Visiting the Amazon in Ecuador with kids is a great addition to a tour of Ecuador with the family. The Amazon is the largest jungle area in South America and you can visit this jungle in Ecuador with kids. You then visit the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve in Ecuador and in this blog we list all the information you need to visit this part of the Amazon in Ecuador with kids.
Best Amazon travel time in Ecuador with kids
The best travel time to visit the Amazon in Ecuador with kids is from December through February. This is the dry season and you then have the most chance of sunny weather and a lesser chance of rain showers. You also have a greater chance of animals coming to the waterfront to drink then, making it easier to spot the animals with kids.
What can be a disadvantage is that if it has been a very dry period the water in the river is so low that it is not possible to get to your lodge by boat from the park entrance. Always check with the lodge in advance if they can come pick you up by boat during the dry season.
From March through July is the rainy season and you may be unlucky enough to have it raining all day. The other months are changeable and you need a little luck with the weather.
Transportation to and in Cuyabeno Wildlife reserve
Getting to the Cuyabeno Wildlife reserve from Quito is not so easy. There is an organized bus from Quito, but this night bus takes a whopping 12 hours to get to its destination. In addition, the roads are affected by landslides and the roads are regularly closed, so it will take you a lot longer by bus.
You do end up at the park entrance and from there you take the boat in the morning to your lodge. You may then sometimes have to sail for another 2-3 hours on the river to get to your lodge, but of course by then you are already in the Amazon and the adventure actually begins. You can of course spot different animals along the river during this cruise.
Another option is to fly to the city of Coca and be picked up from there by a private driver from your accommodation. At most accommodations they can do this for you. From Coca’s airport, it is about another 4-hour drive by car to the park entrance.
You can also possibly be picked up by car from Quito and then it will take you about 8 hours, but you need to check with your accommodation if this is possible. This can also be an option. With a family, a car might be cheaper than the plane and car or bus.
There is also an airport in Nueva Loja, but the airline that flies between Quito and this airport does not transport tourists. Of course, you can always check to see if there is an airline flying by the time you want to go, as it will save a lot of time.
Accommodations in the Cuyabeno Wildlife reserve
You have around 20 accommodations in the Cuyabeno Wildlife reserve where you can stay overnight and from these accommodations you can then also book a tour. These accommodations are along the Cuyabeno River which is a tributary of the great famous Amazon River that runs through much of South America.
So you can’t really go on your own adventure in the national park, but always join an organized tour. Most accommodations offer a full tour program that includes food and drink in the price. Of course, you can imagine that in the Amazon there are not restaurants everywhere.
You can choose from multi-day organized tours at these accommodations and then of course that’s how many nights you stay in these accommodations with kids.
You have several family-friendly accommodations that also have rooms for families with several people. Most of the families living here in the reserve depend on tourism. Most of them have been living in the rainforest all their lives and of course these are also the best guides to go out with. They often know the entire rainforest very well and can spot wildlife like the best.
They generally make a huge effort to do so as well, so the chances of spotting animals are quite high (despite it remaining nature, of course).
One of the better accommodations you can book in the Amazon region of Ecuador with kids is Nicky Amazon Lodge. This accommodation has rooms for families and has one of the best reviews online. You can book a triple room, quadruple room, five-person room or a family room with the family here.
Between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. there is electricity to charge your devices and you can choose between a 3 day, 4 day or 5 day tour with this organization here. So they really offer a whole package for a few days where accommodation, food and drinks and tours are included in the price.
Families with 3 people can also go to Waita Amazon Lodge and families up to 4 people can also go to Jamu Lodge. The latter provider also has family rooms for families with 4 people.
Tours in the Cuyabeno Wildlife reserve
At most lodges you can choose to take a 3, 4 or 5 day tour. Because the first day you are mainly busy arriving at the lodge and the last day you are mainly busy sailing back, a 3 day tour is on the short side. You actually have only 1 full day in the Amazon region of Ecuador with the family.
Especially with kids, you’ll be rushing, since you’ll obviously be on the road for quite a few hours from, say, Quito to arrive at the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve.
