Ecuador Travel

Francisco de Orellana

Coca, the capital of the Orellana province, became important after petroleum was discovered in the area during the 1980s. It has recently undergone renovations that make it more appealing to visitors. In close proximity to the Yasuni National Park, Coca is an excellent staring point for eco-friendly travelers looking to stay at one of the many eco-lodges in the city’s vicinity.

The 56,000-hectares of protected forest known as Pañacocha can be found in the space between two of Ecuador’s largest parks: the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve and the Yasuní National Park. Literally meaning “Lake of the Piranhas,” the Pañacocha reserve offers excellent opportunities for fishing, camping, hiking, kayaking and eco-tourism. Tours leading through the biologically diverse forests of Pañacocha can be arranged in Coca or Nuevo Rocafuerte. There is also a riverside community that shares its name with the reserve.

The Yuturi Biological Reserve sits near the Pañacocha Reserve,which is five hours from Coca. The reserve is interwoven with endless rivers, a wide variety of wildlife and a number of indigenous communities. Tours run out of the Yuturi Eco-Lodge, one of a handful of lodges in the area, include canoeing, hiking, bird watching, medicinal plant tours, fishing and wildlife watching. Guides even run night tours to give visitors a chance to see caimans and piranhas in their natural habitat. Reservations can be booked in Quito or Coca.

The border town of Nueva Rocafuerte is a less common entryway into Peru. Most people choose not to cross here because there aren’t many lodging and dining options. Only the real adventurers make the more than ten-hour journey up the Napo River from Coca. There aren’t a lot of amenities here, so if you do plan to pass through, make sure that you are prepared with the proper supplies. Riverboat tours are often the most convenient way to access Peru through Nueva Rocafuerte.

The trip from Coca, Ecuador to Iquitos, Peru, on the Napo River is a wild adventure. While the journey will bring travelers deep into the jungle and give them a taste of what it’s really like to travel like the natives do, those who decide to embark on such a quest must be patient. While it’s possible to pay locals for rides on their peke peke motor canoes from Coca to Nueva Rocafuerte, and on through to Iquitos, don’t expect luxury or predictable schedules. An easier option would be to book a river tour through an agency in Coca. There are also a few more comfortable riverboat cruises, like the Manatee Riverboat, that make the trip, though most don’t travel through to Iquitos.

Pastaza

A great place to start in the province of Pastaza is the city of Puyo, where locals and visitors alike have direct access to the Yasuni and Llanganates National Parks, both of which are excellent places to view wildlife and explore the jungle environment.

Located just three kilometers south of Puyo is the famous Jardín Botánico Los Orquídeas. The garden is home to a variety of orchids along with hundreds of other plant species. With profits made from garden visits, organizers hope to promote environmental education, protection, scientific research and community development.

Those interested in community tourism should look into a trip to the Kichwa community of Cotococha in the region of Puyupungo. Here, local families open up and provide tourists with a glimpse into local cultures and traditions. This is a great opportunity to watch artistic demonstrations and performances and to learn more about the history and environment of this region of the Amazon. Trips to the community are best organized through a local guide, lodge or tourism agency.

Morona Santiago

The capital city of the Morona Santiago province is Macas, a city that most tourists will bus or fly into, (just 45 minutes away from Quito) to access the jungle regions of the Sangay National Park, one of UNESCO’s Natural Heritage sites, which has notable activities and attractions, including the Sangay active volcano erupting.

Straddling the border of the Morona Santiago and Sucumbios provinces is the land of the native Achuar and Shuar peoples, whose territory extends over nearly two million acres. Packaged deals at the Kapawi Eco-lodge (located near the confluence of the Kapawari and Pastaza Rivers in the Sucumbios Province) include meals, accommodation, transportation and native guides. Offered activities include bird watching, hiking, canoeing, swimming, tubing, kayaking, fishing, camping, and cultural community visits. Eco-lodges such as this one are well suited for those who enjoy adventure, but prefer not to leave a large footprint.

Visitors exploring the rainforests of the Morona Santiago province should not miss the glacier-peaked Sangay Volcano, which is one of Ecuador’s most active volcanoes. On one side of the volcano are endless lowlands of thick jungle, while the contrasting western side is covered with drier flatlands and carved out canyons. Although the volcano hasn’t had any recent eruptions, it has been known to frequently spew ash, smoke and even lava. Many guides and tourism agencies offer treks to the top of Sangay, but such trips are dependent on the volcano’s current activity. The climb from the base camp to the summit takes six to seven hours.

La Cueva de los Tayos is a natural limestone and shale cave in the Ecuadorian Andes. The cave’s largest access point is a 70 meter deep tunnel that brave explorers must rappel down into in order to reach the cave floor. Legend says that the miles of cavernous tunnels, first believed to be explored by the Achuar natives, lead to a secret cave room filled with gold left by a lost civilization. While visitors can explore the caves with local guides and tours, certain areas require more advanced equipment and spelunking expertise.

Zamora Chinchipe

The Podocarpus National Park of the Zamora Chinchipe and Loja provinces of Ecuador draws in nature lovers from across the globe, because of the varied plant life. The park is also known for its many waterfalls and lagoons.

Due to the relatively recent discovery of gold in the area, smaller cities like Yantzaza have significantly increased in size over the past few decades. Yantzaza, a mining town, has a number of hotels and restaurants available to visitor. The most notable attraction offered by the city is the Yantzaza Valley or, Valley of the Fireflies. With its proximity to the Peruvian border, some travelers will pass through the small town on their journey north from Peru.

Zamora, another mining town, is located in the Andean foothills alongside the convergence of the Zamora, Bombuscaro and Jamboé rivers. Many travelers use the city as a base to explore the tropical cloud forests and lowland jungles of the Podocarpus National Park. The city offers a number of hotels and guide agencies. Most tours are eco-friendly and community tourism with the local Sharaguro and Shuar people can easily be arranged.

A fun activity in the town of Zamora is a visit to the Refugio Ecológico Tzanka, a wildlife rescue center where visitors can see animals like monkeys, parrots, capybaras and snakes that are unable to survive in the wild. Sadly, animal trafficking has left many of these animals abandoned and helpless. The center also serves as a family friendly lodge with cabins, hot water, television and recreational activities.

The beautiful Nangaritza region, named for the river that flows within it, is an area covered by rainforests and dotted by stunning canyons like the Miazi and the Shaime. There is an estimated 350 bird species here, including the oilbirds, kingfishers, hummingbirds, parrots and the much sought after orange-throated tanager. Visitors to the area should also check out the Labyrinth of One Thousand Illusions, a bizarre rock formation carves out by seawaters millions of years ago.

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