Four Worlds of Ecuador

Leading the Climate Conversation

Presented by:

Ministerio de Turismo

JOURNEY TO THE JUNGLE

The largest tropical rain forest in the world, the vast Amazon jungle spreads into nine South American nations—and Ecuador offers the easiest access to it.

Awareness of this unique and precious environment led UNESCO to name two Biosphere Reserves within the Amazon: Sumaco and Yasuni national parks are tropical forests with highly diverse fauna and vegetation. In fact, one in ten known species in the world is found in the Amazon.

A WEALTH OF WILDLIFE

Uncommon adventures thrill ecologically minded visitors. Imagine paddling a canoe or kayak and witnessing monkeys, toucans, parrots, and other creatures in their natural habitat. On guided wildlife excursions through forest trails, visitors also may come upon jaguars, ocelots, capybaras, tapirs, anacondas, armadillos, boa constrictors, piranhas, and perhaps even species not yet named.

Birders flock to jungle lodges along the banks of the Napo, Pastaza, and Aquarico rivers, where the comforts of first-class meals and soft beds await them.

Tena, with many rivers flowing through and around it, is also a popular starting point for jungle adventures as well as visits to local tribes. The Quichua of the Upper Napo River are among many Amazonian communities that have retained their ancestors' traditions, customs, and beliefs. Medicinal plants nearby have served as their natural pharmacy for centuries. And natural phenomena, such as the hot springs of Papallacta, are said by indigenous people to possess curative powers.

Whether embarking on a dawn bird-watching trip, rafting rain forest rivers, or taking a nighttime hike in a place such as El Coca to see nocturnal wildlife, a trip here reminds us of how precious and irreplaceable the Amazon Basin is.