On the first day, Nicky Amazon Lodge expects the tourists in the morning (they often also arrange transportation from Quito and know exactly what time these tourists will arrive at the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve) and then they have breakfast with the group and meet the guides and then you set out by boat toward the lodge.
You will then be on the water for over 3 hours (this depends a bit on how high the water level in the river is and how fast they can sail) before you arrive at the lodge. Here you will arrive around 2:00 pm / 3:00 pm. Of course this boat trip on the water is already a lot of fun and you can also spot all kinds of animals here, but this means that the first day is almost over.
Especially with kids, it is advisable to go out with a guide for at least 4 days. During the different days at the lodge you will make boat trips across the river to spot different animals. You will see the sunset on the water as well as take several walks through the rainforest. Both in the early morning and in the evening. Many of the animals are active at these times.
For an overview of each tour, take a look at the websites of the different lodges. Here you will find exact descriptions of the different tours and then you will also see exactly what is included in the tour and what is not. You then also know in advance exactly what you will be doing and what the costs of this trip will be.
With kids, these walks through the jungle in the dark are of course very exciting and you may encounter animals like spiders and snakes. Also, during one of the days you will visit a village with people who really live in the jungle. You see how they live here and that can also be impressive for kids.
It depends a bit on which lodge you choose, of course, but the activities are pretty much the same everywhere. You are mainly in nature and often looking for the animals that live here. Every evening at 10 p.m. the power goes out and then it is also time for most tourists to go to bed. Because of this, kids are not in bed very late.
What animals can you spot
In the Amazon in Ecuador you can spot a lot of different animals. For example, you have a lot of different reptiles and insects that you will especially encounter during the evening walk after dark. You can think of spiders, frogs, beetles, huge ants (bullet ants) and snakes. You can also spot different animals in the water.
Thus, the caimans become active in the evening and you can spot them on the water. Usually the guide then shines a flashlight on the water and you can see the caiman’s eyes light up. Of course, this is another exciting trip with kids. Another striking animal you can encounter in the jungle in Ecuador are the pink dolphins. We swam with these ourselves during a jungle trip in Bolivia and these are very special animals.
In addition, you have a huge number of different species of monkeys that you can encounter in the jungle. You can encounter as many as 10 different species of monkeys during a trek through the area. The guides generally do know the places where the different animals are, making it more likely that you will spot the animals. For example, you have a sort of monkey island, where you can usually spot monkeys.
You can also spot sloths, otters and lots of different birds during your trip through the jungle. The jaguar and the puma are also active in this area, but the chances of encountering these animals are very small. They remain wild animals, of course, so it is always a question of which animals you will encounter exactly in the wild.
Cost Amazon Ecuador
The cost of a trip to the Ecuadorian Amazon with kids depends on several factors. First, of course, it depends on how you travel to the Cuyabeno Wildlife reserve. Do you do this by bus, car or plane. The bus, which is often arranged by the lodge, costs about $60 per person for a round-trip ticket.
This is, of course, quite a long drive, but the cheapest option. Airfare quickly costs $100 to $200 per person. In addition, of course, it depends on which lodge you stay in and how many days you go on tour. Expect a 3 to 5 day tour to cost between $250 and $400 per person.
A big advantage is that you can determine your costs in advance. You pay a total amount for the stay, tour and food and drink, so you can estimate in advance exactly what the tour will cost. Based on these costs you can decide whether you think a jungle tour through Ecuador with kids is worth it or not.
So check the websites of the different lodges beforehand and also check if you can get some kind of discount for kids.
Is an Amazon tour in Ecuador suitable for kids?
You can go to the Amazon in Ecuador with kids just fine. The tours are very suitable for kids in that respect. You are the whole day in nature and the hikes are generally not very heavy. The guides of the different lodges take the kids into account, so they can also join the activities.
Of course, be sure to inquire in advance about all the vaccinations you need to take to visit this area and any pills you may need to take. In the Amazon region malaria is endemic, so inform yourself in advance which measures you need to take with your family. If you have taken the right measures, you can travel to the area.
So in that respect, there should be no obstacle for your family to visit this area during a family tour of Ecuador.
