Good For You

A stay at Cuyabeno takes you to one of the richest corners of the mystical, magnificent Amazon rainforest. Ecuador’s Cuyabeno Reserve has more than 500 different species of birds, 60 species of orchids, over 350 species of fish, and a large variety of reptiles such as anacondas, caimans and river turtles. There’s an estimated 12,000 plant species and many exotic mammals including the elusive tapir, which lends its name to this wonderful eco lodge.

Large guest rooms, a 15 metre observation tower and a social area, including a restaurant and bar, are all built from natural materials and set high on the banks of the Cuyabeno river. You’ll wake to the sound of monkeys in the kapok trees before heading out on an incredible array of tours - hiking and canoeing into the jungle, visiting local indigenous communities, and learning from your guide all the secrets of the Amazon while keeping a keen eye out for exotic birds and beasts, like the caiman and the pink river dolphin.

The Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve includes a complex system of alluvial formations, 13 lagoons, rivers and flooded forest that make up the 603,000 ha site, recording some of the highest levels of biodiversity in the world. The flooded forests of Igapo at the heart of the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve are one of the highlights of a trip to this part of the Amazon.

Stays at the lodge are offered as part of four-, five- and seven-day itineraries. The seven-day trip takes in some nights at the lodge, with camping excursions to take you deeper into the wilderness.

Good For Ecudor

Tapir Lodge is based in the northeastern province of Sucumbíos, in the upper Ecuadorian Amazon region, within the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, and was built in partnership with some family members of the Siona Community and private sponsors. In order to meet appropriate ecological standards, Tapir Lodge shares with them the eco-tourism activities and profits.

The reserve itself is known as a biodiversity hotspot, and is home to one of the world’s greatest concentrations of distinct animal and plant species. Protected by Ecuador’s National Protected Areas System, only a few operators offer tours in the area. Tapir lodge is one of the few operators who can take you into this precious ecosystem. Energy is provided by a solar panel system, generating enough power to recharge you camera batteries, while it’s lights out after 9pm and plenty of candle-lit dinners. All disposable material and garbage is packed and transported out of the reserve. Organic waste is recycled at the lodge. With the help of the lodge’s bio-digester, sewage is transformed into perfectly safe, clean water.

Rooms

Food

Features & Facilities

• Bar area with hammocks for relaxing
• Fully trained local guides to lead guests through the jungle and the waters around the lodge
• Restaurant

Local Info & Activities

Tapir Lodge offers guests a range of quality programs to help them enjoy and get to know the forest environment. All are exclusive, specially designed itineraries featuring a variety of educational and enjoyable activities, all of them flexible enough to meet each guest's personal interests.

Guests will be divided into small groups of up to 8 passengers; each will be accompanied by a naturalist multilingual guide, licensed by the government to guide within the reserve.

Jungle treks:

Take a walk under the canopy and enjoy the forest from within. You’ll explore both the pristine terra firma and cananguchal (flooded forest) ecosystems as guides help you understand the rich flora of the Amazon. You may even get a glimpse of exotic wildlife, like the shy tapir. Night walks are offered after dinner, where you’ll spot nocturnal beasts with your flashlight.

Indigenous communties:

Tapir lodge works closely with the local Siona community of Puerto Bolivar. The community has adopted eco tourism as a way to develop economically while protecting the environment in which they have lived for many centuries. At Tapir lodge, you’ll get to be part of their everyday lives, benefiting from their rich knowledge of the jungle and their unique culture.

The Cofan community lives at Dureno, on the shores of the Aguarico River. You can take a trip to stay with this community, spending two nights with them as you experience their traditions and ceremonies. The kids are delightful and they love meeting visitors.

You can enjoy a walk in the forest led by a shaman from one of these communities, who will share his native forest lore with you, and take you through a traditional shamanic ceremony.

Canoeing:

The only form of transport around the lodge area is by canoe – it’s a mode of transport both totally green and perfectly suited to the flooded forest and lagoons. The canoe is a local style dug-out vessel.

