LAGARTO COCHA EXPEDITION
Journey to the Last Untamed Amazon of Ecuador
4 DAYS/3 NIGHTS
- *Prices per person with a minimum of 2
- from $ 799
Payment methods
All payments must be made via bank transfer, credit card, (we use the platform WETRAVEL (2.9% fee) or deposit. All payments are required 30 days BEFORE the program begins.
Read the itinerary
Far beyond the well-traveled headwaters of the Amazon lies a place where few outsiders have ever
ventured: Lagarto Cocha—the “Crocodile Lake.” Hidden in Ecuador’s far northeastern frontier, along
the border with Peru and close to Colombia, this mysterious region is part of one of the world’s largest
trinational protected areas, protecting over 1.5 million hectares of pristine Amazon rainforest.
This is the Amazon as it has been for thousands of years: wild, raw, and untamed. An endless maze
of rivers, lakes, and swamps stretches in every direction. Here, directed by wind and currents,
enormous floating islands of vegetation drift across blackwater lakes, opening new channels and
closing others. Here, giant otters splash and hunt in noisy family groups, manatees graze in the still
waters, and pink river dolphins rise unexpectedly at the confluences of rivers. Here, the forest is alive
with wings, as herons, macaws, toucans, and the strange Hoatzin bird, a clumsy, prehistoric-looking
creature. Change to: Here, the forest is alive with wings of herons, macaws, toucans, and the strange
Hoatzin birds, the latter being a clumsy, prehistoric-looking creature.
Unlike other expeditions that take days of exhausting canoe travel to reach this remote corner, our
route gives you fast and direct access. You’ll fly from Quito to Coca in the morning, board an
incredibly fast (60km/h) public speedboat along the Napo River, and by late afternoon you’ll already
be at the Peruvian border, ready to begin your adventure. That means less time on the way, and more
time where it matters most – in the wild heart of Lagarto Cocha.
A Living Waterworld
Lagarto Cocha is not a forest you walk through – it is a forest you navigate. There are no trails or dry
paths connecting the lakes and swamps; everything here is linked by water. Every day, your boatman
and guide will read the water levels, scout the shifting mats of aquatic plants, and choose the routes
that nature has opened. This is not a scripted tour. It is true exploration.
At every bend, there is the possibility of a new encounter. Amazon dolphins – both the famous pink
species and their smaller grey cousins – hunt in the channels. The Paiche, one of the largest freshwater
fish in the world, reaching up to 3.5 meters. This fish has the habit of hunting for other fish right from
the surface of the water, with its back emerged so it is easy to spot. Monkeys leap across flooded
branches, while countless herons, kingfishers, and hawks keep watch from above. This ever-changing
landscape makes every visit unique. No two days are the same in Lagarto Cocha.
The Secoya People
For centuries, the Secoya community has lived in harmony with these waters. Today, only 7 families
still live along the Peruvian banks of the Lagarto Cocha River. As part of your expedition, you will
stay in their wooden homes, sleeping in tents set up inside as protection against the jungle’s insects.
Your meals will be simple, partially canned food, as it is logistically impossible to bring in cooled
food.
By traveling with us, you are not only discovering a hidden corner of the Amazon – you are also
supporting the Secoya people, ensuring that their traditions and their stewardship of the forest
continue into the future.
Wildlife Encounters
Each day is a safari by canoe, with opportunities for wildlife observation that rival anywhere else in
the Amazon. During your stay, you may encounter:
- Pink and Grey River Dolphins at river junctions;
- Manatees, shy giants of the lakes;
- Giant Otters, hunting in groups and making their distinctive calls;
- Paiche, enormous surface hunting fish of the lakes;
- Hoatzins, unique leaf-eating “prehistoric” birds;
- Macaws, toucans, herons, egrets, hawks, and countless other birds;
- Monkeys swinging through the canopy above;
- 3 species of Caiman.
Itinerary
Depending on means of transportation, transfer from Coca airport or bus station to hotel of choice.
Quito → Coca → Nuevo Rocafuerte
Morning flight (or night bus) from Quito to Coca. As 1 PM, Board the afternoon public speedboat
down the Napo River to Nuevo Rocafuerte (300km), the last Ecuadorian village before the Peruvian
border. Overnight at Hostal Chimborazo.
- 07:30 Transfer from hotel of choice to ferry pier.
- 08:00 Departure from Coca to Nuevo Rocafuerte (300 km) in the fast ferry to the border with Peru.
- 12:30 Arrival at Nuevo Rocafuerte.
- 13:00 Lunch.
- 14:00 Departure from Nuevo Rocafuerte to Yasuni National Park along the winding Yasuni River, observing wildlife.
