4 day itinerary

DAY 1

7:30 am
Arrival in Coca

Arrive by plane in Coca, and meet your private land transport  at the airport.

10:30 am
Arrival to Puerto Gregorio

Arrive at Puerto Gregorio where your motorized canoe driver and your local guide welcome you to your time with the Secoya. Your guide helps you board his motorized canoe, and helps you with your life jacket, and stashes your luggage in a safe compartment to keep it dry. Your seats are cushioned for extra comfort.  Before departure, guides give a brief introduction on the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, which borders the Secoya’s territory and is home to amazing flora and fauna. Enjoy a snack in the canoe as you head up river.

11:00 am
Botanical Garden

After a very short canoe ride up the Sushufindi River, you find yourself in the middle of a beautiful botanical garden where you relax in the shade of our thatched-roof interpretation Center. Here, your guide explains the extensive knowledge of the Secoya in the vast number of uses of the plants in their forest. Prepare for a short trek into the botanical garden to try to find the plants that were just described to you.

1:30 pm
Kayaking trip on the Aguarico River

After lunch, we prep you on safety and kayaking, then you climb into your own recreational kayak (custom-made for this river) to leisurely and peacefully paddle down the calm Shushufindi river. Look for wildlife, and enjoy the sounds of the jungle without a loud motor behind you. 

2:30 pm
Arrive at the mouth of the Aguarico River

The Shushufindi opens up onto the much wider Agurarico river. You leave your one-manned boat and transfer back into the canoe where you are taken downriver to the Lodge itself.

3:30 pm
Arrival at the Lodge

After a 40-minute canoe ride, you arrive at the Secoya Lodge, located meters above sea level. Local staff welcomes you and offer you a light snack and fresh fruit juice. After the welcome, you are shown to your room to settle in. Take the afternoon to relax after your busy day.

6:30 pm
Candlelight Dinner

Dinner is served by candlelight in the restaurant where your guide gives you a briefing on the following days' activities.

DAY 2

7:30 am
Breakfast

A fresh breakfast of local fruits, coffee and the opportunity to try Yokó (a local energy drink). 

8:00 am
Hike through the Cuyabeno Reserve

After breakfast, we take a short canoe ride to the Cultural Interpretation Center downriver. Depart on a 3 km trek deep into the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve to experience the park's primary rain forest. The Cuyabeno Reserve is home to an incredible number of species living within its borders. This 603,380 square kilometer area supports 494 known species of birds, 450 species of fish, 96 species of amphibians, 91 species of reptiles, and an array of mammals ranging from armadillos to jaguars.

11:00 am
Arrival at the Cultural Interpretation Center

After a long walk, sit and rest in the Cultural Interpretation Center. Here, you are able to relax, enjoy some water, and learn about the lives of your Secoya hosts.

2:00 pm
Cultural Activity

Travel by canoe to different points up and down the Aguarico River to experience a combination of the following activities: traditional face painting; a look at how Casave, the Secoya's most important meal, is made; mud collection for pottery; and a small tour around a community member’s land. See how the Secoya use every inch of earth for something productive and sustainable. Of course, all of these activities depend on the availability of each family and its members, as to not disrupt their lives.

4:30 pm
Return to the Lodge

After an afternoon of sharing the Secoya culture, return to the Lodge to rest and relax before dinner.

6:30 pm
Candlelight Dinner

Recount the day's experiences at another candlelight dinner at the restaurant.

8:00 pm
Legends by the fire

After dinner, sit down around a fire and listen to your local guide tell his people’s history - how they arrived on the shores of the Aguarico, where they came from, and the legends his people tell.

DAY 3

5:30 am
Yocó and bird watching

An early wake up deserves the Jungle energy drink of the Secoya. This drink made of water and bark from a certain tree will give you a special kick to start your day.  Take a morning walk and witness the forest waking up. The birds are most active at this time of day, and seeing the forest in the morning light gives you a different look. If you feel like sleeping a little more, this activity is optional.

6:45 am
Arrival back at the Lodge

Arrive back at the lodge and get ready for breakfast.

8:30 am
Walk and morning activities

This morning, we will be going on a hike to a sector called the “cuadrante”. Here, you will walk through an area where a local NGO is working on marking and studying the growth trends of trees in the area. Explore and learn about each tree, its history, and any special medicinal or other uses the Secoya have for it. As we move forward, we learn several survival techniques. The guide shows us the best plants to eat, where to find water in the forest, and other tips on how to survive the forest. On our way back out of the trail, you will stop by a natural pool where the Secoya raise fish to eat and sell. This is just one of the many ways the Secoya utilize their land in a productive way.

11:30 am
Beach time!

Return to the Lodge and hop in the canoe to go to a nearby beach where you can go for a swim and lay in the jungle sun.

1:00 pm
Lunch

Come back from the bank of the river to a delicious lunch.

3:30 pm
Sustainable Agriculture

After lunch and a nap in the afternoon, take the canoe up river to visit a typical piece of land. The Secoya manage their land in very sustainable and efficient ways. Visit a small piece of land that has banana, corn, a chicken farm, fish pools, and so much more. It is truly incredible to witness such productivity on such a small tract of land. It helps you realize how valuable the land truly is and the importance of protecting it against big oil and African palm plantations.

5:00 pm
Monkey Sun Downer

After this visit, take the canoe up river to have a sunset cocktail on the canoe as you watch for the local monkeys. This “monkey sun downer” allows you to sit back and enjoy a drink as you listen and look as several different species of monkeys come back to their place of rest after a day in the forest hunting. Relax and watch the families of monkeys settle down for the night. The beautiful sun will be setting up river and makes for a wonderful photo opportunity.

Photo Credit:  SPAJO Producciones

6:00 pm
Tree Planting Ceremony

One tradition at the Secoya Lodge is that every visitor plants a tree to signify the absolute ones that exist between human and nature. Leave a part of yourself in the protected lands of the Secoya forever.

7:00 pm
Dinner at Lodge

Enjoy your last dinner here at the Lodge. The famous and delicious smoked chicken will be prepared for you. Enjoy this delicious traditional dish with your companions on your last night at the Lodge.

8:30 pm
Night Walk

Observe the forest in a third and final light…from your flashlight or headlamp. Take a night walk in the forest and listen to more than watch the amazing sounds of the forest.

DAY 4

7:30 am
Breakfast

Enjoy your last breakfast with the Secoya.

9:00 am
Final Farewell

After a final good bye, the return trip begins in the same river, traveling 45 minutes in a motorized canoe to Puerto Gregorio where private land transportation awaits them.

9:30 am 
Leave the Lodge

Take the canoe up river 45 minutes back to Puerto Gregorio where the private land transport will be waiting.

1:30 pm
Arrival at Coca

Arrive at the airport in Coca where you will check in and fly back to Quito.