La Casa del Suizo

Trekking in the Jungle

Explore incredible primary forest in Misicocha or Cosano, La Casa del Suizo’s private reserve, reached by a short canoe ride. Here, there are a number of walks (with varying levels of difficulty) that can last anywhere from an hour-and-a- half all the way up to four hours, taking you through thick and humid jungle, crossing muddy paths and encountering all sorts of wildlife. All the while your local guide will introduce you to all the hidden secrets and wonders of the jungle.

Balsa

Follow in the footsteps of Francisco de Orellana – the Spanish discoverer of the River Amazon – himself as you build your own raft, known as a balsa, using the same technique indigenous communities have for centuries, and still use to this day. Once you’ve lashed together your ‘vessel’ of balsa wood logs and lengths of rope, it’s time to take it to the water, paddling leisurely downstream – and hopefully staying afloat. Your guides will accompany you each step of the adventure, along with your motorized canoe.

Tubing

Floating down the Napo River, gazing at the sky and the tree-lined banks, your bottom firmly wedged into a rubber ring and grazing the surface of the water, you would be forgiven for thinking you had drifted into an Amazon dream land. In this activity, a guide will accompany you in a motorized canoe and will pick you up at the end of the run.

Tarabita

To up the adventure factor on your trek through Misicocha, try out the tarabita. Found in the depths of our private reserve, the basket-like cable car for one person swings you a short distance from one part of the forest to another, like a mechanised Tarzan! A guide waits at both ends to oversee your safe departure and arrival.

Canopy Adventure Park (Extra charges apply)

Make like a monkey swinging from the tree tops at the Canopy Adventure Park, where zip-lines for almost all ages have you whizzing with joy through foliage and across the jungle floor. Our experienced guides and premium materials ensure that it’s an entirely safe experience, and with the Edelrid Smart Belay system you’re always snapped onto the line by at least one point.

Kayaking (Extra charges apply)

Discover the secret nooks, crannies and rapids of the Napo River and its tributaries at your own pace on this thrilling voyage, accompanied by experienced kayaking and safety professionals. Ages 12 and up.

Rafting (Extra charges apply)

This rafting takes place in the rivers of Jatunyaku or Anzu, beginning in the town of Tena (La Casa del Suizo can arrange transport there for an additional fee). After being fitted with a life-jacket and helmet safety and paddling practice it’s off onto the jungle waters for a day that contrasts furious paddling down fun, bouncy rapids and moments of quiet contemplation of the beauty of the passing jungle.

Butterfly House (USD 5)

This living exhibition of local butterflies currently houses and serves as the mating ground for nearly 20 species from the surrounding areas. You’ll be able to observe and examine how these beautiful creatures are fed, raised and undergo metamorphosis. In addition, you’ll have the chance to enter our “winged room” where hundreds of butterflies, in a multitude of colours, flutter about.

AmaZoonico (USD 5)

You’ll never get closer to ocelot or tapir than you will at AmaZoonico, a rescue sanctuary for Amazon creatures. Led by volunteer guides, you’ll hear the incredible and sometimes tragic stories of the residents of the centre, from caiman to macaws and everything in between, who struggled to readapt to the wild after they were taken by poachers, sold on the black market, and forced to live domestic lives.

By visiting AmaZoonico you are helping to guarantee the protection of these creatures. Nature Walks Explore incredible primary forest in Misicocha, La Casa del Suizo’s private reserve, reached by a short canoe ride. Here, there are a number of walks (with varying levels of difficulty) that can last anywhere from an hour-and-a- half all the way up to four hours, taking you through thick and humid jungle, crossing muddy paths and encountering all sorts of wildlife. All the while your local guide will introduce you to all the hidden secrets and wonders of the jungle.

Caiman Spotting

The first thing you see is the ripple in the water, before a pair of be-spectacled eyes rises from the murky depths and stares into your own. Before long more and more pairs pop up: the family of caiman have arrived. While safely positioned on a wooden jetty, your guide will summon the reptiles with some meat and you are free to observe the group, sometimes of around 15, ranging for full-sized father to weeks’ old baby.

Swimming Pool

The pool, which is great for children and adults alike, is open from 6 A.M. until 9 P.M. and deck chairs and seating areas are available for relaxing in the Amazonian sunshine.

Massages (extra charges apply)

Take a moment for yourself to indulge in a relaxing or invigorating massage, taking advantage of the expertise of our staff in reflexology, lymphatic drainage and hot stone techniques. Return from your vacation glowing like a firefly with specialist skin treatments.

Indigenous Family Visit

Learn about the jungle way of life of indigenous families in this intimate visit. Located on the nearby Isla Anaconda (a short canoe ride from La Casa del Suizo), the Kichwa-speaking community first began using electricity in 2015. The matriarch of the family, Doña Carmela, welcomes guests, and demonstrates cooking and domestic techniques, as well as explaining the community’s other traditions and day-to-day practices. The men exhibit hunting with a blow-dart – try your luck and see if you can hit the monkey target!

Chocolate (extra charges apply)

Chocolate does actually grow on trees. Well cacao, the bean that forms the basis of it, certainly does, and is plentiful here in the Ecuadorian Amazon, one of the first places in the world to cultivate the crop.

On this visit you will learn to spot cacao pods and how they are taken down from trees, cut open and their little beans removed. From there, locals will show you the processes that turn that little piece of nature into a rich, bitter-sweet indulgence.

Ceramics

It’s almost hypnotic, watching the indigenous woman moulding clay from the riverbed into a dainty Little bowl. In this encounter, a local will demonstrate how their community creates crockery from natural materials found in the forest, and the techniques used to seal and decorate them. There’s also an opportunity to purchase these lovely items for yourself.

Balsa Wood Carving

Learn the traditional art of carving balsa wood from a family in the nearby village. Here, you’ll see a a man working to create beauty: he carves intricate birds, parrots and creatures of the forest and later brings them to life with vivid painting and details. The encounter is a lovely snap shot into local life and the opportunity to help create wonderful souvenirs.

Gold-panning

One of the things that most attracted adventurers to South America hundreds of years ago was the promise of gold. But where was this gold to be found? Back then and still now the Napo River has the precious metal in its sediment, and locals, using a painstaking technique of sifting and washing, spending hours filtering through the stones on the banks of the river, make a living from extracting and selling it.

A short canoe-ride from La Casa del Suizo you can observe them doing so, using the same techniques of centuries past.