La Selva Lodge

At the end of the motorized canoe ride, you will be dropped off at La Selva’s main dock and your first close encounter with the rainforest begins and the final leg of the trip to the lodge will be completed in a paddle canoe. The only thing you must take care of during this part of the trip is your carry-on and camera equipment, all other luggage will be transported by La Selva staff. The manager will be waiting to greet you with a refreshing juice, snacks and a short briefing with general information about your stay at La Selva.

In the afternoon you will visit the Matapalo Trail. This trail was given the Spanish name of the famous Strangler fig, one of many remarkable trees that you can find on this short walk. Mahogany trees over 400 years old can be seen and your guides will share their knowledge of the flora and fauna. Due to the time of day there is great natural light and the diurnal and nocturnal animals are beginning their daily transitional activities.

After breakfast you can visit the Observation Tower/Tucaneta or Mandi Forest. After a 20 minute walk the observation tower comes into sight. This amazing construction will allow you to climb 120 ft above the forest. Your Naturalist and Native guides will help you spot the colorful birds of the Amazon, maybe even certain primates. On the way back from the tower there is the option of taking the Tucaneta Trail where your Native Guide can show you some of the medicinal plants still in use today and your Naturalist Guide will provide you with interesting info on the ecology and natural history of the Amazon.

There is also the option of visiting the beautiful lagoon of Mandi Cocha. A hike of about 1 hour takes you to the lagoon where an Igapo Forest is present, meaning that the forest is temporarily flooded by black water. Different species of birds and even giant otters can be seen here.

In the afternoon after lunch visit the Charapa Trail that goes on for about an hour beginning at the lodge and ending by the edge of the lagoon. It is a great loop where different mammals, monkeys and birds can be seen that come closer to the lagoon at this time looking for food. It is also perfect for witnessing an Amazonian sunset from the water in the canoe. At night, with the help of a spot light your guides will take you around the lagoon via canoe looking for nighttime wildlife. This is also a great opportunity for star gazing!

Today you will make your way back to the Napo River and take a motorized canoe ride to the clay licks, one of the most fascinating displays of the wild world. Hundreds of parrots and parakeets gather here to eat the mineral rich soil, an important part of their diet. Binoculars are essential to really capture the moment. After the clay licks we will take you to experience our Cultural Activity. An Amazonian Kichua woman will welcome you at their community center to share their life of the Kichua’s in the Amazon. This is special because it is part of the Amazon you do not find on the maps and provides the special and unique opportunity to really get to learn more about the people of the Amazon.

After lunch you will visit the Garzacocha Lagoon. This is one of the most beautiful lagoons in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Here there are many chances to see monkeys and birds and sometimes families of squirrel monkeys join capuchin monkeys looking for food. The tremendous calls of the Howler monkeys can be heard in the afternoon and the smallest monkey in the world, the Pigmy Marmoset can be seen here too. Plenty of birds like the Hoatzin, toucans or macaws can also be seen flying overhead.

We give you the chance to enjoy the creatures and sounds of the Amazon Jungle on a night walk, where we will surely encounter unique and amazing things. Make sure you bring a headlamp for this fantastic experience. Afterwards, our manager will provide you all the necessary information about your departure procedure for the next morning

After breakfast. The lodge staff will assist you with your checked luggage and the motorized canoe ride will head upstream back to Coca, where our representatives will take you to the airport to help you with your checked luggage and boarding passes.

At the end of the motorized canoe ride, you will be dropped off at La Selva’s main dock and your first close encounter with the rainforest begins and the final leg of the trip to the lodge will be completed in a paddle canoe. The only thing you must take care of during this part of the trip is your carry-on and camera equipment, all other luggage will be transported by La Selva staff. The manager will be waiting to greet you with a refreshing juice, snacks and a short briefing with general information about your stay at La Selva.

