The Amazon: an Overview

Ecuador packs a big punch for a small country; encompassing everything from the high Andes through humid cloudforest to the steamy Amazon jungle. A short flight from Quito to the town of Coca (officially known as Francisco de Orellana) on the Napo River swaps mountain peaks and colonial architecture for tropical rainforest, where there are excellent accommodation options and wildlife viewing opportunities.

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Ecuador's Amazon tours: the Amazon's rivers, lakes, streams and marshlands support over 600 species of fish and more than 250 species of amphibians and reptiles, including the 'South American crocodile'; the caiman
Coca, the hub of the Amazon Basin, is only a short 30 minute flight from Quito, making the Amazon very accessible - as long as you're happy to take a dugout canoe ride to reach your lodge at the other end!

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The Ecuadorian Amazon: The Detail

Due to Ecuador's compact size and the small area covered within the Amazon here, it is one of the best countries for wildlife viewing, especially as The Amazon's rivers, lakes, streams and marshlands support over 600 species of fish and more than 250 species of amphibians and reptiles, including the 'South American crocodile'; the caiman.

As you'd expect, activities and lodges are highly environmentally conscious with all excursions accompanied by experienced naturalist guides. An Amamzon tour will have you exploring the rain forest on treks beneath the gigantic Amazon trees, along boardwalks crossing palm swamps and up observation towers for a close look at the forest canopy. Board silent dugout canoes to head up rivers and streams and enjoy early morning outings for bird watching.

Parrots and macaws flit overhead while mammals found here include armadillos, honey bears, sloths, tapirs, monkeys, and ocelots.