Yasuní National Park (Coca)

One of the most biodiverse places on Earth: travel from Coca down the Napo River to rainforest eco-lodges, with parrot clay licks, canopy towers and Kichwa communities.

Yasuní National Park lies in the Amazon lowlands of eastern Ecuador. Covering about 9,800 km², it was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1989 and is considered one of the most biodiverse places on Earth: per unit area, its numbers of tree, amphibian and insect species rank among the highest in the world, and about 600 bird species have been recorded. It is also the homeland of the Waorani people, and deep in the forest live Indigenous groups who refuse contact with the outside world. The gateway for visitors is Puerto Francisco de Orellana, capital of Orellana Province, commonly known as Coca. Coca is about 30 minutes by air or 8–10 hours by bus from Quito. From the riverfront dock in Coca, motorized longboats head downstream on the Napo River for 2–3 hours to the various rainforest eco-lodges, where you switch to canoes to paddle into tributary lakes. Most visits are 3–5-day lodge packages led by guides and Indigenous boatmen, with meals, lodging and activities included. Highlights include watching parrots at clay licks on the banks of the Napo in the early morning, birdwatching at treetop level from canopy towers or canopy walkways, night canoe trips to spot caimans, and visiting Kichwa communities such as Añangu. Around Coca you can also visit Limoncocha Lake and the Archaeological Museum of Orellana in town before or after your rainforest stay. It is hot, humid and rainy year-round with no distinct dry season; in Aug–Sep water levels are lower and the parrot clay licks are most active. Before traveling, get a yellow fever vaccination and seek advice on malaria prevention; bring long-sleeved clothing, rain gear and insect repellent. Lodges provide rubber boots.

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