Combine your experience at Galapagos Safari Camp with a three or four-night stay at La Selva Lodge. Situated on a tranquil lake just outside the Yasuní National Park, the lodge is a stone’s throw away from tributaries, lagoons and jungle trails bursting with wildlife — and boasts the only rainforest spa in Ecuador.
The below sample itinerary is just that, a sample. We are happy to change the order of activities and add days depending on your needs and interests as much as we can — just get in touch!
After a short 35-minute morning flight from Quito to Coca, your guide meets you and the 2-hour journey down the Rio Napo by motorized canoe begins. Once close to the lodge, the group changes to a paddle canoe for the rest of the trip.
After being shown to your rooms, the rest of the afternoon is free to explore and relax before dinner at 7:30 pm.
At the Tortoise Reserve, share some time in the giant tortoises’ natural habitat, surrounded by the abundant bird life of the area.End this day at Galapagos Safari Camp with a sunset cocktail followed by dinner.
During your first meal, you and your guide will discuss activities for the following day. After dinner, you are welcome to join a night wildlife walk or canoe ride near the lodge to see the nocturnal animals of the jungle.
After an early breakfast to ensure seeing the wildlife of the jungle during its most active time of the day, you have a choice of activities for the morning and afternoon. Outings return to the lodge for lunch and an early afternoon siesta before jumping in to the afternoon’s itinerary. Activities during the second half of the day tend to be more low-key than morning’s adventures. A satisfying dinner awaits as afternoon turns into evening. Guests are again welcome to join any available night excursion.
The weather plays an important factor in where you go and what you do. The lodge’s guides will let you know the best choices as the day unfolds.
| ⓘ For a rundown of available activities, take a look at the guide below. |
Rainforest Canopy Observation Tower
It’s a whole different world up there! The rainforest canopy is an ecosystem in and of itself. High up in the treetops, birds rule. The observation platform of our 120-foot high (37 meters) observation tower sits on top of a centuries-old tree, the platform offers a 360° view for world-class bird watching (and monkey-watching) any time of the day.
Parrot Clay Lick
Because of their diet, Amazonian parrots frequently need to eat salty clay to aid their digestion. Some of these famous “clay licks” are near to the lodge and are a favorite of our guests. On a good day, you can see hundreds of brightly-colored birds fluttering about the clay and squawking loudly all the while.
Community Cultural Visit
Several indigenous communities live near the La Selva Amazon Eco lodge. You might visit a local home or school, see some of the projects the locals are working on, try local foods and drinks, (roasted wood grubs, anyone?) and even shoot a blow dart gun! A highlight comes at the end of the tour, when guests have the opportunity to purchase hand-made handicraft souvenirs directly from the people of the community.
Canoe Rides in the Creeks and Garzacocha Lagoon
Bodies of water are often the best places to see wildlife in the Yasuní Biosphere Reserve. Our traditional, hand-paddled canoes are a great way to explore the lagoon and creeks that flow in and out of the lake.
You might see a paiche (a massive fish that occasionally likes to snap at the paddles), snakes (including the legendary anaconda), bats, any number of birds and monkeys, and much, much more. Relaxing and fun, many guests tell us that the canoe rides were their favorite part of their stay with us.
A favorite of kids! Night Canoe Ride
Your guides take the helm of a canoe armed with a spotlight; traversing the lagoon in search of caimans, snakes, bats, owls and anything else lurking around the lagoon in the darkness. They’ll try for a clear, cloudless night if possible, because the stargazing from the center of the lake in the Amazon night is truly memorable.
Explorer Kayaks
Kayaks are available for independently exploring Lake Garzacocha at your own pace.
Swimming in the Lake
Want to take a cooling dip in our freshwater lake? Feel free to suit up and jump in whenever you want: all we ask is that you let us know so we can have someone close by to keep an eye on you.
Night Walk
Many of the most interesting species near the lodge are nocturnal and can only be seen at night. Grab your flashlight and join your guide and fellow travelers on a brief walk to see toads, frogs, insects, bats, scorpions and other varmints that are invisible by day.
Trails
There is a network of trails in the area that you can hike with a guide and independently; which take you through primary rainforest, along paths where the rare Pygmy Marmoset live, and around the lodge to the nearby lagoon. The longest route takes five hours to hike, and goes to areas of the jungle where old-growth trees shade the ground and the larger animals of the area are often seen.
An early breakfast is served to make sure you reach Coca in time for your flight. You’ll depart the way you came: a canoe ride, followed by a short walk, and then a two-hour ride in the motorized canoe to Coca. An English-speaking member of our staff will accompany you. Once you reach Coca, you will be taken to the airport, checked in, and directed to the waiting room for your return flight to Quito.
La Selva regards themselves as one of the most kid-friendly lodges (5 years and up) in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
Younger children can immerse themselves in a junior naturalist program while older children can learn more about the rainforest through dozens of adventurous, outdoor activities.
During their stay, children will learn about different bird calls, about food that they can (and can’t!) eat in the jungle, how to paddle in a dug-out canoe, and perhaps most importantly of all, why the Amazon rainforest is so important and why we must do all we can to protect it.
La Selva has a Family Suite, comprising one king bed and two double beds.
