From Quito, travel by road over the Andes to the frontier oil town of Lago Agrio, (currently there are no flights to Lago Agrio). From Lago Agrio, our private transportation will take you to the “Cuyabeno Bridge” (distance 100 km / 62 miles, travel time approx. 2 hours) where you will meet your guide. Depending on the organization, either have lunch here in a local restaurant or once you arrive at the lodge.

Afterward, you will be taken on a motorized canoe along the Cuyabeno River to Laguna Grande where Cuyabeno Lodge is located. During this river journey of approximately 2 hours, you will be able to observe the richness of the wildlife. Please keep in mind, depending on rainfall, the water levels of the river may rise and fall. During the drier seasons, the canoe may not reach the lodge directly. However, Cuyabeno Lodge staff will assist you with your belongings for the rest of the way if there is a need to walk. The walk would be an easy 15 - 20 minutes. After settling into your room at Cuyabeno Lodge, you and your guide will have a tour of the lagoon to observe animals, take a swim or enjoy the sunset on a canoe excursion.

After breakfast, you will walk through the “terra firme forest” and listen to your guide explaining the wildlife, medicinal forest plants, the forest ecosystem, and indigenous life. As you’re getting a close look at the jungle, pay attention to the small details as you might be able to see, for example, different species of ants that have perfected the organization of their colonies, tiny poisonous frogs hiding under the leaves, insects on the hunt for their next meal, or fungi that take over and kill small organisms like insects or spiders. All our guides are experts and will happily answer any question you might have.

You can relax in your room, in the hammocks, or on the dock before lunch. Later in the afternoon, you will explore more flooded parts of the forest by canoe. The fascinating macrolobium trees covered with abundant epiphytes are the most typical plant in this area. Try to spot monkeys and birds and look out for dolphins or anacondas.

After dinner, get your flashlight out and walk through the primary forest, looking for insects like giant grasshoppers, stick insects, praying mantes, and others that come out at night and are fascinating to see up close. If you are lucky (and quiet) you might see some of the other nocturnal jungle animals, like night monkeys, owls, and different kinds of rodents.

After waking up and having breakfast, you will visit a community of the Indigenous Siona. Follow the Cuyabeno River downstream for about 1.5 hours, of course always looking for wildlife, until you reach one of the three indigenous villages we work with and support with our visit. One of the women will give you a firsthand lesson on how to prepare the typical casave, a tortilla made from manioc. Start by harvesting the manioc in the family’s fields, before it gets cooked in a traditional kitchen over an open fire. Your guide will give you some explanations about the Indigenous people of the area, their history, and their way of life.

You will then return to the lodge for lunch with time in the afternoon for a nap or a refreshing swim in the Laguna Grande. After dinner, a special adventure awaits you: a nocturnal excursion by canoe, looking for caimans, snakes, and nocturnal birds.

On your last day before breakfast, you can enjoy a paddle to experience the pristine smoothness of the lagoon and listen to the exotic sounds of the Amazon wildlife as they awaken. When you return, you will have breakfast and then prepare to return to the Cuyabeno Bridge and continue to Lago Agrio.

* This itinerary is an example, actual activities or their times might vary. Activities can be adjusted according to group interests, weather and river conditions, and animal encounters.