The Cuyabeno Lodge is the only overnight facility on the Great Cuyabeno Lake. Created and owned by Neotropic Turis in 1989, it was the first ecotourism lodge in a wildlife reserve in Ecuador. The Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve is the best wildlife viewing reserve on the mainland of Ecuador.
Cuyabeno Rainforest Adventure: Example Itinerary:
Alto Cuyabeno
Below is a 5-day sample itinerary for guests wanting to use the Cuyabeno Lodge as their base to see the reserve.Days can be added and itineraries/activities can be adjusted according to the group interest. Families are encouraged and welcome. Special arrangements can be made for long-term visitors, student groups and researchers.
Alto Cuyabeno Day 1: Quito - Lago Agrio - Rió Cuyabeno - Laguna GrandeFly or drive over the Andes to the oil town of Lago Agrio. Continue by private transportation to the entrance of the Cuyabeno Reserve at the bridge of the Cuyabeno River. Load your luggage onto a dugout-motorized canoe and follow the winding Cuyabeno River to the Laguna Grande, the largest lagoon in the Cuyabeno reserve, also the site of the Cuyabeno Lodge.
Day 2: Explore the Flooded Forest via foot and canoe Rise at dawn to birdwatch before breakfast and spot river dolphins. After breakfast a trek through terra firma forest with your naturalist guide to explore plants and wildlife. Your guide will teach you about the forest, medicinal plants and local folklore. After lunch and a siesta you will take a trip by dugout canoe to the flooded igapo with macrolobium trees covered with abundant epiphytes to spot the active monkeys and birds in the afternoon. Day 3:After breakfast journey down the Cuyabeno river followed by a short trek through terra firma to reach the Siona village with picnic lunch served by our cook. You will return to the lodge late afternoon for a siesta or a refreshing swim in Laguna Grande. After dinner, a nocturnal excursion to spot caimans and nocturnal birds.
Day 4: Optional early birdwatching. After breakfast a rainforest walk to explore plant and wildlife, medicinal plants, and track animals. In the afternoon excursion to explore smaller lakes.
Day 5: Cuyabeno – Lago Agrio – Quito Following an early breakfast journey up the river to the bridge where our vehicle will take you back to Lago Agrio. Return to Quito either by bus or by air.
Prices include: Return transportation Lago Agrio – Cuyabeno Lodge; accommodation and meals including vegetarian food at the Lodge; purified drinking water; use of rain ponchos and rubber boots (up to size 47) and tours with bilingual-naturalist guides accompanied in the canoe by a native canooist.
Price does not include: Cuyabeno park fee ($20), tips, additional beverages and transportation Quito – Lago Agrio – Quito.
Bajo Cuyabeno Lagartococha - Imuya
Alto Cuyabeno
Below is a 5-day sample itinerary for guests wanting to use the Cuyabeno Lodge as their base to see the reserve.Days can be added and itineraries/activities can be adjusted according to the group interest. Families are encouraged and welcome. Special arrangements can be made for long-term visitors, student groups and researchers.
Alto Cuyabeno Day 1: Quito - Lago Agrio - Rió Cuyabeno - Laguna GrandeFly or drive over the Andes to the oil town of Lago Agrio. Continue by private transportation to the entrance of the Cuyabeno Reserve at the bridge of the Cuyabeno River. Load your luggage onto a dugout-motorized canoe and follow the winding Cuyabeno River to the Laguna Grande, the largest lagoon in the Cuyabeno reserve, also the site of the Cuyabeno Lodge.
Day 2: Explore the Flooded Forest via foot and canoe Rise at dawn to birdwatch before breakfast and spot river dolphins. After breakfast a trek through terra firma forest with your naturalist guide to explore plants and wildlife. Your guide will teach you about the forest, medicinal plants and local folklore. After lunch and a siesta you will take a trip by dugout canoe to the flooded igapo with macrolobium trees covered with abundant epiphytes to spot the active monkeys and birds in the afternoon. Day 3:After breakfast journey down the Cuyabeno river followed by a short trek through terra firma to reach the Siona village with picnic lunch served by our cook. You will return to the lodge late afternoon for a siesta or a refreshing swim in Laguna Grande. After dinner, a nocturnal excursion to spot caimans and nocturnal birds.
