River Exploration
The Amazon River is one of the largest rivers in the world, and it is the largest drainage system in terms of volume and flow. Kapawi Ecolodge, located in the Sacred Headwaters of the Amazon, allows visitors to spend time in nature exploring 4 different rivers.
Our river explorations take place in the Pastaza, Capahuari, Kusutkau, and Ishpingo Rivers. Through active adventures as well as relaxing explorations, our visitors explore these calm rivers as part of a learning experience about the Amazon, its people, wildlife and biodiversity.
Every river exploration from Kapawi takes our guests through the winding veins of this dreamlike landscape and deep into the heart of the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest. Launch from our dock and into the Capahuari river for magnificent animal & wildlife encounters. You might even spot a river dolphin!
- Paddle a Kayak upriver to a secluded stream or sit back and relax on a sunset ride down the Capahuari.
?- Join a birdwatching boat ride at dawn for a glimpse into the unique biodiversity that is all around Kapawi.
- Once the sun sets, our guests have the opportunity to take a night ride along the moonlit passageways encompassed in the lively nocturnal sounds of crickets, toads, kaymen, and screechers.
Achuar Immersion
To learn about the local culture one must spend time with the people, try the local food, participate in local activities, and appreciate the local customs. Whether you are exploring the forest with a community member, visiting a local family to learn about Achuar culture, gastronomy, medicinal plants, and handicrafts, or even spending a night or two in a community, our experiences are designed to give you a unique and authentic cultural experience.
Some of our most unique experiences at Kapawi are those closely connected with the Achuar People, Achuar culture and the Achuar's unique connection with the spirit of the Amazon Rainforest. Our guests have many opportunities to visit Achuar communities and learn about Achuar life, participate in a ceremony and gain wisdom from community leaders. Guests can spend a day with the Achuar, visit an Achuar house & farm, or go explore the forest with a community member. On special occasions, guests have the opportunity to spend the night at either of the Wayusentsa, Tiinkias or Sharamentsa communities.
Wellness
Wellness at Kapawi Ecolodge means participating in the active process of becoming aware of yourself and your surroundings. The Amazon Rainforest's biodiversity and natural settings are sources of restoration, well-being, relaxation, and disconnection from the stress of life.
From the architecture and design of our facilities to our wellness programs, we offer an experience focused on providing our guests with a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle. Wellness is more than being free from suffering and illness; it is a dynamic and mindful process of change and growth.
The remote, disconnected & healing nature of the Amazon rainforest is at the center of our health and wellness offerings at Kapawi. Kapawi's natural sanctuary is a transformational location to practice mind and body healing. Guests have access to peaceful & silent communal spaces for yoga & meditation. We host yoga retreats, workshops, and classes at different times throughout the year. Please inquire with us directly to find this specific experience at Kapawi. The Achuar believe in the power of meditation to bring clarity and focus to one's life, they refer to meditation as 'concentration'. We bring this experience to Kapawi through or open and inviting spaces around the lodge for guests to engage in their own meditation practice.
Hiking
No two Kapawi hikes and treks are the same. That’s because the way you experience Kapawi will be designed to fit your particular interests while connecting you with the rainforest and with the Achuar people.
?Kapawi is located in southeastern Ecuador, in a region of lowland Amazon Rainforest characterized by meandering rivers like the Pastaza, Capahuari, and Kusutkau rivers. Our 20 km. trail system offers a wide array of hikes of varying lengths and levels of difficulty.
Much of the Amazon's beauty is found in the smaller details of Kapawi's natural sanctuary. Join your guide in the opportunity to experience, connect and learn about the biodiversity of the Amazon rainforest on foot. Our guides are all members of the neighboring Achuar communities & have grown up trekking throughout the trail systems surrounding Kapawi. The Achuar people trek for days through the forest to visit other communities, harvesting medicinal plants, or find sacred trees to hold a ceremony.
During your hike, you will learn from the wisdom of the Amazon and Achuar people. The Achuar believe that these disconnected journeys into nature bring clarity and confidence in your vision and focus of your life. The Achuar will teach you how to see the forest as a pharmacy and even provide you with a natural mosquito repellent if you are lucky! As people indigenous to this land and born naturalists, our guides have a sixth-since for the whereabouts of animals, birds & insects at all times. They will look for wildlife encounter opportunities for our guests, like a newly discovered giant otter den, a sloths tree, or a horn screamer's nest. Your guide can also take you to the location of one of our camera traps.
