell Passion Fruit cocktail and take time to introduce the hardworking staff who make the excellent service at Tapir Lodge possible.
Meals: Breakfast,  Lunch, Dinner.
We will have breakfast at 7:30 AM. After breakfast, we will help get everything ready for your departure from Tapir Lodge. Then, we pack our bags and take a motorized canoe ride to lower Cuyabeno (located downstream), with our local driver who will point out plants and animals along the way. The trip takes about 4 hours, depending on the river. When we arrive at around 12:00 p.m., you will have lunch, get settled in your room, and relax in the afternoon. After that, we enjoy dinner and join an optional night walk to discover nocturnal creatures.
Meals: Breakfast,  Lunch, Dinner.
At around 5:30 a.m., we begin our excursion with a motorized canoe ride upstream along the Cuyabeno River (about 1 hour), the ideal time to observe a great variety of birds and animals. We reach the “Saladero,” a clay lick where up to five species of colorful parrots and parakeets feed to detoxify their bodies. While enjoying this spectacle, we have breakfast outdoors. Afterward, we switch to our traditional killas de remo canoes and paddle upstream briefly before entering a blackwater meander, navigating slowly downstream in search of flora and fauna. We return to the Cuyabeno River and continue to the lodge (approximately 4 hours total). After lunch and a short rest, we take part in a
3-hour jungle walk, where the guide shares ancestral knowledge about the medicinal use of plants. We return to the lodge for dinner, with an optional night activity available afterward.
Meals: Breakfast,  Lunch, Dinner.
At 6:00 a.m., we begin our day with a paddle canoe trip to enjoy the beauty of the rainforest at dawn, spotting birds, mammals, and exploring small lagoons near the lodge. After returning for a delicious breakfast and a short rest, we continue our adventure navigating upstream along the Cuyabeno River to visit the narrow whitewater San Francisco River, surrounded by lush vegetation and home to unique wildlife. We return to the lodge for lunch, and around 4:00 p.m., we take our traditional killas de remo canoes to explore the Ceibo Lagoon and admire the flooded blackwater forest, an ecosystem rich in life. As night falls, we return downstream under a starry sky and enjoy a peaceful evening back at the lodge with a warm dinner.
Meals: Breakfast,  Lunch, Dinner.
At 5:30 a.m., we start with a nutritious breakfast before boarding our traditional killas de remo to navigate downstream on the Cuyabeno River, enjoying the sunrise and diverse wildlife. We visit blackwater lagoons and stop at “La Bocana” to watch freshwater dolphins before reaching Doña Carmen Yumbo’s Kichwa farm, where we harvest fruits and learn to prepare casabe, a cassava bread included in our lunch. After returning by motorized canoe to the lodge for a short rest, at 4:30 p.m., we take the killas de remo again to visit the Bird Observation Tower built around a giant Ceibo tree, enjoying panoramic views and wildlife sightings. As night falls, we embark on a caiman-spotting adventure, encountering nocturnal animals and enjoying the starry sky before returning to the lodge for dinner.
Meals: Breakfast.
Being our last day in this wonderful place, we will have an early activity with a short excursion either inside the forest or by canoe to enjoy the awakening of nature and observe the birds. This activity allows us to take one last memory of this amazing place. After an early breakfast at 7:00 a.m., we prepare our luggage for the return journey. We will navigate for 30 minutes downstream on the Cuyabeno River, then take the Aguarico River upstream for approximately 3 hours until we reach the town of Tierras Orientales, where our private transport will be waiting to take us to the city of Lago Agrio. We expect to arrive around 1:00 p.m., in time to catch either the public bus or the tourist bus back to Quito.

Included

  • 7 nights of accommodation in a cozy Amazon lodge
  • Meals will be provided as per the itinerary.
  • Purified water.
  • Tea, coffee, and hot chocolate are available all day.
  • Vegetarian and vegan food available.
  • Electricity is available at night to charge batteries.
  • Certified Naturalist Bilingual speaking guides
  • All river transportation.
  • Biodegradable shampoo and soap.
  • Rubber boots.
  • Activities are detailed in the itinerary.
  • Your reservation supports our Conservation Project.

Not Included

  • International flights.
  • Overnight Shuttle Bus (Quito - Puente Cuyabeno - Meeting Point Restaurant - Quito)
  • Meals not detailed in the itinerary.
  • Alcoholic beverages.
  • Rain Poncho.
  • Activities not included in the itinerary.
  • Tips and gratuities for your guide.
  • Travel health insurance.
  • Contribution to the local Siona-Secoya Community (USD 10 per Person)

Important Information

To confirm the agreed travel contract, a non-refundable pre-payment of 30% of the costs per person must be paid. The remaining balance must be paid no later than 60 days before departure of the tour for all mainland tours in Ecuador and 90 days before departure for all travel to the Galápagos Islands and mainland tours in a South American destination except Ecuador.

If the client concludes his travel arrangements with RT less than 60 days before the departure date for mainland travel in Ecuador, or 90 days for the Galápagos Islands or a mainland tour in any South American destination except Ecuador, the tour must be paid in full immediately.

If a client fails to pay for his/her tour in full before the agreed final payment dates (60 days before departure for mainland travel in Ecuador and 90 days before departure for Galápagos Island or a mainland travel in South America except Ecuador) the client risks losing his/her tour. Equally, by failing to make the full payment before the due date, the client will lose his/her deposits for all travelers included in the reservation.

If the tour fee has not been paid in full before the arranged travel starts, RT will be released from its service obligations and may require the customer to pay any appropriate resignation costs.

Requeriments

For this journey, it is essential to be in good physical condition and health to fully appreciate the walks and excursions. Generally, this trip is not suitable for individuals with limited mobility.

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