Join us in this Amazon adventure from Francisco
de Orellana Iquitos, Peru to Coca Ecuador
Since we are an Ecuadorian tour company, we are not authorized to
work in tourism while in Peru. We may only provide river transport
from Pantoja to Iquitos Peru. Please be advised that during our
travels in the Peruvian Amazon we will spend some nights in hotels,
camping on a beach along the shores of the Napo River or spend a
night with a local family.
While spending the night with these families our guests will not be
provided with basic services such as restrooms, showers, electricity
and any form of communication. Our guest must be flexible as to
eating hours while we are travelling downstream on the Napo. We
will travel from 8 to 12 hours per day.
Day
One:
We make an early start from Iquitos Peru at 6h00 from the main port
in Iquitos. A speedboat awaits us for our departure for Mazan up
the Amazon River. Upon our arrival in Mazan, we take a motor car
taxi to the shores of the Napo River where our second public
transport boat awaits us. We take this public transportation to
Santa Clotilde and spend a night in this Peruvian jungle town.
Other options include camping on the river or if you wish, we could
spend the night with a local indigenous family. Your security is
important to us and we will always make sure we stay at a safe and
secure site during the night.
Please note, if there is another form of transportation in Santa
Clotilde, we will immediately depart for Pantoja Peru or to the
Ecuadorian border town of Nueva Rocafuerte.
Day
Two:
After breakfast, we continue our travels up the Napo and travel
until sunset. Water levels permitting, we will look for an ideal
campsite on a beach. It may also be possible to spend the night in
one of the locals’ homes. Remember, the climate in the Amazon is
known to change quickly and this also may influence where we sleep
in the evenings.
Day
Three:
After breakfast, we prepare for our private river transport to our
destiny, the Peruvian border town of Pantoja. After completing
border procedures, we travel 1 ½ hours upstream to the Ecuadorian
border town of Nueva Rocafuerte. Here you will sleep in a
comfortable bed and enjoy a nice hot shower.
Day
Four:
Today we have an early morning start (5h00) as we continue our
travels up the Napo to our final destination, Coca Ecuador. Please
note that we travel up the Napo in a public transport boat filled
with cargo and people and it might be a good idea to have a book,
for this long 12-15 trip upriver.
It is important to be flexible for this trip as upon a rare
occasion, the boat arrives the following day in Coca. Always be
prepared for adventure when travelling on a river through the
Amazon. Assuming we arrive on schedule at approximately 19h00, a
comfortable private room and bathroom awaits you at the Hotel San
Fermin in Coca. You may also invite yourself to one of the many
restaurants that exist in Coca. Please note that dinner is not
included in the price during your stay in Coca. END OF TRIP.
Types
of Transport:
Type of
Transport
Length in
Metres
Width in
Metres
Passenger
Capacity
HP Motor
Eco/Yamaha
From - To
Speed Boat
10
3.00
20
200
Iquitos-Mazan
Motor Car
2.5
1.20
2
125 Yamaha
Mazan-Napo
River
Private
Motor Boat
12
1.50
6
45
Sta.
Clotilde-Nueva Rocafuerte
Public Boat
Transport
25
3.00
60
175 (2
motors)
Nueva
Rocafuerte-Coca
Please be advised that we are not responsible for weather
conditions, mechanical problems, trip delays (# of days), river
conditions etc., during your trip. Time is looked at differently in
developing countries and your patience would be greatly
appreciated. Should we run into problems along the river, our “No
Refund” policy will hold through. For much of the duration of these
trips you will be without basic services, especially while camping
or spending the night with an indigenous family. Please note that
will always have clean drinking water for you during your trip.
Please be sure you have personal medications with you, should you
require these.
Our clients may be interested in our video explaining our Ecuador to
Peru trip. The images and footage will give you an idea of our trip
from Coca to Iquitos.
We
look forward to meeting and travelling with you!
History of the Napo River
In February 1541, Gonzalo Pizarro set out from Quito in search
of El Dorado and cinnamon with over 10,000 animals and humans
including over 200 Spaniards, 4,000 indigenous people, 2,000
pigs, and much the same in numbers for llamas, horses and dogs.
Francisco de Orellana joined the expedition at Sumaco without
knowing the severe problems that the Pizarro expedition faced.
A 100 of the expedition members died from cold exposure,
twenty-five miles outside of Quito in the Andean highlands. The
expedition also faced many difficulties including Indian
attacks, crossing mountain ranges, hacking through forests,
crossing rivers, traveling through heavy rains and facing
hunger, sickness and death.
When Pizarro and Orellana joined forces, more of the same
problems still occurred. To avoid starvation, expedition
members ate all their llamas, dogs, horses and desperately
searched for the help of indigenous tribes to avoid starvation.
Since this expedition was desperately going wrong, Orellana
suggested that he be allowed to continue downriver from the
junction of the Coca and Cosanga Rivers in search for food.
Both he and Pizarro agreed that Orellana would look for and
return with food for the other members of the expedition.
Orellana left with about 56 men and a newly constructed rustic
boat leaving Pizarro and 140 men behind. Eventually, Pizarro
and his depleted crew arrived at the junction of the Coca and
the Napo but many of the expedition members had died and
Orellana had already left downriver on the Napo to discover the
Amazon River. Pizarro felt betrayed since Orellana did not
return with food but it would have been impossible to paddle
upriver against the current and Orellana moved on facing Indian
attacks from the many tribes he encountered. Orellana was very
violent and cruel towards any tribe that did not cooperate with
his group.
Pizarro dropped the expedition and Orellana and his surviving
crew eventually reached it’s destination in August 1542. Upon
his return to Spain, Orellana managed to avoid the legalities of
his supposed betrayal despite Pizarro and his false accusations.
All
our trips are designed to according to your specifications as to the amount of
time available for each guest, budget requirements, level of adventure (hard and
soft), physical requirements and wildlife observations. Most of our tours
include camping, lodge tourism, paddle excursions, hiking, trekking, canopy
towers for birdwatching, etc. After discussion with each guest, we design each
tour according to your specifications and you are always accompanied on our
Amazonian tours with a naturalist and native guide. If you are a writer,
journalist or film maker, we have the experience, contacts and knowledge to
facilitate your work while in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
