Yasuní & Jungle Lodges
Yasuní National Park — The Crown of Biodiversity
The Yasuní National Park (9,820 km², UNESCO Biosphere Reserve) is considered the most biodiverse place on Earth. The numbers are simply staggering: on a single hectare, more tree species grow here than in all of North America, over 600 bird species, 170 mammal species, 100,000 insect species, and more than 2,000 plant species live here. At the same time, Yasuní is home to the Waorani and two of the last uncontacted peoples in the world (Tagaeri and Taromenane).
Access to Yasuní is almost exclusively via lodges, which are reachable downstream from Coca by motorized canoe. The lodges are situated in the midst of primary rainforest and offer programs with:
- Guided jungle hikes — With indigenous guides who know every plant and animal. You learn about medicinal plants, hunting techniques, and the rainforest ecosystem.
- Canoe trips — In dugouts (canoa) through flooded forests and on black lagoons. At dusk: caiman spotting with flashlights.
- Parrot clay licks — At certain clay cliffs, hundreds of parrots and macaws gather to feed on minerals. An incredible spectacle in the morning hours.
- Canopy observation towers — Some lodges have towers (up to 40 m) from which you can overlook the rainforest from above and observe birds at eye level.
- Night excursions — The rainforest comes alive at night. Search for frogs, spiders, snakes, and night monkeys with a headlamp.
Lodge Types
- Budget Lodges (from Tena) — 3 days/2 nights from 150–250 USD all-inclusive. Simple but authentic. Perfect for backpackers. Usually on the edge of the rainforest (secondary forest).
- Mid-range Lodges — 4 days/3 nights from 400–800 USD all-inclusive. Comfortable rooms, good guides, located deeper in the forest. Examples: Cuyabeno Lodge, La Selva.
- Premium Lodges (from Coca/Yasuní) — 4–5 days from 800–2,000 USD all-inclusive. Luxury in the heart of the primary rainforest, with observation towers and the best guides. Examples: Napo Wildlife Center (community-owned by the Kichwa), Sacha Lodge, La Selva Amazon Ecolodge.
Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve
North of Yasuní lies the Cuyabeno Reserve — less known but equally spectacular. Particularly famous for its flooded forests and the beautiful Laguna Grande, where you can paddle among submerged tree trunks while pink river dolphins surface beside the canoe. The lodges tend to be somewhat cheaper than in Yasuní.
