Discover the Amazon: 2 Days at Tena Amazon Lodge
A short Arajuno River break with a night walk, clay lick birdwatching, the Pañayaku reserve and Caiman Island
- Difficulty: Easy
- Bilingual guide included
- Full board, self-service
- Pool, kayaks and tubing
- Clay lick birdwatching
- Departures any day
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Duration2 days / 1 night
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Group sizeUp to 15 travellers per guide
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DifficultyEasy
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DepartureArajuno River Bridge (Puente del Rio Arajuno) at 12:00, then 20 minutes by motorised canoe to the lodge
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Departure daysMonday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Any other day can be opened with a minimum of 3 travellers.
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LanguagesEnglish and Spanish
Tour overview
This Tena Amazon Lodge tour proves one night is enough to change the rhythm. You meet us at the Arajuno River Bridge at midday, board a motorised canoe and zigzag twenty minutes upriver to Tena Amazon Lodge, near Tena, surrounded by tropical forest on every side.
The afternoon is yours: an interpretive hike around the lodge, then the pool, the kayaks, the catamaran nets or simply a hammock by the river. After dinner we go out again for a night walk built around sound, when the frogs and insects take over the forest.
Day two starts before the light, at the saladero, a natural clay lick and one of the few still preserved in the Ecuadorian Amazon, where birds gather at dawn. Afterwards we visit the Pañayaku reserve, Caiman Island and the Sharayaku Kichwa community, depending on conditions.
We are a local Ecuadorian operator and we run the Tena Amazon Lodge tour ourselves, with a bilingual guide, full board and all river transport included. Departures any day of the week. If you would like an extra day on the river, there is also a 3-day, 2-night version of this programme.
Itinerary
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Day 1: Welcome to the Amazon
We meet you at the Arajuno River Bridge at 12:00 and take a 20-minute motorised canoe ride, zigzagging along the river to the lodge while you take in the Amazonian landscape and the fresh air. Welcome and check-in, then a self-service lunch prepared with local ingredients. In the afternoon, a one-hour interpretive hike around the lodge to learn about the vegetation and how the tropical rainforest works. Free time afterwards for the pool, the lodge facilities or the river. Dinner at the lodge, then a night walk focused on the sounds of the jungle, where you hear the chorus of Amazonian frogs and insects. Return to the lodge and rest.
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Day 2: Amazonian culture and nature
Early departure for birdwatching around the lodge, when the jungle is at its quietest, including a visit to the saladero, a natural clay lick and one of the few still preserved in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Self-service breakfast at the lodge. Then a visit to the Pañayaku reserve, Caiman Island and the Sharayaku Kichwa community, depending on the weather and operating conditions of the day: all of them a chance to see conservation projects, local wildlife and the natural areas that define the region. Return to the lodge for lunch and check-out.
What's included
Included
- Motorised canoe transport for all activities
- Accommodation in your selected room category
- Bilingual guide, English and Spanish
- Full board, served self-service or buffet style
- All excursions and activities in the itinerary, in shared groups
- Life jackets, rain ponchos and rubber boots (EU sizes 34 to 45; bring your own if your size is outside that range)
- Unlimited water, coffee and tea dispensers in the dining areas
- Starlink satellite internet in the common areas
- Towels, shampoo and biodegradable soaps in the room
- Electricity in every room, powered by solar panels
- Safe at reception
- Use of kayaks during your stay, subject to availability and weather
Not included
- Transfer Quito to Arajuno River Bridge and back. Door-to-door service available at an extra cost
- Entrance fees to the Kichwa community and the Pañayaku reserve: USD 10 per person, subject to change
- Alcoholic drinks and personal expenses
- Additional meals
- Gratuities
- Extra activities such as rafting or the ayahuasca ceremony
What to bring
- Long-sleeved shirts, 2 or more
- Comfortable trousers, 2 or more (no jeans)
- Shorts and T-shirts, 2 or more of each
- Socks, one pair per day
- Trainers and/or sandals
- Warm jacket and sweater
- Swimsuit for the pool and the river
- Biodegradable or natural soap and shampoo
- Sunglasses and camera
- Small waterproof backpack
- Mosquito repellent and sunscreen
- Hat or cap
- Torch with spare batteries for the night walk
- Binoculars (optional)
- Reusable water bottle and towel
- Personal medication
- Dry bags for gear, clothes and documents
- Passport or ID card (copy or photo)
Good to know
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How do I reach the lodge?
Every Tena Amazon Lodge tour starts at the Arajuno River Bridge at 12:00, with a 20-minute motorised canoe ride to the lodge. The Quito to Arajuno River Bridge journey is not included in the price, but we can arrange a door-to-door transfer for an extra cost.
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Is there Wi-Fi and electricity at the lodge?
Yes. The lodge has Starlink satellite internet in the common areas, and every room has electricity powered by solar panels. There is no internet in the rooms and no air conditioning, which is part of what keeps the place quiet.
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Am I likely to see a lot of wildlife?
This area is above all about culture, landscape and connecting with the rainforest. Wildlife sightings happen, especially birds at the clay lick and around the Pañayaku reserve and Caiman Island, but they can be limited depending on the season. We prefer to say so up front.
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What extra costs should I budget for?
USD 10 per person for entrance to the Kichwa community and the Pañayaku reserve, subject to change; alcoholic drinks and personal expenses; tips; and any additional meals. Activities such as rafting or the ayahuasca ceremony are charged separately.
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What are meal times and what is the food like?
All included meals are self-service, prepared with local ingredients and with a variety of options. Breakfast is served at 8:00 a.m. Water, coffee and tea dispensers in the dining areas are unlimited and included.
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Can the order of activities change?
Yes. The order may vary for weather, operational or safety reasons, and the day 2 excursion visits the Pañayaku reserve, Caiman Island and the Sharayaku Kichwa community depending on conditions. Programmes starting on a Friday include tubing or a community activity.
More tours in Tena Amazon Lodge
Tubing on the Arajuno, a three-hour rainforest hike, the Kichwa community and cacao from tree to cup
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Tubing and kayaking included
- Three-hour rainforest hike
- Kichwa community day
- Full board included
Kichwa community day, clay lick birdwatching and an artisanal chocolate workshop
- Difficulty: Easy
- Kichwa community day
- Chocolate workshop included
- Full board included
- Starlink Wi-Fi in common areas
