The Cuyabeno Wildlife Production Reserve is located in Sucumbíos Province, in the northeastern part of Ecuador’s Amazon region. Covering 590,112 hectares, it is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. The reserve is home to several endangered species, including the famous pink river dolphin and unique birds such as the Hoatzin and the region’s eagle, which boasts an impressive wingspan of up to two and a half meters.

After traveling by bus directly to the Cuyabeno Bridge, we will take a motorized canoe to our lodge for breakfast and some rest. After lunch, we will go on a short acclimatization walk along the Ceibos Trail. Upon returning, we will prepare our tents and the rest of the logistics for the following day’s journey. Dinner and overnight stay at Cuyabeno River Lodge.

After a quick breakfast, we will board the canoes that we will use for the next four days to move through the Reserve. We will start traveling up the Cuyabeno River until we reach Paso del Tigre, where we will take a short two-hour hike, with the chance of spotting peccaries. When we return to the canoe, we will have the opportunity to fish for piranhas, and then continue deeper into the rainforest until we reach the Canangueno Lagoon. At night, we will go on a nocturnal walk to look for caimans; we will spend the night at the lagoon. (As a reference point: We can also camp at Paso del Tigre.)

(Optional: We can also organize early morning walks for birdwatching.)
After breakfast, we will board our canoe to enjoy the incredible flora and fauna of Cuyabeno. We will navigate along the river until reaching Laguna Grande, home to numerous species such as pink and gray river dolphins, river turtles, and the elusive anaconda.

We will look for a suitable place to have lunch and rest before continuing our journey along the Cuyabeno River. Later, we will arrive at the Siona community in Puerto Bolívar, where we will learn about their traditions and take part in the preparation of yuca bread, also known as casabe, an authentic cultural experience.

In the late afternoon, we will continue downstream to our campsite, where we will spend the night surrounded by the magic of the Amazon rainforest.

We will travel along the river until we reach Montufar, where we will take a short walk through this nearly untouched part of Cuyabeno and enjoy birdwatching along the river. We will camp in Montufar and spend the night there.

On the last day, we will have an early breakfast and return to Cuyabeno River Lodge by motorized canoe. With some luck, we may spot wildlife that we didn’t get to see during our journey deeper into the Reserve. Upon arrival at the lodge, we will have lunch and rest for a while. At 6:00 pm, we will head to the Cuyabeno Bridge to catch the bus back to Quito at 6:30 pm.