Kapawi Ecolodge and Reserve

How this lodge promotes good stewardship of the environment:

The founding vision of Kapawi Ecolodge and Reserve is to create – in one of the most remote environments in the world – a haven of ease, good taste, and understated luxury.

To this end, skilled Achuar craftsmen came together to build a series of comfortable cabins in the vernacular style of the rainforest, using local materials but upgraded in design and furnishings to appeal to the tastes and requirements of today’s traveler.
A raised boardwalk connects all of the guest’s cabins and the several large communal buildings at Kapawi, all of which rest on stilts around the edge of an ephemeral lagoon crowded with plant and bird life.

Each of the thatched roof guest cabins is an expression of authentic, traditional Achuar design concepts, meaning that they are attractive, spacious, sustainable, well-ventilated, and creature-proof.
Each cabin has a spacious screened-in sleeping area and private bath with solar heated water available on most afternoons (depending on weather). Cabins are fully screened – windows, floors, roofs – and each bed has its own mosquito net.

Every room is equipped with a security box. On your room you can relax in a hammock or deck chair and observe the daily visitors: ducks, hummingbirds, egrets, and kingfishers. You can listen to the night music of the multitude of frogs and other nocturnal creatures.

What To Do:

Achuar Community Visits, This is one of our most popular activities offered in Kapawi lodge, because of the significant cultural contribution to the Achuar people. Guests will have a chance to visit a community and its members and purchase some traditional handicrafts. Also learn about their way of life, society, culture and nature that surround them in their home, the fabulous Ecuador Amazon Jungle., All the tours include a Native Guide and a Naturalistic Guide., , Camping Trip in the community- Kapawi Lodge, Offers an overnight trip where guests are invited into a traditional Achuar village in order to participate in the activities of daily life. Guests can interact with the local people and also take part in the traditional ceremonies of drinking guayusa, a black tea that plays an integral part of Achuar society. Ceremonies usually begin early in the morning by drinking guayusa (guayusa has no side effects) which will purify the stomach. While drinking guayusa around a campfire, an Achuar man will interpret the participants’ dreams. This trip is a unique experience where guests can begin to understand the daily lives of the Achuar people., , Night Walk or Canoe Ride, explore the jungle, After sunset, the rainforest seems to transform as many nocturnal animals are just emerging. Guests can experience these different species and stimuli through two options. A night walk around the hotel will allow guests to observe the many insects, amphibians, and reptiles that inhabit the forest. On the other hand, Kapawi offers a tranquil canoe ride down the river where guests will be able to search for caimans, birds and nocturnal monkeys. All of this exploration is done under the beautiful starlit night sky., , Kayaking and River Activities in the Amazon Rainforest, One of the best ways to experience the immediate areas surrounding the Lodge is to use a kayak to explore the river. Guests are encouraged to explore the various tributaries, islands, and lakes connected to the river. Kayaking can be done by people of all skill levels, including the adventurous explorers and those looking to relax and enjoy the slow meandering current. While on the river, kayakers will have a great opportunity to see many different species of fish and even the pink river dolphin. As the river is quite calm, the river is a perfect opportunity to go for a refreshing swim., , Self-guided Trail, A walk through the Amazon Rainforest- Our path through the Amazon rainforest allows guests of all ages, interests, and abilities to enjoy the amazing flora and fauna of the area. Along the path, guests will find informative signs that will explain the sights and sounds of the rainforest. It is truly an area to experience as the Amazon rainforest will activate all of the senses as you walk through it., , Bird Watching at the jungle, The Ecolodge is located in the southeastern part of the Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest, deep within the Amazon jungle. Because of the extreme biodiversity of the Lodge´s location, Kapawi is an ideal site for amateur bird lovers and Ornithologist alike. While at the Ecolodge, guests have a fantastic opportunity to spot rare birds indigenous to the area. A clay lick, where macaws feed in great numbers, is easily within walking distance from the lodge and is active year round. Additionally, blue and yellow macaws can be seen eating sand from one of the islands in the Pastaza River at certain times of the year., , Additional Rainforest Excursions, Private Canoe River Cruise by Candlelight – $150 per couple, Embark by canoe upriver accompanied by a bottle of wine, candlelight, snacks and comfortable cushions to experience an entertaining and cozy time. We will turn off the motor and allow the canoe to follow the river´s current, allowing you to listen to the sounds of the jungle, observing the star-filled sky, creating a magical and unique experience., Romantic Ceremony at Kapawi $250.00, We invite you to share in a unique experience of a promise of love with your partner at the Kapawi Ecolodge & Reserve led by the Lodge Director, followed by a romantic candlelit dinner with a glass of wine. Your room will be waiting for you with special decorations for the occasion., Achuar Wedding in the Community $500.00, Visit a home in one of the Achuar communities which will open its doors to you in with a warm welcome so you can enjoy an extraordinary Wedding. The Achuar people will take care of creating the wedding of your dreams led by the community´s Shaman (Medicine Man), who will perform a cleansing of the couple so that their married life begins or continues in the best way possible. You may stay the night camping with special decorations and then participate in the Wayusa Ceremony at daybreak, drinking this traditional beverage while the wise Achuar people interpret your dreams., Natem Ceremony $160.00 per person, During a visit to an Achuar Community where each one of the visitors will introduce themselves, the Shaman (Medicine Man) will prepare Natem (a drink that comes from an infusion of the root of the Ayahuasca plant) which will allow him to discover both the physical and spiritual issues of the visitors. The Shaman will invite you to enjoy the drink and later perform a cleansing of each of the integrated visitors.

What They Have:

Getting There:

Airport Information:

Shell - Mera

Transportation Information:

Located deep in the Achuar territory, far from any town, roads or any kind of civilization, in one word… Pristine.
This Amazon Rain­forest Lodge is situ­ated deep in the nearly two mil­lion acres of the Achuar people’s tra­di­tional ter­rit­ory near the con­flu­ence of the Pas­taza and Capahuari Rivers-the former a major, the lat­ter a minor trib­u­tary of the Amazon-near the bor­der between Ecuador and Peru.
This Ama­zon jun­gle area is one of the most re­mote and well-pro­tected parts of the west­ern Ama­zon Basin. It is a re­mote and pris­tine re­gion, un­touched by log­ging, min­ing or pe­tro­leum ex­trac­tion.
The clos­est road is a ten-day walk from the Ama­zon lodge. The rivers are not nav­i­ga­ble to the lodge from the near­est out­posts of civ­i­liza­tion. Ka­pawi is ac­ces­si­ble only by air.

The en­trance to the jungle lodge and to Achuar ter­rit­ory, fly­ing in a small plane over the un­in­ter­rup­ted vast­ness of green triple-can­opy rain­forest, is one of the unique high­lights a visit to Ka­pawi provides.
Your of­fi­cial Ama­zon Jun­gle ex­cur­sion be­gins in Shell, near the Ama­zon­ian fron­tier town of Puyo. This is the head­quar­ters for the Achuar peo­ple out­side of their rain­for­est ter­ri­tory.
Shell can be reached over­land from Quito in about four and one-half hours by pub­lic bus, or by private car, van or motor coach. The route from Quito travels south through the spec­tac­u­lar “Av­enue of the Vol­ca­noes”, then des­cends to the im­port­ant tour­ist cen­ter of Baños. Shell is then an hour away, down the majestic Pas­taza River canyon, filled with wa­ter­falls and a beau­ti­ful en­trance to the Amazon rain­forest.