Few places conjure up such vivid imagery, such rugged mystique and caprice, as the Amazon jungle. With unparalleled biodiversity (and biomass), much of it still unknown, and tribes that have interwoven their survival with the rainforest over thousands of years, the Amazon is unmistakably like no other place on Earth. In Ecuador, La Amazonia covers nearly half the country’s surface area yet contains a mere 5% or less of the population.

Our gateway to the jungle will be the town of Coca on the Napo River, a major tributary of the Amazon. Journeying several hours by motorized canoe down the Napo, we’ll be on the lookout for river otters, potoos, kingfishers, hoatzins, jacamars, hawks, and monkeys, while taking in the sights and sounds of these fabled wilds. For two days after arriving at our jungle lodge we’ll venture out to explore the treasures of the rainforest by foot or dugout canoe, embarking in small groups with naturalist guides. We might watch for birds such as parrots, herons, toucans, and osprey; hike the forest trails, marveling at the intoxicatingly rich array of plant species; visit indigenous local communities and wildlife observation towers; and tour the butterfly breeding house or canopy walkway.

Itinerary-at-a-Glance

Day 1: Quito to the Amazon • Days 2 & 3: explore the Amazon rainforest on foot or in dugout canoe, using the jungle lodge as base; activities can include forest hikes, bird watching, canoe excursions on lakes and creeks, local native community visits, canopy walks, butterfly breeding house visits, observation towers, etc • Day 4: Return to Coca, fly to Quito.