In the afternoon you will visit the Matapalo Trail. This trail was given the Spanish name of the famous Strangler fig, one of many remarkable trees that you can find on this short walk. Mahogany trees over 400 years old can be seen and your guides will share their knowledge of the flora and fauna. Due to the time of day there is great natural light and the diurnal and nocturnal animals are beginning their daily transitional activities.

After breakfast you can visit the Observation Tower/Tucaneta or Mandi Forest. After a 20 minute walk the observation tower comes into sight. This amazing construction will allow you to climb 120 ft above the forest. Your Naturalist and Native guides will help you spot the colorful birds of the Amazon, maybe even certain primates. On the way back from the tower there is the option of taking the Tucaneta Trail where your Native Guide can show you some of the medicinal plants still in use today and your Naturalist Guide will provide you with interesting info on the ecology and natural history of the Amazon.

There is also the option of visiting the beautiful lagoon of Mandi Cocha. A hike of about 1 hour takes you to the lagoon where an Igapo Forest is present, meaning that the forest is temporarily flooded by black water. Different species of birds and even giant otters can be seen here.

In the afternoon after lunch visit the Charapa Trail that goes on for about an hour beginning at the lodge and ending by the edge of the lagoon. It is a great loop where different mammals, monkeys and birds can be seen that come closer to the lagoon at this time looking for food. It is also perfect for witnessing an Amazonian sunset from the water in the canoe. At night, with the help of a spot light your guides will take you around the lagoon via canoe looking for nighttime wildlife. This is also a great opportunity for star gazing!

Today you will make your way back to the Napo River and take a motorized canoe ride to the clay licks, one of the most fascinating displays of the wild world. Hundreds of parrots and parakeets gather here to eat the mineral rich soil, an important part of their diet. Binoculars are essential to really capture the moment. After the clay licks we will take you to experience our Cultural Activity. An Amazonian Kichua woman will welcome you at their community center to share their life of the Kichua’s in the Amazon. This is special because it is part of the Amazon you do not find on the maps and provides the special and unique opportunity to really get to learn more about the people of the Amazon.

After lunch the Coto Trail is a fantastic walk that takes off from the lodge to the edge of the Garzacocha Lagoon. In the afternoon the light from the sun will come from behind most of the time, making this walk an amazing experience and the perfect opportunity to enjoy the beauty of this amazing forest. Groups of black-mantled tamarin monkeys can be spotted on this walk and some of our groups have even seen tapirs too. Your Naturalist Guide is going to explain about all the different creatures that can be found and our Native Guide will show you some of the medical plants that they have been using for thousands of years. A canoe ride back to the lodge makes a great ending for this activity.

Go to an exotic trip into deep wilderness on this adventure. We will walk through an amazing primary forest for around 3 to 4 hours beginning at our main dock back at the Napo River. In this type of ecosystem there are chances to find some of the biggest mammals of the rainforest, like peccaries or wild pigs, deer or tapir. Eventually we will reach the lagoon of Mandi Cocha. Here we get into a fiberglass canoe and paddle through the amazing Igapo Forest. This is a temporary flooded black water forest. Here we might see different species of birds and some of our guests, who are extra lucky, may encounter the elusive giant otter.

After lunch you will visit the Garzacocha Lagoon this is one of the most beautiful lagoons in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Here there are many chances to see monkeys and birds. Sometimes families of squirrel monkeys join capuchin monkeys looking for food. The tremendous calls of the Howler monkeys can be heard in the afternoon and the smallest monkey in the world, the Pigmy Marmoset can be seen here too. Plenty of birds like the Hoatzin, toucans or macaws can also be seen flying overhead.

We give you the chance to enjoy the creatures and sounds of the Amazon Jungle on a night walk. Sometimes we can see amazing things during this activity. Make sure you bring a flashlight for this fantastic experience. Afterwards, our manager will provide you all the necessary information about your departure procedure for the next morning

After breakfast. The lodge staff will assist you with your checked luggage and the motorized canoe ride will head upstream back to Coca, where our representatives will take you to the airport to help you with your checked luggage and boarding passes.