Where to visit the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador

Given that the Amazon Rainforest covers approximately 6.7 million square kilometres, spread over 8 countries and one overseas territory; there is obviously the opportunity to visit it from many different places. We were tempted to go when we were in Cuzco in Peru, but we didn’t really have the time, so we waited until we got to Ecuador. Even then, however, there are multiple potential destinations and many things to think about when making your decision. So, here is a brief run-through of some of the factors we considered when planning our adventure to the Amazon.

Cuyabeno or Yasuni?

Even from a brief online search of where to visit the Amazon in Ecuador, it became obvious that the two main options are Cuyabeno and Yasuni. This was confirmed when we spoke to the tour agency linked to our hostel in Quito.

I have no doubt that both places would be amazing, but unless you have loads of time, money and an inclination to visit both areas, you’re only going to choose one. Which one this is will depend on what you want to get from the trip. A more detailed online search will elicit a host of blogs and forums that discuss the merits of each destination, such as this one, but I’m just going to briefly go through our thought processes…

Wildlife and Nature

The main reason we wanted to visit the Amazon Rainforest was to experience the unique natural setting and hopefully spot a range of exciting wildlife. The research suggested that there were not too many differences between the two areas in these regards; they are both protected areas in the rainforest and both have similar species inhabiting them.

The advantages of going to Yasuni seemed to be that the forest was a bit more pristine and undisturbed, being situated much deeper into the rainforest. And, the famous clay licks can be found here, which is where flocks of parrots, macaws and parakeets come from miles around to take in essential salts to help balance their diets. So if you are more interested in watching the birdlife in the Amazon, then Yasuni might be the more attractive option for you.

The advantages of Cuyabeno are linked to their expansive waterways. Compared to Yasuni, Cuyabeno has more lagoons and more narrow, slower-moving waterways. This can give more opportunities for spotting wildlife. From our own experiences, almost all of our wildlife sightings occurred from the river. When you’re walking in the trees, you can hear wildlife around you but the dense foliage makes it very difficult to actually spot anything. Being in the space generated by the waterways gives you a much better view higher up the trees. So, if you are wanting a more well-rounded wildlife-spotting experience, then Cuyabeno might be the one for you.

Ease of access

This one is fairly straight forward. Yasuni is deeper into the rainforest and thus is trickier to get to, especially if you are basing yourself in Quito. Cuyabeno is much closer to Quito and there are the options of flying most of the way; taking a public bus; or taking one of the arranged private over-night buses. Although, when we went during the COVID pandemic, they had halted the daily flights due to the reduced numbers of tourists. I don’t know whether they have restarted this option.

Cost

Whilst not the most romantic of notions when visiting somewhere as beautiful as the Amazon, the cost is an important factor, especially if you’re travelling for a longer time. The price will vary greatly with either destination given factors such as the transportation you choose to get there; the length of your stay; and the level of comfort you choose with your accommodation. But if you look at a comparable set of options between the two reserves, Cuyabeno does seem to be cheaper, probably due to it being easier to access.

Indigenous Communities

I feel bad putting this factor below cost and ease of access; but, whilst we were interested to see the communities, we did not know enough about the different tribes to have any sort of preference given that both destinations offered visits, and thus it was not a major factor in deciding the area for our trip. From the research, it seems that the tribes in Yasuni have been in contact with the outside world for a shorter period of time (but still for decades) so it might be that the experience is still more authentic, but we did not look into it enough to really comment.

Our decision was … Cuyabeno

In the end it was the fact that it was easier and cheaper to fit a trip to Cuyabeno into our itinerary than it would have been for Yasuni. I would have liked to have seen the clay licks, but we had an amazing time and spotted plenty of wildlife whilst visiting Cuyabeno. To read about our experiences in the Amazon Rainforest, please click here.