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+44 207 384 2332 Plan Your Trip
+44 207 384 2332 Plan your trip
Luxury Eco-Lodge
Ecuador

Napo Wildlife Centre

Napo Wildlife Centre
Napo Wildlife Centre
Napo Wildlife Centre
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Napo Wildlife Centre

Highlights of Napo Wildlife Centre

  • One of the Amazon’s finest wildlife locations – Set deep within Ecuador’s Yasuní National Park, the lodge offers exceptional opportunities to spot giant otters, monkeys, macaws, toucans and, with luck, elusive jaguars.
  • Owned and operated by the Kichwa Añangu community – Every stay directly supports local education, healthcare and conservation, creating one of South America’s most successful community-led ecotourism projects.
  • Superb birdwatching from canopy towers – A 36-metre canopy tower places you at eye level with macaws, toucans and colourful tanagers, while offering panoramic rainforest views.
  • Visit Ecuador’s famous parrot clay licks – Witness hundreds of parrots, parakeets and macaws gathering each morning in one of the country’s most spectacular wildlife spectacles.
  • Comfortable lakeside suites in pristine rainforest – Spacious cabins overlook Añangucocha Lagoon, combining authentic Amazon immersion with thoughtful comforts and excellent guiding.
  • Explore by canoe, on foot and after dark – Paddle silent creeks, hike primary rainforest trails and head out after sunset to discover caiman, nocturnal birds and the Amazon’s remarkable nocturnal wildlife.

Good to know

How to get there

Napo Wildlife Centre is reached by a 30-minute flight from Quito to Coca (Francisco de Orellana), followed by a motorised canoe journey of around two hours along the Napo River. The final approach is by silent paddle canoe across the tranquil waters of Añangucocha Lagoon, allowing you to arrive with minimal disturbance to the surrounding wildlife. The entire journey from Quito takes around four to five hours.

Are children welcome?

Yes. Napo Wildlife Centre welcomes families and children of all ages, although it is best suited to those aged six and over, who are more likely to enjoy the wildlife-focused excursions. Family suites and interconnected accommodation are available, and guides are experienced at adapting activities for younger guests where possible. Do bear in mind that days start early, walks can be long and travel to the lodge involves both river and canoe transfers, making it better suited to adventurous families than those with very young children.

Giving back

Napo Wildlife Centre is widely regarded as one of South America’s leading examples of community-based conservation. The lodge is 100% owned and operated by the Kichwa Añangu community, with tourism providing a sustainable alternative to logging, hunting and oil-related activities in the region. Revenue from every stay is reinvested into local education, healthcare, infrastructure and cultural preservation, ensuring that the benefits remain within the community.

Within the Añangu territory, hunting and fishing are prohibited, allowing wildlife populations to flourish. The lodge also supports rainforest conservation, environmental education, recycling initiatives and careful visitor management to minimise its ecological footprint, while employing local people and helping to protect one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth for future generations.

What wildlife might you see here

Napo Wildlife Centre sits within Yasuní National Park, one of the most biodiverse places on Earth, so every excursion brings the chance of a remarkable sighting. While no wildlife encounter is guaranteed, the diversity here is exceptional.

You may see:

  • Monkeys – Spider monkeys, woolly monkeys, squirrel monkeys, capuchins, howler monkeys, tamarins and saki monkeys are all regularly encountered.
  • Giant otters – Families of these charismatic and endangered mammals are often seen hunting in Añangucocha Lagoon.
  • Jaguars – Rare but possible, particularly along the Napo River or on remote forest trails.
  • Tapirs – Both lowland tapirs and, occasionally, Brazilian tapirs can be spotted near clay licks and forest pools.
  • Sloths – Two-toed and three-toed sloths spend much of their lives high in the canopy.
  • Pink river dolphins – Occasionally seen during boat journeys along the Napo River.
  • Caiman – Black caiman and spectacled caiman are frequently seen on night canoe excursions.
  • Macaws and parrots – Scarlet, blue-and-yellow and red-and-green macaws, along with dozens of parrot species, gather at nearby clay licks.
  • Toucans – Including the striking white-throated toucan and channel-billed toucan.
  • Hoatzins – One of the Amazon’s most unusual birds, often seen around the lagoon.
  • Harpy eagles – Exceptionally rare, but Yasuní remains one of the best places in the world where they are occasionally recorded.
  • Poison dart frogs – Tiny, brilliantly coloured frogs hiding amongst the leaf litter.
  • Anacondas – Rare sightings are possible in wetlands and flooded forest.
  • Butterflies and insects – Hundreds of butterfly species, including spectacular blue morphos, are active throughout the forest.

In total, the reserve protects more than 600 bird species, over 200 mammal species, around 120 reptile species and well over 100 amphibian species, making it one of the richest wildlife destinations anywhere in the Amazon. For many guests, the greatest thrill is not ticking off a checklist, but simply drifting silently through the flooded forest as monkeys call overhead and macaws fly across the canopy.

Why we love Napo Wildlife Centre

What makes Napo Wildlife Centre truly special is that it is entirely owned by the Kichwa Añangu community. Your stay directly supports local families while helping to protect one of the most biodiverse corners of the Amazon. It’s a rare example of tourism where conservation, culture and exceptional wildlife experiences genuinely go hand in hand.

Karen 130 Round
Karen Chapman

Specialises in

Latin America, The Caribbean and Polar Regions
Napo Wildlife Centre

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Caroline Maber
Karen Chapman