This is an example of our preferred hotel, though availability is not guaranteed. If a given hotel is not available for your tour date, we will reserve you a room at a hotel of similar appeal and quality in the same area.
La Selva Ecolodge
Activities from La Selva
- La Selva Ecolodge
- Activities from La Selva
Activities from La Selva Ecolodge
JUNGLE EXPEDITION TOUR: One walk through the virgin forests and you?ll already appreciate the Giant Kapok Tree (Ceiba Pentandra) and the Strangler Fig Tree (Ficus sp), among the most representatives, along with some other plant and animal species that can be seen.
CANOE RIDE: Enjoy a canoe ride in the lagoon, Garzacocha, and discover a great diversity of plants and animals in two different landscapes and ecosystems.
NIGHT EXCURSIONS: Hikes and canoe rides allow guests to hear the nocturnal sounds and to look for fishing bats, nightjars, some insects and possibly to get a glimpse of the caimans. Walking excursions give the possibility to encounter with nocturnal creatures such as: Tarantulas, Whip-scorpions, toads and frogs, and possibly snakes.
DOCKSIDE BREAKFAST (additional fee): Enjoy a delicious breakfast within one of the most beautiful sceneries in the jungle: Garzacocha Lagoon at dawn! Spoil yourself with a cup of warm tasty coffee in the middle of this place full of life. Don't miss the chance to witness the start of a new day for wildlife in the Amazon and sense the subtle company of hoatzins, monkeys and more!
CANDLELIGHT DOCKSIDE DINNER (additional fee): This is an extremely romantic candlelit dockside dinner for two on the lake. This private dinner will consist of you, your loved one, and your attentive waiter. The staff will light up the entire dock with a trail of candles that leads to your table. Complimentary Cocktails or Wine.
SUNSET CRUISE (additional fee): Board a decorated dugout canoe equipped with some snacks and wine; a sailor will take you and your loved one along the lagoon and you will enjoy the beauty of a sunset in the Amazon.
Rainforest Activities
WALK TO SILVERIO'S HOUSE: Cross Garzacocha Lake. Two and a half to three hour walk on a purposely underdeveloped trail which has some physical challenge. Half of the walk takes place in primary forest and the other half passes by the huts of our indigenous neighbors along the Napo River.
MANDICOCHA TRAIL: An easy trail close to the hotel which is usually filled with wildlife at any hour of the day. The excursion can last as long as you want.
SACHA HUAGRA TRAIL: Cross Garzacocha Lake, walk through virgin forest to observe the Giant Kapok Tree (Ceiba Pentandra) and the Strangler Fig Tree (Ficus sp), as well as other plant and animal species that can be seen along the trail; arrive at the lodge for lunch. It takes about four and a half hours for the whole loop.
PARROT CLAY LICKS: Visit the Yasun? National Park for the whole morning in order to appreciate a unique site where parrots, parakeets and macaws gather in order to obtain the minerals that will help them to digest the fruits they have consumed.
DANTA'S TRAIL: Cross the Napo River and arrive at a challenging mountainous trail which offers yet another ecosystem. It is a chance to see birds and other wildlife nowhere else seen. The duration can vary between 3 to 5 hours.
CHAWAMANGO TRAIL: Head east at the Mandicocha trailhead, followed by a walk back to Garzacocha lake. 3 - 4 hour walk. Surprises can be found on the way.
MATAPALO TRAIL: This is an introductory walk perfect for the day of your arrival. Here you will have the chance to appreciate the particular Strangler Fig (Ficus sp), Azteca Ants (Azteca Trigona) lots of bright and beautiful heliconia plants and the Rubber Tree (Hevea Brasiliensis) among other surprises!
TOUCANETA'S TRAIL: This is a short 2 hour walk around the lodge where you will get a general idea of the tropical rainforest (flora, fauna & microfauna).
LITTLE CHAWAMANGO: Short trip by foot around the edge of Lake Garzacocha. Return by canoe to the lodge.
OBSERVATION TOWER: Not far from the lodge you can spend a couple of hours observing birds that move around the canopy, perhaps monkeys and wildlife of all kinds, and of course, a wonderful view of the Amazon Basin.
BUTTERFLY FARM: Available every afternoon. Close to the lodge, watch and photograph butterflies at close range. With any luck, witness the miracle of metamorphosis.
EL SALADO: This is a two-hour excursion often combined with a picnic lunch and trips across the Napo River (see following). Visit a site where with a little luck, parrots, parakeets and macaws can be seen by the thousands.
HIGH FOREST TRAIL: The duration can vary between 3 and 5 hours. Cross the Napo River and arrive at a challenging mountainous trail which offers yet another ecosystem. It is a chance to see birds and other wildlife nowhere else seen. This trail also provides the opportunity to eat lemon ants.
PILCHE TRAIL: Cross Garzacocha Lake then one hour or more of walking. See an enormous colony of leafcutter ants and whatever wildlife may come your way.
PEDRO'S TRAIL: Two versions available. Cross Garzacocha Lake, walk through virgin forest, and arrive at the tower (4 hours). Short version: pass Butterfly farm and join trail in the middle (two hours).
RUTH'S TRAIL: Across Mandicocha, this trail seems to continue forever. Good place to look for Jaguars (Trail named after founder?s mother).
Birdwatching
The area surrounding La Selva has perhaps the largest species list of birds in the neo-tropics due to its perfect location. This forest is full of birds and there are wondrous sights and sounds for all.
Get ready for the birding experience of a lifetime with expert native birding guides, the same ones who have led the famous expensive birding tours for over twenty years. The natives speak minimal English, but know the name of all the birds and, more importantly, how to find them and their sounds.
Come to the place where the Long-tailed Potoo was first seen, where the Ochre Striped Ant-pitta and the Cocha Antshrike were first documented; come to the world capital of the Zig-zag Heron. Come to the place where world-renowned bird guide author Ned Wheatley has stated in Where to Watch Birds in South America, that La Selva is "simply one of the world?s best birding sites."
