Canoe the Amazon: the Aguas Negras River

Explore the Amazon on this unforgettable adventure!

The Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve in Ecuador is a protected area of Amazonian tropical rainforest. The reserve is a complex of rivers, lagoons and floating forest, characterised by intense biodiversity and navigable waterways. The area encompasses 604,000 hectares of primary rainforest and boasts river dolphin, tapirs, caimans, anacondas, ocelot and piranha as well as 515 species of bird. Cuyabeno is the ancestral homeland of the Sionas, the Cofanes and Secoyas, three indigenous tribes who live in small homesteads deep with the Amazon. These people follow a traditional way of life in symbiosis with the forest.

Starting your 8 day trip up on the remote Aguas Negras River, you will alternate between exploring the water by canoe and entering the forest on foot along hidden pathways. Night-time hikes looking for the jungle’s nocturnal residents and a climb up an observation tower also lend themselves to the experience. You then swap your paddles for a motorized canoe as you visit an indigenous village of the Cofán tribe and travel upriver to the Cuyabeno lake system to visit a shaman.

Guides are on hand to spot and explain the incredible flora and fauna of the rainforest. They are experienced local tribesmen, certified by the Ministry of Tourism, who will explain the uses and applications of traditional plants. They will also give insider knowledge on medicinal plants, how best to catch a piranha when you go fishing or where to tread during a night walk in search of caiman.

+44(0)2032912907

Itinerary / Highlights

Days One-Four: Aguas Negras River
Today you will be taken from Lago Agrio to the Aguas Negras River. During the next four days, you will paddle downstream on this small blackwater river. Canoeing will be combined with a variety of daytime hikes through the jungle. On the evening of the fourth day, you will join the Cuyabeno River, which is three times bigger than the Aguas Negras River. You will paddle to a rustic hut that belongs to the Kichwa community of Playas de Cuyabeno. This is your stop for the night.

Day Five: Jungle hiking - observation tower
In this area you have the opportunity to go on hikes along small jungle paths through primary forest, visit the seven-storey high observation tower with a spectacular view over the rainforest and observe river dolphins. The day finishes with a night walk in search of nocturnal creatures. Night camp is at the Kichwa hut.

Day Six: Cofán community visit
You reach the confluence of the Cuyabeno and Aguarico rivers by motor canoe within an hour. Travel downstream until you reach the village of Sábalo, an indigenous community of the Cofán. You can visit this typical village accompanied by a Cofán guide and take a walk on a circular trail, getting to know a variety of medicinal plants used by the Cofán. On the walk you will see an old giant kapok tree with immense buttress roots. In the afternoon you return to the Cuyabeno River and paddle back to camp.

Day Seven: Cuyabeno River - shaman visit
Today you travel in a motorized dugout canoe upstream on the Cuyabeno River until you reach the Magic River Camp in the Cuyabeno lake system. On the way you may visit the shaman of a nearby village and learn about medicinal plants and healing practices. In the afternoon there will be time to explore the flooded forest of Laguna Grande, paddling by canoe until dark.

Day Eight: Lago Agrio
This morning you rise early for some Amazon birdwatching. Later you can paddle to various smaller lakes in the area. After lunch you will return by motor canoe to the park entrance. From here you’ll reach Lago Agrio within 3 hours by private transport. You will arrive in Lago Agrio at approximately 6:00 pm.

Other Details

Accommodation Details

The accommodation on this trip is rustic and close to nature. The first few nights are spent in tents on the river banks. Later on in the week nights are spent in tents pitched inside simple huts. The final night you might stay in Magic River Camp, a simple hut with bathroom facilities.

The food is of a high standard and ranges from international cuisine to local Ecuadorian specialities, such as: fried plantain, encebollado (a special tomato salad) and menestras (lentil stews). All meals are carefully prepared by trained cooks. Drinking and cooking water is pure bottled water and vegetarian meals are available on request.

Departure Dates, Options & Prices

Price per person for private departures for a group of minimum four people are available on request on any day in season.

+44(0)2032912907