LAGUNA LAGARTO COCHA: BEST ECUADOR - PERU AMAZON EXPEDITION

NEW! LAGARTO COCHA 4 - 5 DAYS EXPEDITION ECUADOR - PERU. Download Brochure

The Lagarto Cocha border River between Ecuador - Peru accesses an immense network of lakes, rivers, marshes and swamps  in the tri-national protected areas system of Ecuador, Peru and Colombia, together protecting about 1,5 million hectares of mostly virgin Amazon forest.

Lagarto Cocha or Lagartocoche, means Crocodile Lake. Along the Lagartocoche River the lands are protected in the Ecuadorian Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve and the Peruvian Airo Pai Communal Reserve. Only our Lagartocoche expedition offers you the option to leave from your hotel in Quito in the morning, fly to Coca and get to the border with Perú in the afternoon! You avoid passing several days in slow canoes, sitting out to get there without seeing much of interest, while spending far more money and time.

ITINERARY

Hidden in the extreme northeastern corner of Ecuador's Amazon, hugging the border with Peru, the Laguna Lagarto Cocha is one of the most isolated regions of the Ecuadorian Amazon en we are the only operator offering getting there by this route.

Fast public speedboat service between Coca and Nuevo Rocafuerte at the border with Peru. Nuevo Rocafuerte at the border with Peru is just a street without a beginning or end, and the last village before entering the Lagartocoche (which is the official name) River.

An extensive net of marshes, rivers, creeks and lakes at the border of Ecuador and Perú. Enormous "matrasses" - as they are locally called - of floating plants continuously change location and composition, opening and closing waterways through the reserve. Barely inhabited, Lagartocoche is only accessible over the water, and is truly the wildest and most remote Ecuadorian Amazon jungle. In fact, there is no interconnected dry land to wander through.

Macrolobium trees grow in incredible bonsai shapes in the swamps of the lakes and Hoatzins love eating their leaves.

Just a few spots of slighted elevated land crop up here and there, providing shelter for a few outposts of the protected areas agencies of Ecuador and Peru, as well as a Ecuador - Peru border post. It is even impossible to even get to the border with Colombia from the Lagarto Cocha River or over land. Only one small group of Secoya Indians, live in the areas with just 7 extended families; on the Peruvian side of the river.

With a bit of luck you may see a Manitee or Giant Otter family. There si no doubt that you will see some dolphins during your stay. gigantes..

Pink Dolphins are the most common dolphin species of the region, although Grey Dolphins also accur in the area. Dolphins love going hunting in the confluences of rivers. Giant Nutrias live in large, noisy families.

Having discovered Lagartocoche in 1975, while exploring the Ecuadorian Amazon region, I, Dr. Daan Vreugdenhil, fell in love with this area and wanted to share it with nature lovers like you, while also providing benefits to the Secoya community. Contrary to the very few travel agents that organize expeditions to Lagartocoche from Lagoagrio, we at Parks and Tribes, organize the tours from Coca. Why? because there is a high speed public speed boat service to the border with Peru at moderate costs. That way we can get you much quicker to Lagarto Cocha, have you spend more time at the lake district and organize your stay much and much more economically. In fact, your shortest expedition is 4 days, but of course, if you have another day to spare, 5 days would an even better option.
 

Unfortunately, making this trip from Peru is not practical, as one would first have to travel to Iguitos, navigate 5 days up the Napo river to get to the border of Ecuador, to enter the lake district, as the Lagartocoche River is only accessible from the Aguarico River that runs through Ecuador only. 

Itinerary Lagarto Cocha Expedition

The Lagartocoche Expedition is not for the faint of heart who need their comfort, but rather for people with some sense of adventurism, because at Lagarto Cocha are now lodges or hotels like in the headwaters of the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve or along the Yasuni National Park. This still is the Amazon the way I discovered it in 1975, with the only difference that the area now is fully protected by the governments of Ecuador and Peru. You will be sleeping in houses of the Secoya community with little tents pitched inside. Indians will be cooking your meals, which will partly consist of canned food, as we can't garantee getting fresh food in Nuevo Rocafuerte and it won't be possible to bring it from Coca, as it will get bad on the way. But for people who would like to see the Amazon as it has been for thousands of year: This is your chance!

ITINERARY LAGUNA LAGART0 COCHA EXPEDITION

Day 1: Lagarto cocha Expedition

Board the fast boat service at about 1:00 PM at the dock in the town of Coca.

