Napo Wildlife Center

a substantial and reliable property

Set close to the Rio Napo around 65 km east of Puerto Francisco de Orellana (El Coca) in the Yasuni Amazon area, Napo Wildlife Center is a relatively comfortable locally-owned property.

The lodge is set on the shore of the mysterious black-water Laguna Anangu, deep in the Amazon rainforest.

It is centred on an enormous viewing tower, comprised of seven thatch-roofed storeys, from the top of which there are superb views out over the lake and the surrounding forest, even as far as the distant Andes Mountains on a clear day.

An extensive main building contains lounge, bar and dining areas, as well as a small library and gift-shop.

Rooms

Guest accommodation at Napo Wildlife Center is in 20 rooms, which take the form of comfortable wooden cabañas, each with a ceiling fan, bathroom and private terrace with hammocks.

They come in five specifications …

• Standard Cabin : x12 : 52 sqm / 560 sqft : with one large and one small bed
• Connected Suites : x4 : 63 sqm : 680 sqft *
• Jacuzzi Suites : x2 : 63 sqm : 680 sqft : four-seater jacuzzi in bathroom
• Glass Suite : x1 : 63 sqm : 680 sqft : with glass-floored lounge
• Duplex Suite : x1 : 63 sqm : 680 sqft : with a second bedroom
• Four of the suites can be partitioned off for private groups or larger families.

Activities

• Motorboat safari
• Canoe safari
• Clay licks (for parrots and macaws)
• Walking safari
• Night walking safari
• Canopy observation towers
• Cultural interaction

The Yasuni Amazon area can be easily reached by air from Quito. It is most commonly combined in trips with the Bosque Nuboso to the north of the capital and the Galapagos Islands out in the Pacific.

Seasonality

The best time to visit the Yasuni Amazon area is generally considered to be the Apr-Oct dry season.

Although this area is dominated by tropical rainforest (which is usually indicative of a pretty stable year round climate), Yasuni actually experiences quite a considerable seasonal range.

Temperatures are quite stable year round, with peak daytime temperatures typically rising to around 31C/88F (peaking around 37C/98F), with nighttime temperatures dropping to 17C/63F. Given the high year-round humidities, these night conditions can be quite sticky and uncomfortable (yet none of the lodges offer air-conditioning). During the Nov-Mar rainy season those nighttime temperatures can be a few degrees higher, which doesn’t help.

If you don’t enjoy high temperatures, then Jun-Jul is the best bet, since southerly winds can bring in slightly cooler fronts.

But the biggest seasonal difference is rainfall. During the Nov-Mar rainy season the precipitation rises to around 300mm (6”) per month, which is pretty high. Downpours can be torrential and enduring. Whilst there’s still a lot of sunny weather around, it is possible to have consecutive days of overcast weather.

During the converse dry season rainfall drops to around 75mm (3”) per month, which means there are still regular showers, but they tend to be light and intermittent, with sunny weather prevailing.

Getting there

The Yasuni Amazon area can be easily accessed by regular internal flights from the capital Quito into Francisco de Orellana Airport in Puerto Francisco de Orellana (El Coca).

It’s also often possible to connect the same day from Lima in Peru. But connections in from most other locations (including Galápagos) typically require a stopover in the Quito area.

On rare occasions we undertake the journey from Quito the Yasuni Amazon by road, which is a wonderful journey, but which does necessitate a night at each of Antisana and El Coca.

To reach the Napo Lodge, it is necessary to El Coca to reach the river port of La Misión, then travel by motorboat down the Rio Napo for 65 km (40 miles), a journey of around 3 hours, to reach a landing jetty (where there are restrooms).

The lodge itself is located around a remote ox-box lake, set deep within the forest, around 4 km (2.5 miles) from the main river. The last leg usually involves a 2 hour journey in an open hand-propelled canoe, along a pretty, shaded channel, with chances of early encounters with various birds and monkeys in the overhanging trees, as well as caimans and giant otters in the water.

About every three years, usually around Sep-Oct, this channel can dry up, meaning that these last few kilometres have to be covered on foot, mostly along rather muddy and potentially difficult trails.

an interesting and diverse jungle experience