A 2-hour boat trip on the Rio Napo, followed by an idyllic canoe trip, takes you to one of the most beautiful jungle lodges in Ecuador: La Selva Jungle Lodge, located on Laguna Garzacocha. La Selva Jungle Lodge is a place where luxury and nature come together in a perfect way. You will stay in style, enjoy culinary dishes, and go out every day with professional guides to discover the different sides of the Ecuadorian Amazon. And everything is tailor-made and included. In this article I will tell you more about a stay at La Selva Eco-Lodge & Retreat in Ecuador.
Welcome to La Selva Jungle Lodge
La Selva Jungle Lodge is located approximately 3 hours away from the city of Coca, in the Amazon of Ecuador. A long but beautiful journey that is part of the adventure, where you exchange civilization for a stay surrounded by nature. La Selva Jungle Lodge is located in the Yasuní Reserve, just on the border of the Yasuní National Park and can only be reached by boat on the Rio Napo. You go the last part on foot, after which a canoe awaits you and takes you paddling to the lodge, located on Lake Garzacocha. Garzacocha means the lake of the heron, named after the posing herons that live around the lake.
Introduction and briefing
Upon arrival, a team is waiting to welcome you with a drink and snack, including empanadas, fruits and cakes. Followed by a briefing, because La Selva Jungle Lodge is not just any place. You venture deep into the jungle and to experience this stunning place the best possible way, you have to adapt to the rhythm of nature. This means we need to get up early, rest after lunch and go out again in the afternoon.
An explanation about the Amazon region and its flora and fauna follows, including tips about your stay, and how to spot wildlife. Patience is key according to our guide. We will be able to observe many birds, learn about medicinal plants and there is a good chance of seeing species of monkeys. But you never know what you will encounter in nature, every expedition is a new surprise. An open attitude is therefore important. And with this spirit we start our adventure. We are assigned a guide and start our first excursion, a boat trip on the lake and a night walk. Read along, because in this article I will tell you more about La Selva Jungle Lodge and what you can expect from a stay in the Amazon of Ecuador.
Do you also want to spend the night at La Selva Jungle Lodge in Ecuador? Check out the latest prices and availability here.
La Selva Jungle Lodge complex
La Selva Jungle Lodge is beautifully situated on Lake Garzacocha, surrounded by the tall trees and deep green vegetation of the Amazon in Ecuador. The complex consists of a large lodge, with a briefing room, restaurant, including bar and a higher observatory. Everything is decorated in such a stylish and relaxing way, that it could easily fit on the island of Ibiza. You immediately feel at home and I could even imagine living there.
There are well-maintained walking paths with numerous flowers, connecting the lodge with 19 suites. At the end of the complex is a hidden spa, where you can relax with a massage and jacuzzi. Lounge areas have been set up on the pier and jetties on the water, where you can take in the surroundings on one of the beds or take a siesta.
The rooms
La Selva Jungle Lodge has 19 luxurious bungalows spread throughout the jungle complex. As soon as you enter your room, it is hard to believe that you are deep in the jungle. The room is luxurious, made of natural materials, with soothing colors, inspired by life in the jungle. There is a large bed including a mosquito net construction that spans the bed with curtain rails, a nice seating area, and a spacious walk-in bathroom. And if you’re wondering if there’s hot water. There is a rain shower that might feel even better than at home. From your balcony you can enjoy the green surroundings and sounds of the jungle every day.
There are twelve double bungalows located in the jungle: Three rooms with a view of the lake and four family rooms, for four people, with their own private jacuzzi on the terrace. Heaven on earth. Rooms are serviced twice a day, one regular cleaning service and an evening service to prepare your room for the night, during which the mosquito net is prepared, water is refilled and everything is tidied up.
Do you also want to spend the night at La Selva Jungle Lodge in Ecuador? Check out the latest prices and availability here.
The restaurant
The restaurant of La Selva Jungle Lodge is made of natural materials and spacious. Because it is open on all sides, you have a wide view of Lake Garzacocha. An extra nice thing is the bar where you can get coffee, tea, fruit and treats 24 hours a day.
The restaurant offers the most delicious meals every day. In the morning there is a breakfast buffet, while the staff walks around to prepare your eggs, juices, coffee and tea. In the afternoon a daily three-course menu is served, where you choose your own main course. The remaining courses are a surprise, taking into account your dietary restrictions. In the evening you choose an à la carte menu, which will be presented to you in the afternoon.
At La Selva Jungle Lodge you don’t just eat, all dishes can call themselves culinary delights, both in terms of taste and presentation. Local products and ingredients are used to create a mix of Ecuadorian and international dishes. The highlight is the paiche, a fish from the Amazon that is presented in a special way, with a lot of steam.
