Join us
in this Amazon adventure from Francisco de Orellana (Coca) to
Iquitos, Peru
We make
an early departure from Coca, Ecuador and travel down the Napo
River. Your dream becomes reality upon meeting the Amazon River.
Navigating Napo river at private canoe motor to Amazon river
Departs from
Francisco de Orellana ,COCA navigating the Napo River
downstream until we encounter the Amazon River, and on
this trip, the Amazon it is not only a myth but also
becomes a reality.
This expedition takes us 1,140 km along the Napo River
and Amazon River to Iquitos, Peru. The Napo River
is one of the most important tributaries of the mighty
Amazon River. The source of the Napo comes from
small streams flowing from the Cotopaxi and Antisana
volcano
After leaving Coca, we travel 300 kms east down the Napo
to Yasuni National Park. Here we spend four
beautiful days searching for Amazon River Dolphins,
Paiche (largest freshwater fish on the planet) and of
course fishing for the infamous piranha. It is
estimated that over 2,500 species of fish thrive in
Amazonia and over 500 species are registered along the
Napo and its’ tributaries.
Our guests will sleep in the border town of Nueva
Rocafuerte but visit the park during the day.
Jatuncocha is a huge lagoon located inside the park’s
border. Here we will begin our tour searching for
two species of dolphins, various shorebirds including
the Horned Screamer and spend some time fishing.
We will also walk along some interesting trails and of
course search for caimans in the evening.
After completing Ecuadorian border procedures in Nueva
Rocafuerte, we continue our trip to the Peruvian border
town of Pantoja,. From here our Peruvian adventure
begins as we continue down the Napo, camping on its
shores or spending the night with a local family.
Our final destination is the Amazon Riv er
and Iquitos, Peru.
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.
