CUYABENO NATURE RESERVE
The Cuyabeno Nature Reserve is part of the massive Amazon rainforest and is located in the Ecuadoran provinces of Sucumbíos and Orellana. This protected area covers over 600,000 hectares or 2,300 square miles and is named after the Cuyabeno river. The reserve is bordered on the north by Colombia and by Peru to the east. The reserve is accessible via the town of Lago Agrio (East of Tarapoa) and into the park center by canoe or boat along the Cuyabeno River to various lodges near the Laguna Grande. The park area is home to several indigenous people, some of which still live according to their customs and traditional ways of life.Flora and Fauna
In the tropical rainforest, you can find rich vegetation, such as palm trees, bromeliads, ceibos, helicons, wild roses and orchids. So far over 60 different orchid species and 240 different species of trees have been recorded in the reserve. Many of the plants are used for medical purposes by indigenous Indians. There are over 560 species of birds and more than 350 different species of fish, 165 mammals, almost 100 amphibian and 90 species of reptiles. Most common fauna to be seen are hoatzins, parrots, monkeys, antebrates, caimans, piranhas, turtles, beetles and poisonous arrow-poisoned frogs; fresh water dolphins, belt animals and anacondas are occasionally sighted.
You can reach Lago Agrio from Quito by a 30-minute flight or an 8-hour bus ride. After 2 hours from Lago Agrio to El Puente, you will be transferred to a lodge canoe. No one can go to the Wildlife Park on their own. Only licensed guides and licensed tour organizers are allowed to take tourists into the lagoon and river system.
Environment
The Ecuadorian Amazon is hot, humid and rainy, with daily temperatures ranging from 23oC to 26oC (73oF to 79oF). The annual precipitation is about 3000 to 4000mm (118 to 159 inches) of rain, with a constant humidity level of 85 to 95 percent. The forest altitude is between 180 and 300 meters (590 to 990 feet) above sea level. Along the course of the Rio Cuyabeno are 14 small backwater swamps which flood during the rainy season – typically from April to July. These areas are almost completely dry in the summer season from December to March.
We will be pleased to organize an impressive tour of the Cuyabeno Nature Reserve.
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