Activities – La Selva Jungle Lodge Ecuador
All activities and excursions are included during your stay at La Selva Jungle Lodge in Ecuador. You can indicate in advance whether you want to go with a private guide or in a group. The groups are small, so in both cases you have a tailor-made experience. There are also two guides per group: A native, born and raised in the Amazon, Spanish-speaking guide and a naturalist, an English-speaking local guide from Ecuador, with a specific background in nature who knows everything about flora and fauna. Every day you discuss your program with your guide for the next day. Below you will find an overview of the excursions I was able to experience during my visit.
Day 1 – Program La Selva Jungle Lodge Ecuador
Morning – Clay Lick and an indigenous community
Less than a ten-minute boat ride from the La Selva Jungle Lodge dock you can admire one of the most special natural phenomena of the Amazon in Ecuador: The clay lick. A place where hundreds of parrots gather to lick clay. Not only because of the minerals in the clay, but also because of the social interaction, such as looking for a partner. The clay lick is located in the Yasuní National Park and is a fascinating scene to see. Especially when all these colored animals hit the wall with a deafening sound. The clay lick can only be viewed from the boat, so make sure you have binoculars and a good lens.
After our visit to the clay lick we visit the local community of Pilchi. The Rio Napo in Ecuador has countless small villages with families who live their lives in a pieceful way. As a visitor to La Selva Jungle Lodge you are able to meet some of the local families, who live around the river. Upon arrival we are welcomed by one of the ladies, who shows us the village and explains about the use of medicinal plants and local traditions and customs. We are also introduced to the chicha, a drink made from fermented yucca, and a local meal with banana, yucca, heart of palm, potatoes and, for the enthusiasts: The Chontacuro worms. La Selva Jungle Lodge supports local communities through investments in education and development. You contribute to this with your visit
Afternoon – Observation Tower
The Observation Tower is our goal for the afternoon. A short walk of less than ten minutes takes us to a forty-meter-high tower built around a large Ceiba tree. Once at the top you have a 360-degree view of the jungle. It doesn’t take long before our guide has prepared his telescope and shows us the most beautiful birds: Toucans, parrots and a number of impressive birds of prey, which have found their place high in the trees. We even see the Harpy Eagle, a dream for many nature lovers. Gradually the sky turns orange and pink and the sounds change from day to night, creating an orchestra of crickets, insects and frogs. And the howler monkeys get our attention as well by screaming out loud.
The visit to the tower turns into a night walk back. We walk down the tower with our flashlights on. Halfway through, as if it were the most normal thing in the world, we come across a boa. It’s quite nerve-racking to step over it, but our guide assures us that we don’t have to worry. Boas only attack if you irritate them. We take plenty of photos and videos and are very happy with this encounter.
Evening
Grasshoppers, stick insects, spiders and beetles are the ones we are meeting on our way back to the lodge. And then, to our great surprise, we see an animal we really wanted to see: The armadillo. This area of the Amazon is home to the giant armadillo, which only lives at night and is therefore difficult to spot. Unfortunately, as soon as we get closer, it jumps away under a tree, but we can admire it from the back for a long time. A few more tarantulas follow, before we return to our home in the jungle.
Day 2 – Program La Selva Jungle Lodge Ecuador
Morning
This morning at half past six, we go to the observatory of La Selva Jungle Lodge for bird watching. It doesn’t take our focused Cisco long to show us the wonders of the Amazon once again. We see a large monkey family climbing over the trees in the distance and are amazed by the countless species of birds.
Because I have an important call afterwards, we take a short break with tea and snacks. At nine o’clock we continue our journey towards one of the tallest trees in the Ecuadorian Amazon, a seventy-meter high Ceiba tree. A short boat trip takes us to the starting point of the walk. Because it stormed and rained heavily the night before, there are puddles and fallen trees everywhere. Led by our experienced guide with a machette, we hike through the deep jungle, like real expedition members for about 45 minutes. Along the way we are pointed out medicinal plants and special leaves. Several times we think we have arrived at the Ceiba, as there are so many impressive tall trees. But when we get to the tree, we understand. What a huge tree, hundreds of years old. We are deeply impressed.
Afternoon
At the end of the afternoon we take a boat trip on the Garzacocha to take in the surroundings. We see turtles, monkeys, birds and as the evening progresses the bats appear. Our goal is to spot caimans. And our guide wouldn’t be our guide if he wouldn’t have been able to find the eyes of this special animal in no time. With a flashlight you can see the red eyes from a distance and we even see several. Boat trips across the lake remain worthwhile, no matter how often you take them.
Do you also want to spend the night at La Selva Jungle Lodge in Ecuador? Check out the latest prices and availability here.
Oher activities
In addition to the excursions that you take with a guide, there are also a number of activities at La Selva Jungle Lodge that you can do on your own or upon request.
