Coca (Limoncocha Biological Reserve)

You will leave from Tena at 11:00 pm en route to the city of Coca. You will travel for 8 hours by bus to the destination, Supay Cocha Lodge, in the Limoncocha sector of the Kichwa community. After arriving, we will take a canoe for about 35 minutes towards the interior of the lagoon.

DAY 1:
The tour will start from the day that we arrive to the Limoncocha community. We will take a canoe ride for about 2 hours to the Supay Cocha cabin. On this trip, we will observe a diverse number of birds from different species that exist in this particular place. Once we arrive to the cabin, the host Kichwa Family will greet us. After breakfast, the flora and fauna guide will give a small orientation and discuss how to watch out for dangerous animals. Then we will take a walk around the camp looking for medicinal plants that were utilized by our ancestors. This part of the excursion will last for about 3 hours. We will return to camp in the afternoon for lunch. At that time, we should be ready to take a canoe to go fishing for piranhas. We will get back at approximately 5:00 pm and enjoy dinner with a fresh plate of piranhas.

DAY 2:
Early in the morning, after enjoying a magnificent night, we will start our journey into the lagoon, during which the passengers will be taken away by the fantastic concert that is put on by the large variety of aquatic birds. We will see tiny islands formed by Chontillas y Asturias, which establish colonies of birds, and their nests that exist in the reserve. We will return to the cabin for a delicious lunch that waits for us and then prepare ourselves for our second short walk in search of medicinal plants utilized by the family. During the walk, it may be possible to see birds like papagayos, parrots, and toucans, monkeys and all the exciting animals, insects, and reptiles that inhabit the area.

In the afternoon, the family will share their knowledge about the utilization of the most well known weapon by their tribes called the “bodoquera” or “cerbatana.”

After dinner, the native guides will start a bonfire around the cabin and this night will be particularly special because there will be surprises, stories, legends, and myths from our grandfathers, great-grandfathers, and great-great-grandfathers. If somebody would like to taste a typical type of liquor from the jungle, they can try “guayusazo” natural tea.

DAY 3:
After a delicious breakfast, we will start to prepare ourselves for our next trip. This is the most exciting part of the natural world. We will take a path deeper into the jungle in order to see gigantic trees “ceibo” that are approximately 400-500 years old. On this adventure, the flora and fauna guide will educate us and demonstrate tactics and secrets of the jungle, like how our grandfathers hunted animals and constructed and used materials from this zone to make traps. Furthermore, we will have the opportunity to make a small typical house and swing from huge vines just like Tarzan. While we continue advancing down the path, we will also have the chance to swim in a river called the “Rio Blanco” (White River). Here we can stop for a prepared lunch and if someone wishes to fish we can do that, too.

We will return at 3:00 pm and after a comfortable rest we will head towards the lagoon to see crocodiles, mushrooms, and luminous insects. This is a chance to spend part of the evening together with the magic night concert that will surround us and which we are sure will satisfy you entirely. Dinner can be before or after.

DAY 4:
After a very early breakfast, we will take our luggage with us to start our return to the city of Coca, but not before taking a walk down a path where we can enjoy the presence and acrobatic abilities of the monkey Bariso in his natural environment. Then we will continue our voyage by canoe where our adventure will end.

**This program can vary depending on bad weather and the number of days that one decides to stay. All are capable of visting the community, although the day excursions into the jungle require a certain level of fitness.