DAY 1

7:30 am
Arrival in Coca

Arrive by plane to Coca, and be met by the private land transport at the Airport.

10:30 am
Arrival to Puerto Gregorio

You will arrive to Puerto Gregorio and be welcomed by the motorized canoe driver and your local guide to continue your journey with the Secoya. Customers must wear life jackets, which will be waiting for you in the canoe. All luggage will be placed in a safe compartment to keep it dry and seats are cushioned for extra comfort. Before departure, guides will give a brief introduction on the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, which the Secoya territory borders, and is home to some of the most amazing flora and fauna. Enjoy a snack in the canoe.

11:00 am
Botanical Garden

After a very short canoe ride up the Sushufindi River, you will find yourself in the middle of a beautiful botanical garden where you will sit under the shade of a thatched roof interpretation center and listen to the guide explain 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 seeing and feeling the plants that were just explained to you.

Photo Credit:  SPAJO Producciones

2:00 pm
Kayaking trip up river

After lunch, you will be prepped on safety and kayaking. Travel deeper up the Shushufindi River in kayak. Our custom-made kayaks allow for easy paddling in the current of the small Shushufindi. Once you have paddled up, take your time paddling back down to the botanical gardens. Enjoy the intimacy the kayaks give you with the nature surrounding the small river.

4:00 pm
Set up camp

Arrive in the Botanical Gardens once again, and set up camp for the evening.

5:30 pm
Dinner

Have a delicious locally prepared dinner in the Botanical Garden’s Interpretation Center. The guide will brief you on the next day's activities, and you can then relax for the big day of kayaking coming up.

DAY 2

7:30 am
Breakfast

Wake up to a lovely breakfast prepared with fresh local ingredients.

8:30 am
Kayaking to Secoya Lodge

After breakfast, you will be prepped on safety and kayaking, then you can get into your own kayak (custom-made for this river) and begin to slowly and peacefully paddle down the very intimate Shushufindi river. Look for wildlife, and enjoy the sounds of the jungle without the loud motor behind you. From the Shushufindi, the river opens up into the wider and larger Aguarico River. Here, you will continue paddling down river until you have finally reached the shores of the Secoya Lodge. There, the staff will be awaiting your arrival.

11:30 am
Arrival at Secoya Lodge

After a long morning of kayaking, you are welcomed with a refreshing drink and a small snack. You can then retire to your room and rest until lunch, or explore the facilities.

2:00 pm
Nature Walk

Take a guided nature walk to the quadrant and experience the splendor of the Amazon.

4:30 pm
Return to the Lodge

After an afternoon of exploring the river and forest surrounding, return to Secoya Lodge to rest and relax before dinner.

6:30 pm
Candlelight dinner

A delicious candlelight dinner at the restaurant.

8:00 pm
Fire-side stories and legends

After dinner, sit down around a fire and listen to your local guide tell stories of 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 waking merits 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.

6:30 am
Arrival back at the Lodge

Arrive back at the Lodge and get ready for breakfast.

7:00 am
Breakfast

Sit down to a delicious breakfast.

8:30 am Secoya Cultural Activity

Travel by canoe to different points up and down the Aguarico river to experience a combination of the following activities; become a human canvas with face painting, a look at how Casave, the Secoyas' most important meal is elaborated, mud collection for pottery, and a small tour around a community member’s land to experience how the Secoya have mastered utilizing every inch of earth for the use of something productive and sustainable. 

All of these activities will depend on the availability of each family and its members, as not to disrupt their life styles.

Photo Credit:  SPAJO Producciones

12:00 pm
Lunch

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

1:00 pm
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.

4:00 pm
Tubing and Monkey Sun Downer

Take tubes or a 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 watch 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.

6:30 pm
Dinner and Cultural Dancing

Before dinner, enjoy the local traditional dance group perform cultural dance and music.

DAY 4

7:30 am
Breakfast

Enjoy yet another breakfast serenaded by the birds of the forest in the natural forest  setting.

8:00 am
Sustainable Agriculture & Conservation

Take the canoe up river to visit some local agricultural 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 really is and the importance of protecting it against big oil and African palm plantations. Make our way up to a beach up river where we can enjoy the jungle sun and the cool waters of the Aguarico.

12:00 pm
Lunch

Enjoy a picnic lunch on the beach.

1:00 pm Hiking and Survival Skills

This afternoon, we will be going on an adventure hike to a sector called the “cuadrante”. Here, you will walk 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 will learn several survival techniques. The guide will show 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 at and sell. This is just one of the many ways the Secoya utilize their land in a productive way.

5:30 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 to the amazing sounds of the forest.

DAY 5

7:30 am
Breakfast

Enjoy your last breakfast with the Secoya.

9:00 am
Final Farwell

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

 Photo Credit:  SPAJO Producciones

9:30 am
Leave the Lodge

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

1:30 pm
Arrival at Coca

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