Getting ready for Cuyabeno is simpler than most people expect, because the hard parts are not yours to solve. The lodge feeds you, lends you boots and takes you out on the water. What you actually have to organise is two things: your own way to Puente Cuyabeno by 11:00 a.m. on day 1, and a bag packed for heat, rain and mosquitoes.
Here is what to sort out, based on how our four Cuyabeno programmes really run from Cuyabeno Dolphin Lodge, the lodge we own inside the reserve.
Getting yourself to Puente Cuyabeno
All four tours meet at Puente Cuyabeno, the bridge over the Cuyabeno River, at 11:00 a.m. From there we take over. On the 3-day, 4-day and 5-day programmes a motorised canoe carries you downriver to the lodge, where lunch is waiting. The 6-day is different: the canoe takes you as far as Paso del Tigre, you switch to a traditional paddle canoe, lunch is a box lunch on the route, and you reach the lodge at sunset after roughly six hours of paddling.
No programme includes the leg from Quito to that bridge. Two ways to do it:
- Overnight bus. A public or private bus from Quito the night before your day 1: around 8 hours on the 3-day itinerary, around 10 on the other three. You leave the city the evening before.
- Fly the day before. Lago Agrio is the gateway town, and every itinerary returns through it. Flying means sleeping in the area instead of on a bus.
Which programme to book
Four lengths, and the difference is more than the number of nights:
- Cuyabeno 3-Day Rainforest Escape: easy, departing Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Laguna Grande at sunset, a three-hour hike in primary forest, a night canoe ride after caimans. No community day.
- Cuyabeno 4-Day Jungle and Community Tour: easy, departing Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. Our best seller, and the shortest programme with a full day at the Siona community of Tarabeaya and their shaman.
- Cuyabeno 5-Day Amazon Expedition: moderate, departing Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays. Adds the flooded forest by canoe and a complete paddling day.
- Cuyabeno 6-Day Paddling Expedition: moderate, departures every day with a minimum of two passengers. Day 1 swaps the motor for a paddle canoe at Paso del Tigre: six hours in near silence, when animals stay close.
What to pack
Same list for all four tours. Light clothes that dry fast, nothing heavy:
- Clothes: two or more long-sleeved shirts and pairs of comfortable trousers (no jeans), shorts and T-shirts, socks for each day, a swimsuit, and a warm jacket and sweater for the journey.
- Footwear: trainers and sandals. Rubber boots are provided.
- Sun and insects: mosquito repellent, sunscreen, a hat or cap, sunglasses.
- For the excursions: a small waterproof backpack, dry bags for gear and documents, a reusable water bottle, a towel, a torch with spare batteries, binoculars if you have them.
- Personal: biodegradable or natural soap and shampoo, a first-aid kit, your camera, and your original passport or ID card.
The torch is not optional: every programme has activity after dark, from the arrival-night walk to the canoe expeditions after caimans.
What you do not need to bring
The lodge lends the bulky things:
- Rubber boots in EU sizes 34 to 45. If your foot is outside that range, bring your own pair – the one gap worth checking before you fly.
- Rain poncho and life jacket for the excursions, plus camping tents.
- Mosquito nets. Rooms are double or triple, with mosquito nets and a private bathroom. The 3-day tour also lists bed linen among its inclusions.
- Food and water. Full board on every programme, plus purified water, coffee and tea. On travel days you get a box lunch on the route.
The cash to carry
Ecuador uses the US dollar. A few things you pay on the spot, not in your booking, so bring small notes for:
- The community visit, USD 10 per person, and the shaman, USD 10 per person, paid separately. On the 3-day and the 6-day you pay the fee only if the activity takes place.
- Meals before and after the tour, in Quito or on the road.
- Your bus or flight to Puente Cuyabeno and back.
- Gratuities, if you choose to.
On the 3-day the community day is not in the itinerary, but we can arrange it. The community comes to the lodge on request, at the same USD 10 each.
Wi-Fi: plan to be offline
We built the lodge for a proper disconnect. The 3-day, 4-day and 5-day programmes do not include Wi-Fi. If you have to stay reachable, an internet plan costs USD 15 per device per day at the lodge. On the 3-day you can also buy it in advance instead, at USD 30 per device for the whole trip. The 6-day itinerary lists no internet option, so ask us when you book. Tell whoever is waiting on you at home that you will be offline.
How fit you need to be
None of the four requires jungle experience. The 3-day and 4-day carry an easy rating. Their hardest moments are a three-hour walk on forest trails and, on the 4-day, an afternoon paddling a traditional canoe. Both run at a relaxed pace with your guide.
The 5-day and 6-day are moderate. The 5-day adds several hours of paddling on its canoeing day. The 6-day is the most active tour we run in the reserve. Day 1 carries a medium-high rating, at about six hours of paddling. Then days 2 to 5 run around eight hours each. That paddling day depends on the water level: in the dry season there can be a couple of weeks when it is not viable, so we confirm conditions before you travel.
One expectation to set now: pink dolphins live in these waters and looking for them is part of the trip, but sightings depend on water levels, season and luck. We never guarantee them.
Ready to plan your days in Cuyabeno?
We own and run Cuyabeno Dolphin Lodge: the guide, the canoe, the room and the food come from one team. So the people who will be there answer your packing question. Rates are on request. Start with our best seller, the Cuyabeno 4-Day Jungle and Community Tour, compare all four on the Cuyabeno Reserve page, browse the rest of our tours, or send us a WhatsApp at +593 98 094 2338 and we will tell you which length fits your dates.
