ECUADOR’S MIGHTY AMAZON
Explore the jungle-lined channels of the narrow, meandering Rio Napo by canoe, for birdwatching, animal spotting and memorable encounters with indigenous people.
WHY IT’S SPECIAL
The headlands of the Amazon in Ecuador are known to botanists and butterfly experts around the world as a biodiversity hotspot. A great maze of rivers and streams feeds long, meandering tributaries such as the Napo and Putumayo, which have their sources up in the Andes. The lesser rivers, which traverse dense jungle, are ideal for motor-canoe journeys, and the focus here is on jungle walks and human-powered paddling into the tree-lined channels.
The Napo, in Ecuador’s Oriente region, is the home of the Huaorani people – one of very few extant indigenous cultures found close to the riverbanks. Accessed overland from Coca, a hub for the petrochemical industry and something of a Wild West town, or by means of short flights in prop planes, are a handful of comfortable riverside lodges managed by indigenous co-ops or eco-minded operators, providing handy bases for an encounter with the extraordinary local people – and the rainforest, their ancient home.
The Yasuni National Park, on the south bank of the Napo is home to hundreds of bird species. It’s a major site for Amazonian mammals, including monkeys, marmosets and squirrels, and is of global importance for the variety of its bat and amphibian species. To the north of the river, the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, with the Río Aguarico slicing through its heart – is harder to access and consequently more pristine. Freshwater dolphins and endangered river otters inhabit the waters close to the Peruvian border. A dizzying variety of palms, guavas and native trees make up the more than 200 tree species per hectare.
YOU’LL NEVER FORGET…
The tree-climbing talents, spear and blowpipe-shooting skills, medicinal knowledge and keen eyes of the native Amazonians – if there’s a shy, tiny bird up there in the canopy, you can bet they’ll see it.
INSIDER TIP The main roads into the Oriente from Quito pass through either Papallacta Hot Springs and the Antisana volcano or the town of Baños – Ecuador’s premier resort town, known for its spas, rafting, canyoning and kayaking, hiking, mountain biking and horse riding trails.
HOW TO DO IT
Steppes Travel’s (01258 787501, steppes travel.com) 11-day Highlights of Ecuador, Highlands and Amazon tailor-made itinerary combines stays in Quito and Cuenca with three nights at Sacha Lodge, on the banks of Lake Pilchicocha. From £3,995pp, including private guide, accommodation and all flights.