Remember that all excursions and times on this sample 5-Day Amazon tour itinerary are subject to change and largely depend on weather, season, group limitations, group interests, and guide decisions based on passenger safety.
At the Quito International Airport, you will be met by one of our La Selva Eco-Lodge & Retreat representatives in the National Departure area where they will assist you with the check-in process and give you a short briefing about the journey.
After a 30-minute commercial flight to Puerto Francisco de Orellana “El Coca”, our representative will take you to our office located along the Napo River pier in a private vehicle.
The next two hours will be spent in a motorized canoe heading downriver on what will be the beginning of an unforgettable experience in the Amazon rainforest.
We will provide you a box lunch and extra drinks for this part of the trip.
At the end of the motorized canoe ride, you will be dropped off at La Selva’s main dock where the final leg of the trip to the lodge will be completed in a paddle canoe.
The only thing you must take care of during this part of the trip is your carry-on and camera equipment, all other luggage will be transported by La Selva staff.
The manager will be waiting to greet you with a refreshing beverage, snacks and a short briefing about your stay at La Selva Eco-Lodge & Retreat.
Intro to the Rainforest
After some rest and time to unpack, one of the Naturalist Guides will give you some basic information about the tropical rainforest, the Amazon, and how La Selva operates.
The idea is to begin your activities armed with general knowledge of the amazing place you have just arrived to.
Matapalo Charapa Trail
This trail was given the Spanish name of the famous Strangler fig (Ficus sp), one of many remarkable trees that you can find on this short walk.
Mahogany trees over 400 years old can be seen, and your guides will share their knowledge of the flora and fauna seen along the trail with you.
Due to the time of day, there is soft natural light shining through the canopy, and the diurnal and nocturnal animals are beginning their daily transitional activities.
Night Canoe Ride
Garza Cocha lagoon is a great place to search for caimans, bats, owls, and night mammals with the help of a spotlight the guides will use.
There are also excellent opportunities for stargazing if the night sky is clear!
Snacks
At the bar you can find snacks and order cocktails from the bartender. There is also a non-alcoholic beverage station where you can help yourself to limitless tea and coffee!
Dinner
Find your seat and get comfortable while our waiters serve each course.
Wake Up Call
Breakfast
Observation Tower & Mandi Cocha
After a 15 minute walk, the observation tower comes into sight, soaring an impressive 120 ft above the forest floor. Your Naturalist and Native guides, with the help of a sighting scope, will show to you colorful birds enjoying the canopy and maybe even certain primates. After another 30-minute walk from the tower, we reach Mandi Cocha.
This small lake boasts different vegetation and landscapes, displaying the beauty of the flooded forest. With a little bit of luck, our guests might spot the famous giant otters that make their home nearby. This endangered species is difficult to find, but during this visit there’s a chance we might see them!
Lunch
Garza Cocha Lagoon
This lake is one of the most beautiful lakes in the Ecuadorian Amazon. This is one of several opportunities to spot several different species of monkeys and birds. Sometimes, huge groups of squirrel monkeys join families of capuchin monkeys to look for food. Howler monkeys also like to spend the late afternoon around the lake.
The hoatzin, a large unique bird found only in pristine Amazon environments, is very easy to spot.
Night Walk
All you need is a flashlight and your camera to see the jungle come alive at night. Amphibians, insects, reptiles, birds, and nocturnal mammals may be seen wherever your guides take you.
Dinner
Wake Up Call
Breakfast
Parrot Clay Lick and Pilchi Community
After an early breakfast, you will make your way back to the Napo River and take a motorized canoe ride to the clay lick, one of the most fascinating displays of the wild world. Hundreds of parrots and parakeets gather here to eat the mineral rich soil, an important part of their diet. Binoculars are essential to really capture the moment.
At the indigenous community of Pilchi you will learn about how the first nations of the Amazon lived dating back thousands of years, including how they dress, what they eat, how they cook, and the many ways they use what the forest provides in their daily lives – a truly unique, fascinating and fun experience!
Don’t be shy to ask them questions, and be brave to try some of the traditional drinks and food! they love to share their ancestral knowledge and spread awareness about their culture and where they live.
Lunch
Coto Trail
This is a fantastic walk that takes from the lodge to the edge of the Garza Cocha Lagoon. In the afternoon, the light from the sun makes of this walk and amazing experience and the perfect opportunity to enjoy of the beauty of this amazing forest.
Your naturalist is going to explain to you about all the creatures that you find and our native guide will show to you some of the medicinal plants that they have been using from hundreds and even thousands of years. A canoe ride back to the lodge makes a fantastic ending for this activity.
Dinner
Wake Up Call
Breakfast
Yasuní National Park
The Yasuní National Park is the largest protected area in Ecuador. On this adventure, we’ll visit a different clay lick where scarlet macaws and other species of parrots congregate to drink the sodium-rich water. You might even see mammals such as deer, wild pigs and even tapirs who come to drink water here!
Afterward, there’s a nice walk through this incredible forest where you might find other species of primates that are unique to this area. The Yasuní National Park is also the home of the last uncontacted indigenous tribe of our country – but as they’re uncontacted, we won’t see them!
Lunch
Morete Yaku
The main creek that feeds into the Garza Cocha Lake is a beautiful place to paddle through. You will see the difference between the Terra Firme forest and the swamp forest also known as moretal. Morete is one of the dominant species of plants in this ecosystem.
This extremely tall palm is very important to many different species of animals and also for the indigenous communities that use its fruit as an important source of energy.
Departure Briefing
Our manager will provide you with all of the necessary information about the departure procedure for the next morning, and our bartender will offer you a delicious farewell cocktail.
Dinner
Wake Up Call
Breakfast
Departure for Coca
according to your briefing the night before – you will have an early wake up call, breakfast and departure from the lodge.
The lodge staff will assist you with your checked luggage and the motorized canoe ride will head upstream back to Coca, where our representatives will take you to the La Selva office to use the restrooms there.
After a short break, they will take you to the airport and help you with your boarding passes and checked luggage.
