Amazon, Ecuador
La Selva Lodge
With a gloriously isolated location right in the midst of the Ecuadorian Amazon, and benefiting from strong ties to the local indigenous people, La Selva Lodge is a place where you can immerse yourself in the nature and culture of this abundant ecosystem.
With a gloriously isolated location right in the midst of the Ecuadorian Amazon, and benefiting from strong ties to the local indigenous people, La Selva Lodge is a place where you can immerse yourself in the nature and culture of this abundant ecosystem.
With a gloriously isolated location right in the midst of the Ecuadorian Amazon, and benefiting from strong ties to the local indigenous people, La Selva Lodge is a place where you can immerse yourself in the nature and culture of this abundant ecosystem.
With a gloriously isolated location right in the midst of the Ecuadorian Amazon, and benefiting from strong ties to the local indigenous people, La Selva Lodge is a place where you can immerse yourself in the nature and culture of this abundant ecosystem.
Location
La Selva Lodge is a journey of about 90km from the Amazonian settlement of Coca, down the Napo River. From here, the lodge is about a mile from the river, on a hillside overlooking Garzacocha Lake. Your journey to this isolated location will involve a plane, a motorised canoe, a normal canoe and a bit of walking, but that is all part of the adventure.
Accommodation
With a maximum of just 50 guests spread between 19 small thatched houses of varying sizes, La Selva Lodge is a relatively intimate affair. The accommodation, made from sustainably-sourced secondary forest, is airy and light, with large windows looking out onto the lake or into the rainforest. The colour scheme is neutral, natural and relaxing and it certainly won’t detract from the most important thing; the environment outside. We recommend asking for a cabin with a terrace, complete with hammock and tub.
The communal areas are mainly housed in the octagonal reception building, just near the dock. This is where you will find the restaurant and bar, along with an observation deck in the roof. From here, you can train your binoculars on the abundant wildlife that can be seen flying, swinging, walking or hopping through the lodge’s surroundings. The dock on the lake is the place where many choose to soak up the sun or have a dip, and it’s where you will depart for adventures by kayak.
The spacious restaurant and bar provide panoramic views across the lake whilst producing fare that is varied, wholesome and delicious. This is quite some feat, given the isolation of the lodge, but ingredients are largely locally sourced, particularly from the on-site gardens. Further inland from the lake is a spa building where you can join yoga classes, and then there is a further observation tower deeper in the forest from where you can look out over the enormous vista of the Amazon rainforest.
You won’t be surprised to hear that La Selva lodge works with and supports local communities. A monthly stipend supports local schools and other projects, and the lodge gives stable reliable employment whilst being closely involved in Fundación Bolivar Education.
You won’t be surprised to hear that La Selva lodge works with and supports local communities. A monthly stipend supports local schools and other projects, and the lodge gives stable reliable employment whilst being closely involved in Fundación Bolivar Education.
Experiences
- There is a great variety of self-guided and naturalist-led hiking options. You will see wonderful orchids, ferns, marmosets, monkeys and hundreds of birds.
- If you are feeling adventurous, then you could take an unforgettable guided jungle camping trip.
- A visit to a parrot clay-lick will enable you to watch dozens of beautiful birds as they feed on the mineral-rich clay. These are just one type of hundreds of bird species in the area, which is said to have more species than the whole of the USA and Canada combined.
- A night-time walk will put you in close contact with the many species of frogs that make the lake and forest their home. Will you see the eyes of a puma glinting in the searchlight?
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