Inspiring 
Galapagos 
Amazon 
Andes 
Destinations

Napo Cultural Center Secret of Life

Trip Type: Land Tours, Adventure

ecuador - quito

STARTING AT:

$1109

/ TRAVELER

Season: year-round
Duration: 6 Days
Accommodation: Amazon Ecolodge
min

Expedition Overview

Known for its nature and wildlife, the cultural richness of the Amazon can be overlooked.

At Napo Cultural Center, you won’t miss any of the beauties this hidden land can show, AND you will rest in comfortable accommodations after exploring the hidden treasures of the zone.

Itinerary

Upon your arrival to the airport, you will be transferred to the Hotel La Quinta by Wyndham, located in the Business area of Quito City.

After a gratifying 30-minute flight over the Andean Eastern Cordillera to reach Coca, and a 10-minute car ride, we will welcome you at a private dock, where you can rest, use the restrooms, and enjoy a refreshing drink. You will also receive a delicious box lunch for the journey. Here, our covered boat will be waiting for you, and your luggage will be sent directly to the accommodation.

From this moment, an exciting two-hour journey on the majestic Napo River begins. Upon arrival at the Napo Cultural Center, you will have the opportunity to explore the ancestral territory of the Kichwa Añangu Community, who will welcome you with the refreshing traditional drink Wayusa. Our manager will provide you with information about the hotel’s services and then guide you to your comfortable room with views of the jungle. You will have some time to rest and get ready for the first-afternoon activity.

We will take a hike to the observation tower, elevated 40 meters above the ground, where you will have high chances of spotting a wide variety of birds, howler monkeys, squirrel monkeys, toucans, parrots, sloths, and other species. You will also enjoy a spectacular view of the best Amazonian sunset.

After an early breakfast, we will head out on a motorized canoe to one of the highlights of the Yasuní Biosphere Reserve: the Parrot Clay Lick on the shores of the Napo River. Don’t forget to bring your binoculars and camera to enjoy the fabulous flocks of blue-headed parrots, yellow-crowned parrots, and even dark-headed parakeets from the canoe.

Next, we will walk for approximately 30 minutes on the Parakeet Trail to reach a point in the forest that offers a direct view of the astonishing parrot clay lick. Here, visitors can observe up to 5 species of parrots and parakeets: blue-headed parrot, yellow-crowned parrot, blue-fronted parrot,

dark-headed parakeet, and white-eyed parakeet. Sometimes, even mammals like howler monkeys, tapirs, deer, jaguars, and peccaries visit this place to drink water and obtain vital minerals for their bodies.

We will finish this morning with a visit to the intercultural interpretation center Kury Muyu – means ‘golden seed’ in the native language – managed by the women of the community, also known as ‘mamakunas.’ You

will learn about Kichwa culture, their music, dances, customs, and traditional use of natural resources, directly from the people of the Añangu Community. You will have time to visit the handicraft store, where community inhabitants create unique handmade pieces available for sale to support their creativity and work.

We will return to the community center for lunch at the restaurant and rest at the lodge. In the afternoon, after a delicious local lunch, we will take an exciting boat trip on the Añangu Creek, a dark water ecosystem where you can observe monkeys jumping from tree to tree, caimans, and sometimes even giant otters.

After dinner, we will have a unique activity on the Napo River aboard the ancestral catamaran to learn more about the legends and traditional songs of the Kichwa community while the women roast delicious snacks on the fire to share with their guests.

Enjoy the sunrise during breakfast and visit our sustainable community projects to learn about the Kichwa worldview. Then, walk along one of our trails in the terra firme forest, which provides an excellent opportunity to observe wildlife, ceiba trees, stranglers, bamboo canes, vines, and endemic shrubs of Yasuní.

We will return to the hotel to enjoy a delicious lunch and take a well-deserved rest before embarking on a hike to the second observation tower, which rises 36 meters above the ground. From there, you will have great chances of spotting a variety of birds, howler monkeys, squirrel monkeys, and other species. Upon returning to the hotel in the afternoon, you will have time to relax and prepare for a traditional typical dinner with local Amazonian flavors, such as maito, which is grilled fish wrapped in a bijao leaf. And if you have an adventurous palate, try the roasted worms of chonta, locally known as chontakuru. After dinner, get ready with your flashlight for a night walk, where you can see different types of insects, reptiles, and even nocturnal mammals like some monkeys.

To ensure you have a perfect last day, you have the option to participate in the wayusada ritual. It starts early around 4:30 am when the Kichwa families share the sacred wuayusa. This ritual is a way of transmitting their ancient knowledge to the new generations. You can listen to traditional chants; if you wish, your dreams can be interpreted by a wise mamakuna from the community. It’s a truly mystical experience!

Afterward, we will return to enjoy breakfast while our staff takes care of collecting your luggage before the transfer back to El Coca. We will take you in our comfortable motorized canoes, providing you with anotheropportunity to appreciate the landscape of the Ecuadorian tropical jungle as we head to our port.

Time to wrap up our journey! We’ll get you to the airport, so don’t forget to grab your stuff, pictures and… what are those you got there? Anyways, we will wait for your return, so don’t take too long before coming back!
See ya.

What´s Included

✅ WHAT'S INCLUDED

  • Private transportation

  • English Speaking Guide

  • All meals during the 4 days – 3 nights stay

  • All transfers

  • 2 nights accommodation in Quito
  • 🚫 WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED

  • Tips, drinks and extras

  • Air ticket Quito - Coca - Quito USD 250pp
  • FAQS

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    Or call +593-99-036-4912