The Siona community of Puero Bolivar provides the lodge with skilled canoe operators and native guides. In your daily excursions with them, you’ll visit different lagoons, each with its own charm, and navigate through the flooded forest and small creeks.

You’ll relax as you paddle along the black water rivers, small lakes and creeks in your “quilla”or dugout. You’ll first learn how to paddle your vessel, then you’ll enjoy the serene waters, which offer opportunities to spot river turtles, caimans and anacondas. These trips are available for those guests takeing the 5Day and 7 Day programs only.

Bird Watching:

Boasting a birdlist of more than 500 species of birds, Cuyabeno is a delight for seasoned as well as beginner birdwatchers.

Start the day early in the morning, hop in one of the lodge’s canoes and search for rarities such as the pavonine quetzal, zigzag heron, harpy eagle, Salvin’s and nocturnal cruassows, grey-winged trumpeter, grey-breasted crake, sunbittern, blue and yellow macaw, black-banded owl, great jacamar, long-billed woodcreeper, cocha antshrike and white-plumed antbird, among many others. Special birding programs can be tailor-made for experienced birders or ornithologists – the lodge’s resident ornithologist guides will ensure very rewarding birding tours.

Caiman spotting:

At nightfall, guests jump into their canoes, and, armed with flashlights, head out to look for caimans – a kind of native alligator. There are four species in this region – the shy and rarely spotted black caiman, which measures up to 5 metres in length, as well as the common spectacled caiman. Unaggressive and rarely dangerous, the caiman come out at night to hunt along the rivers edge.

Piranha fishing:

Catch-and-release piranha fishing is a most pleasant pastime, best enjoyed at sunset for the magnificent views. For those who don’t care to fish, it’s a chance to take a swim – the piranha aren’t dangerous, and you’ll see plenty of local kids enjoying the water.

INSIDER TIPS

CLIMATE

It is a tropical rainforest, with a precipitation of 3000 to 4000 mm3 a year, and humidity between 85 to 95%. From December to March we have a marked dry season; the rainy season goes from April to July; and from August to November, it’s moderate.

The mean annual temperature ranges over 25 Celsius degrees

Sustainability

The Cuyabeno reserve is a carefully protected area, and Tapir is one of the few lodges and tour operators taking guests to the area. The lodge was established in partnership with some family members of the Siona Community along with the support of private sponsors, and the Siona and other nearby indigenous communities are actively involved with Tapir’s ecotourism project, and share in the profits.

The lodge is very careful to keep its impact to a minimum. Carbon-free traditional canoes are the only mode of transport ferrying guests around the water systems. The lodge’s energy is provided by a solar panel system that charges guests’ camera batteries and provides lighting at the lodge. All disposable material and garbage is packed and transported out of the reserve, while organic waste is recycled at the lodge. With the help of the lodge’s bio-digester, sewage is transformed into perfectly safe, clean water. The lodge works with local indigenous communities to develop eco tourism in the area.

Getting There

• 45 minute flight from Quito to Lago Agrio, or a 7 hour bus ride
• Two hours’drive by bus or car from Lago Agrio to El Puente
• - Two and a half-hour ride down the Cuyabeno river in a dugout canoe to Tapir Lodge, located 10 minutes from Laguna Grande

Visit our Transport section for flights, hybrid car rentals and train bookings.

Rates & Bookings

Tapir lodge runs programs that run between 4 and 7 days long, 4 days is the minimum stay at Tapir Lodge. All programs include:

• Box lunch
• iPrivate transportation Lago Agrio - Cuyabeno - Lago Agrio.
• Accommodation in double room with private bathroom and hot water shower
• Canoe rides
• 3 meals a day
• Soft drinks (water, coffee, tea)
• Daily excursion program
• Naturalist multilingual speaking guides (English, German or French)
• Rubber boots, raincoats, life saver.

Prices are per person based on two sharing. Single Room supplement is 30% over rate

• 4 Days - $500
• 5 Days - $600
• 7 Days -$798

booking & cancellation policy

A 20% deposit secures a reservation, with the remainder payable directly to Tapir Lodge.

Want to avoid cancellation fees? Visit our Insurance section for information on travel insurance.