Day 4: Optional early birdwatching. After breakfast a rainforest walk to explore plant and wildlife, medicinal plants, and track animals. In the afternoon excursion to explore smaller lakes.
Day 5: Cuyabeno – Lago Agrio – Quito Following an early breakfast journey up the river to the bridge where our vehicle will take you back to Lago Agrio. Return to Quito either by bus or by air.
Prices include: Return transportation Lago Agrio – Cuyabeno Lodge; accommodation and meals including vegetarian food at the Lodge; purified drinking water; use of rain ponchos and rubber boots (up to size 47) and tours with bilingual-naturalist guides accompanied in the canoe by a native canooist.
Price does not include: Cuyabeno park fee ($20), tips, additional beverages and transportation Quito – Lago Agrio – Quito.
Bajo Cuyabeno Lagartococha - Imuya
The lakes Imuya and Iripari seem to disappear in the largeness of the rainforest. Those lakes are situated in the Cuyabeno National Park and belong to the lakesystem Lagartococha which encompasses 30 blackwater lagoons. In the amazonas bassin they are the last retreatment areas for flora and fauna. The area due to the closeness to the Andes has the greatest plant and animal variety of the whole Ecuadorian amazon forest. Jaguars, tapirs, sloths, different species of monkeys and hundreds of different kinds of birds, that still live untouched by humans in the primary rainforest, have their home here. Every single lagoon has its own ecosystem, that provides the living base for the pink river-dolphin, the huge arapaimafish, 4 different species of caimans, piranhas and anacondas. A special phenomenon of the lake Imuya are the swimming islands, on which parts of the rainforest mystiriously move from one part to the other.
Day 1: Quito - Lago Agrio - Aguarico river Flight to Lago Agrio (25 minutes) and transfer by bus to Chiritza (one hour aprox.) With a canoe you will follow the Aguarico river downstream 3-4 hours until reaching the Aguarico-Camp, which is operated by native inhabitants (Quichuas). After dinner you will go on a nightwalk through the jungle.
Day 2: Aguarico Camp - ZancudoEarly in the morning you will go out to watch birds and after breakfast start a tour to explore the river in a canoe. In the evening you will reach the Zancudo Quichua Camp and stay there overnight.
Day 3: Zancudo Camp - Lagartococha river - Imuya lagoonYou will go downstream the Lagartococha River until you reach the Imuya lagoon. In the afternoon you will go out with the canoe to watch out for the legendary pink river dolphins. In the night you will again go out with the canoe, this time to spot caimans. Overnight stay in tents on the shore of the Imuya lagoon.
Day 4: Imuya lagoon - Aguarico river - Sabalo communityMorning walk through the jungle. After that you leave your camp and follow the Auguarico river. Overnightstay in the village of the Sabalo community.
Day 5: Sabalo community - Cuyabeno river - Cuyabeno Lodge Bird watching in the morning. After lunch you will follow the Cuyabeno river and have the opportunity to observe the flora and fauna from the canoe. Overnight stay in the Cuyabeno Lodge (Ecolodge at the Laguna Grande).
Day 6: Lagoon system in Cuyabeno Jungle-walks and canoe tours in the Laguna Grande area. Additional overnight stay in the Cuyabeno Lodge.
Day 7: Cuyabeno - QuitoIn the morning you will go upstream to “El Puente”. From there you will be brought to Lago Agrio by bus (2,5 hrs.)and then fly back to Quito.
Packing ListBinoculars (invaluable in the rainforest - it's worth spending a bit of extra money to get a good pair: 8 x 40 are excellent for poor light conditions under the forest canopy)
Flashlight
Insect repellent (with DEET)
Birds of Colombia and/or Common Birds of Amazonian Ecuador books for birdwatchers.
Lightweight quick drying clothes:
Swimming suit
At least one long-sleeved shirt
One pair of loose-fitting, fast drying pants (no jeans);
A sweater (as during nights and especially on the canoe tours it can get cold)
A light sweater (it gets surprisingly chilly in the rainforest, especially on boat trips)
At least 1 pair of clean socks for each day
Cap
Shorts and
Tennis shoes
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