There is a very early morning service departing at about 6:00 AM but that is difficult to make for most people, particullarly if you arrive from Quito by air or the night bus. So for all practical purposes we organize the expedition starting with the afternoon service.

You arrive at the border hamlet Nuevo Rocafuerte in the late afternoon. You will spend the night in the only decent hotel in the village, Hostal Chimborazo.

Day 2: Nuevo Rocafuerte - Puerto Estrella

You will go 3 hours upstream the Agua Rico River to the mouth of the the Lagartocoche River, where you will make a lunch stop at the SERNANP - the Peruvian Protected Areas Agency - and watch out for pink dolfins, that like to hang out in confluences of rivers. You will slowly navigate up the river, watching wildlive, birds and flowers until you reach the village of Puerto Estrella.

You will spend the night in one of the houses of the Secoya community, pitching tents inside that serve as mosquito nettings to keep out any critter you don't want to share your bed with.

Day 3: Exploration of the Lagartocoche Lakes and creeks

The lakes, creeks, and marshes are continuously changing, with huge floating islands of reed and herbs blocking up and opening up passages to diffent lakes, depending on the season, water level and wind. It never is quite possible to predict where one can enter and which of the variety of lakes will be accessible. Your boatman and guide will scout out where the canoe can go. You will be a real explorer like those that publish their adventures in National Geographic!

Carpets of reed and waterhyacinth sometimes block the entries to lakes and creeks. As the canoe slowly works its way through the marshes and swamps, you will be on the outlook for birds and wildlife, dolfins, manitis and an abundance of the largest predator fish of the Amazon waters, the Paiche, a fish that can grow up to 5 meters and way up to 200 kg. The interesting thing about the Paiche is, that it always hunts from the surface of the water, so you can actually see it. You will be spending another night at the Secoya community.

Day 4: Return from Puerto Estrella to Nuevo Rocafuerte

You will have to depart early in the morning from Puerto Estrella to get to Nuevo Rocafuerte, to catch the 1:00 PM speed boat to Coca, getting there by about 5. After this adventure, we always like to stay in Hotel Auca, but there are of course also more economical hotels in town.

We know that the time you spent in Lagarto Cocha has really been too short, and we recommend you stay another day in this Amazonian Paradise, exploring, watching animals, birds and flowers.

CUYABENO LODGE PROGRAMS (DOWNLOAD CUYABENO LODGE)

CUYABENO LODGE PROGRAM

DURATION

Prices per person in US$

3 DAYS / 2 NIGHTS

Shared budget room (Dormitory shared among 4 people, shared bathrooms)

$ 239

Standard room (17 m², private bathroom, shared balcony)

$ 299

Standard room Plus (20 m², private bathroom, shared balcony)

$ 339

Deluxe room (25m², private bathroom, private balcony in the tower)

$ 379

Suite (36m², private bathroom, private balcony)

$ 419

4 DAYS / 3 NIGHTS

Shared budget room (Dormitory shared among 4 people, shared bathrooms)

$ 279

Standard room (17 m², private bathroom, shared balcony)

$ 379

Standard room Plus (20 m², private bathroom, shared balcony)

$ 419

Deluxe room (25m², private bathroom, private balcony in the tower)

$ 459

Suite (36m², private bathroom, private balcony)

$ 499

5 DAYS / 4 NIGHTS

Shared budget room (Dormitory shared among 4 people, shared bathrooms)

$ 349

Standard room (17 m², private bathroom, shared balcony)

$ 459

Standard room Plus (20 m², private bathroom, shared balcony)

$ 499

Deluxe room (25m², private bathroom, private balcony in the tower)

$ 539

Suite (36m², private bathroom, private balcony)

$579

Single occupancy surcharge (for the entire trip)

$ 100

QUITO - CUYABENO

(or visa versa)

PRIVATE TRANSPORTATION

Prices in US$

One way per party price from or to Quito. Group Price for parties of 2 - 7 to the park entrance (minivan) who share the costs.

$ 300

Private Bus 1 way

$ 35

One way Coca to Cuyabeno. Minimum 2.

4 pax or more

$ 35

$ 25

Lagoagrio - Cuyabeno.

5 pax or more is free

$10

LIMA CUSCO MACHU PICCHU (DOWNLOAD PROGRAM PERU)

DURATION STAY

Prices in US$

7 days - 6 nights, Not included international flights. Flights Lima Cusco Lima are additional and usually vary between $50 and $75 depending on the day and season.

$ 1049