- 15:30 Arrival at Lake Jatuncocha in Yasuni National Park a very scenic winding lake with many hidden bays and swamps.
- 16:00 Peddling excursion at Lake Jatuncoche to watch birds, monkeys and pink dolphins.
- 16:00 Watch the beautiful sunset from the lake for which the Amazon of Ecuador is so famous.
- 18:30 Dinner.
- 20:00 Night excursion to watch Caymans and other nocturnal fauna, like snakes, insects, spiders, etc.
- 22:00 Spend the night in tents.
Travel three hours upstream the River Aguarico to the mouth of the Lagartococha River. Stop at the
ranger station of Peru’s Protected Areas agency. Watch for dolphins where the to rivers meet before
continuing slowly upriver into the wilderness. Arrive at the Secoya community of “Puerto Estrella”
for your first night with your hosts.
- 05:30 Dawn Birdwatching from peddling canoe.
- 08:00 Breakfast.
- 10:00 Hiking and observing fauna along the Tapir Trail.
- 13:00 Lunch.
- 14:00 Peddling excursion on the lake.
- 16:00 Travel to the YACU WARMI COCAYA community cabins.
- 17:30 Interact with the Pink Dolphins at Cocaya. Facultative.
- 18:30 Dinner.
- 19:30 Night walk to look out for nocturnal animals like insects, frogs, toads, spiders, etc. This is one of the few places on the trip with a trail for night walks.
- 21:00 Spend the night in tents.
Exploration of the Lagartococha Lakes
Spend the day navigating the labyrinth of lakes, marshes, and creeks. Depending on the season and
water levels, your guide will open routes through floating plant islands to access hidden lakes. Watch
for dolphins, otters, and manatees, and marvel at the incredible birdlife. Overnight again with the
Secoyas.
- 05:30 Dawn visit of the claylick with Red and Blue Parrots followed by birdwathing, as the parrots only come down briefly. This is close to the community cabins
- 07:30 Breakfast.
- 8:30 Departure to the Lagartocoche area in the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, 3 hrs upstream the still virgin Aguarico River. Stop at the ranger station of Peru’s Protected Areas Agency. Spend the day navigating the labyrinth of lakes, marshes, and creeks. Depending on the season and water levels, your guide will open routes through floating plant islands to access hidden lakes. Watch for dolphins, otters, and manatees, and marvel at the incredible birdlife.
- 13:00 Arrival and Lunch at Lake Imuya in the Lagartocoche area. There are many lakes in this region and depending on conditions, this lake may be exchanged for another lake. In this part of the area, large parts of the water are covered with enormous beds of floating vegetation. Navigation requires searching for passageways through the vegetation and arrival at certain locations is not always possible as planned. Timing is very indicative as floating vegetation islands make timing difficult.
- 15:00 Excursion on the lake to watch the Paiches (the world’s largest fresh-water predator fish that hunts with its back above the water line) and lake birds in the lake and creeks.
- 17:00 Swimming and watching the beautiful sunset from the lake for which Cuyabeno is so famous.
- 19:00 Dinner.
- 20:30 Spend the night in tents.
Return to Coca
Say goodbye to your Secoya friends and departure early in the morning from Puerto Estrella to catch
the afternoon speedboat back from Nuevo Rocafuerte to Coca. Arrival in Coca at sunset.
- 05:30 Dawn Birdwatching.
- 08:00 Breakfast.
- 09:00 Departure to the Secoya-Puerto Estrella indigenous community.
- 12:00 Arrival, lunch and set up camp at the local indigenous community.
- 14:00 – 18:00 Watch wildlife and birds at the nearby lake.
- 19:00 Dinner.
- 20:00 Excursion to watch nocturnal life.
- 21:00 Spend the night in tents.
5 days or more
With an extension you can explore much more into this remarkable Amazon water world. In that case,
you would start out your expedition with a visit to Jatuncocha, the famous beautiful lake in Yasuni
National Park.
- 06:00 Breakfast.
- 07:00 Walk through the jungle with an Indian guide of the community to learn about plants and their uses.
- 12:00 Lunch.
- 13:00 Excursion in different lake. (Name unknown)
- 17:00 Swimming in the lake and watch the sunset from the lake.
- 19:00 Dinner.
- 21:00 Spend the night in tents.
- 05:00 Early morning birdwatching.
- 07:00 Breakfast.
- 08:00 Departure to Nuevo Rocafuerte along the Agua Rico River.
- 11:00 Arrival in Nuevo Rocafuerte.
- 11:30 Lunch.
- 12:00 Departure from Nuevo Rocafuerte to Coca in speedboat ferry.
- 17:00 Arrival in Coca.
- Transfer to hotel of choice in Coca
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