Cuyabeno 6-Day Paddling Expedition

Six hours of silent paddling from Paso del Tigre, two hiking days and the Siona community

6 days / 5 nights
Cuyabeno Reserve
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Cuyabeno 3-Day Rainforest Escape — Ecosportour, Ecuador
Cuyabeno 3-Day Rainforest Escape — Ecosportour, Ecuador
Cuyabeno 3-Day Rainforest Escape — Ecosportour, Ecuador
Cuyabeno 3-Day Rainforest Escape — Ecosportour, Ecuador
Cuyabeno 3-Day Rainforest Escape — Ecosportour, Ecuador
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  • Departures every day
  • 6-hour paddling expedition
  • Confirmed from 2 passengers
  • Full board included
  • Bilingual naturalist guide
  • Duration
    6 days / 5 nights
  • Difficulty
    Moderate
  • Departure
    Puente Cuyabeno (Cuyabeno River Bridge), reached by overnight bus from Quito the night before the tour
  • Departure days
    Every day, with a minimum of 2 passengers
  • Languages
    English and Spanish
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Tour overview

This is our most complete Cuyabeno programme, and it starts the way no other one does. Instead of motoring straight to the lodge, you leave the engine behind at Paso del Tigre and paddle a traditional canoe for around six hours, arriving with the sunset.

Silence is the point. Without a motor, the forest keeps behaving as if you were not there, which is why this stretch delivers the best wildlife of the whole trip. A bilingual guide, paddlers from the local community and a motorised support canoe travel with you the entire way.

The following five days build the full picture: two hiking days in primary forest, an afternoon in the lagoons where pink dolphins appear, a day with the Siona community of Tarabeaya and their shaman, a full canoeing day after monkeys and birds, and night expeditions in search of caimans.

You sleep every night at Cuyabeno Dolphin Lodge, our own lodge in the reserve. Departures run every day of the week from two passengers.

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Itinerary

  • Day 1: Quito to Puente Cuyabeno, paddling expedition and lodge

    Travel from Quito the night before by public or private bus, around 10 hours, arriving at Puente Cuyabeno. Canoe down the Cuyabeno River to Paso del Tigre, where the traditional paddle-canoe expedition begins. Box lunch on the route. Roughly six hours of paddling in near silence, the best possible way to see animals and forest, with a bilingual guide, paddlers from the local community and a motorised support canoe alongside. You reach the lodge at sunset. Dinner and an exciting night walk. Level: medium-high. This activity depends on the water level and may not run for a couple of weeks in the dry season.

  • Breakfast, then a full day in the jungle with your bilingual guide: paddle canoe, forest trails, wildlife, medicinal plants, rivers and lakes, finishing with sunset over the Laguna Grande before returning to the lodge for dinner. Around 8 hours.

  • Breakfast, then a three-hour hike in primary forest to learn about flora and fauna, especially medicinal plants, frogs, insects and birds. Lunch at the camp and time to relax. In the afternoon we paddle a traditional canoe on the lagoons or rivers, where you can swim and enjoy the sunset. If conditions allow, you may see pink dolphins. Return to the lodge for dinner.

  • Breakfast, then a visit to the Siona community of Tarabeaya, where you help a family prepare casabe, the traditional food of the region, while your guide explains their culture and traditions. Lunch, then a visit to the shaman, who explains the ceremonies of the jungle. Return to the lodge, dinner, and a night canoe expedition in search of caimans.

  • Breakfast, then paddling a traditional canoe along the rivers, searching for monkeys and birds. Lunch at the camp and time to relax. Visit to the Laguna Grande to swim and watch the sunset. Dinner and a night canoe expedition after caimans.

  • Early-morning birdwatching, then breakfast. We navigate back up the Cuyabeno River to El Puente with a box lunch on the way. Transfer at Puente Cuyabeno and return to Quito by public or shuttle bus.

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What's included

Included

  • Private river transport by canoe: Puente Cuyabeno to Cuyabeno Dolphin Lodge and back
  • Bilingual naturalist guide (English and Spanish)
  • Accommodation in double or triple rooms with mosquito nets and private bathroom
  • All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner), plus purified water, coffee and tea
  • Excursion gear: rain poncho, rubber boots, camping tents and life jackets
  • All excursions listed in the itinerary
  • Community paddlers and motorised support canoe on the day 1 paddling expedition

Not included

  • Transport Quito to Puente Cuyabeno and back (bus or flight)
  • Community visit USD 10 and shaman visit USD 5 per person, charged if the activity takes place
  • Meals before and after the tour
  • Tips
  • Any other expense not specified in the itinerary

What to bring

  • Long-sleeved shirts, 2 or more
  • Comfortable trousers, 2 or more (no jeans)
  • Shorts and T-shirts, 2 or more of each
  • Socks, one pair per day
  • Trainers and/or sandals
  • Warm jacket and sweater
  • Swimsuit
  • Biodegradable or natural soap and shampoo
  • Sunglasses and camera
  • Small waterproof backpack
  • Mosquito repellent and sunscreen
  • Hat or cap
  • Torch with spare batteries
  • Binoculars (optional)
  • Reusable water bottle and towel
  • Personal first-aid kit
  • Dry bags for gear, clothes and documents
  • Original passport or ID card
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Good to know

  • After the canoe ride from Puente Cuyabeno, you switch to a traditional paddle canoe at Paso del Tigre and travel roughly six hours to the lodge, with a box lunch on the route. Because there is no motor noise, wildlife stays close. A bilingual guide, paddlers from the local community and a motorised support canoe accompany the whole route.

  • It depends on the water level. During the dry season there can be a couple of weeks when the route is not viable, and in that case the day is adjusted. We confirm conditions before your departure.

  • No experience is required, but this is the most active of our Cuyabeno programmes. Day 1 is rated medium-high with about six hours of paddling, and days 2 to 5 run around eight hours each of hiking, canoeing and wildlife watching at a relaxed pace.

  • We operate every day of the week with a minimum of 2 passengers.

  • Long sleeves, long trousers, a cap, sunscreen and mosquito repellent. Bring a swimsuit for the following days. The lodge provides rubber boots, a rain poncho and a life jacket.

  • Full board is included from lunch on day 1: breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, plus purified water, coffee and tea. On travel days a box lunch is served on the route.

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Book this tour

Tell us your dates and we will confirm availability within 24 hours.

Write to us and we will hold your places while you decide.

  • Departures every day
  • 6-hour paddling expedition
  • Confirmed from 2 passengers
  • Full board included
BOOK NOW
Tour information
  • Duration:
    6 days / 5 nights
  • Difficulty:
    Moderate
  • Languages:
    English and Spanish

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