Project History

Secoya Remolino has been involved in tourism for the last 5 years. With the support of Fundación VIHOMA, the Secoya were the beneficiaries of a past USAID project called CAIMAN and of an ECOFUND/FAN project, with which they built two interpretation centers, a botanical garden, a bird observation tower, and an interpretation trail.

The previous program provided a wonderful base and infrastructure for the Secoya, but the destination still lacked several key elements to make it successful. For example, the community of Secoya Remolino is located deep up the Aguarico River, making it difficult for tourists to take day trips to visit the area. 

To address this, Fundación VIHOMA, with the support of ECOFUND/FAN, WCS/USAID and the Ecuadorian Sustainable Tourism Alliance, a USAID funded project, supported the community of Siecoya Remolino to develop a micro enterprise that organizes tours, provides lodging, and offers other tourism services to clients. 

The project has developed a business plan, helped build lodging, and trained community members in management, guiding, lodging, and food preparation.  With these newly acquired skills, the community of Secoya Remolino can utilize old and new infrastructure to create a fully operational small business that offers a unique and culturally rich experience to its clients.