Ecuador Amazon Rainforest Tour - LA SELVA LODGE

30-minute flight from Quito to the city of Puerto Francisco de Orellana also known as El Coca, the starting point of your jungle tour in Ecuador. On arrival, a representative from the lodge will transfer you by private vehicle to the city's main pier on the Napo river.

Meet and greet with your naturalist guide who will brief you in detail about the next three hours. You will be provided with a box lunch and a bottle of water.

Your rainforest experience will begin with a 2-and-a-half-hour ride on a motorized canoe down the Napo river among lush Amazonian landscapes all the way to La Selva's dock.

A short walk will take you to a creek where a small canoe will take you on a fantastic 30-minutes ride along a narrow creek that connects with the Garzacocha lagoon where you will arrive at La Selva lodge.

The resident manager will greet you with a delicious juice, snacks and a short briefing with general information about the lodge.

At 4.30 pm, a naturalist guide will introduce you to your environment as he gives you details about the Amazon tropical rainforest and La Selva Lodge's operations.

At 5pm, set out on the Matapalo trail, named after the famous strangler fig (Ficus sp.), one of many remarkable trees that you will find during this short introductory walk.

Marvel at a majestic Mahogany tree that has been in the area for more than 400 years. All along the way your native and naturalist guides will be there to share their knowledge about the flora and fauna of the tropical rainforest.

At this time of the day, you will enjoy of the most amazing light and the transition of the activity between diurnal and nocturnal creatures.

Overnight at La Selva Jungle Lodge.

At 7am, leave to Torre Tucaneta, an observation tower, a short 20-minute hike away.

This 120-foot tall (37 m) construction above the forest floor will provide spectacular views over the canopy of the tropical rainforest.

With the help of spotting scopes your guides will point out many of the colorful birds dwelling on the canopy such as toucans, tanagers and parrots. This is also a great time to spot howler monkeys and the elusive sloth.

On a '2-hour hike back to the lodge, your native guide will provide exciting information about the medicinal plants used by the local indigenous communities while your naturalist will provide information about the natural history of the area.

Optional hike to the beautiful lagoon of Mandi Cocha. One and a half hour away, this lagoon is a great example of an Igapo Forest, a temporarily blackwater-flooded forest. There you might find different species of birds and with an extra bit of luck you might spot the very elusive giant otter.

At about 4.30 pm, set off on a one-and-a-half-hour hike on the Charapa trail. Starting at the back of the lodge the path ends on the edge of the lake. It's a wonderful loop that you start on foot and end by canoe to cross the lagoon and return to the lodge.

Along the way you will be able to sight different groups of mammals, monkeys and birds that come to the lagoon looking for food in the cooler hours of the afternoon. You will also enjoy a beautiful sunset from the canoe.

After dusk venture out on the lagoon's quiet waters with your canoe to spot caimans, boas, bats, owls, night mammals and more of the busy nocturnal wildlife under the southern stars. 

Overnight at La Selva Jungle Lodge. 

At 7am, a paddle canoe will take you back to the Napo River in less than 30 minutes where you will board a motorized canoe for a most amazing and rare wildlife sighting: in the morning, hundreds of parrots and parakeets gather on the treetops and fly down to a clay bank to eat the rich mineral soil. 

Your guides will provide details about the different species of parrots and parakeets and as you ride along the riverbanks you will encounter more species of birds.

Later, an Amazonian Kichua woman will welcome you to a local community center where you will learn about the kichua people in Amazonia. A visit to the 'chacra', their food and medicine garden will be followed by a visit to a traditional house. Here you will have the opportunity to buy local handicrafts.

Go back to the lodge for your well-deserved lunch.

Around 4.30 pm, leave for Garzacocha, one of the most beautiful lagoon in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

This afternoon is the opportunity to spot various species of monkeys and birds.

Sometimes, huge groups of squirrel monkeys join families of capuchin monkeys to gather food. Howler monkeys also like to spend the late afternoon around the lagoon, and with a little luck you might be graced by the presence of the pigmy marmoset, the smallest monkey in the world. 

On the way, look for toucans and hoatzins, an original-looking and interesting bird. 

At 6.30 pm, venture out on a new nocturnal excursion. 

Before dinner, you will be given all the necessary information about your departure procedure for the following morning. 

Early wake up call, breakfast and departure from the lodge as advised the night before. 

Motorized canoe ride upstream to go back to Coca, where our representative will take you to the airport and help you with your checked luggage and boarding passes.