There can hardly be a better pair of ingredients for rafting than the Andes and Amazon.  This journey incorporates the very best of Ecuador’s eastern rafting rivers, from the cloud forests of Papallacta to the lowlands rainforests of the Jatunyacu.  The wilderness highlight of this trip is the Rio Upano river gorge in which we are locked for three days – in a lost world of waterfalls and forests inhabited by the indigenous Shuar – a people renowned for their head-shrinking past.

Your journey begins with a flight from Quito to Macas - a town on the edge of the Amazonian Andes famous for twice having been destroyed by the Shuar in the early days of Spanish colonisation.  The town is close to our put in site on the Upano River where you will begin your white water descent through verdant valleys and steep boulder passages.  The first day’s rafting comprises a comfortable balance between gentle stretches of river where we pass Shuar settlements, some stretches of Class III rapids, and a few short exhilarating sections of Class IV whitewater to add some early stage excitement to this wilderness journey.

After camping riverside overnight, the rafting steps up a gear to become a fast flowing body of water propelling us through Class IV and IV+ rapids.  This is where the riverbanks grow into towering canyon walls lush with vegetation, and water is channeled into a narrow, a boulder choked gorge. The Shuar describe this place as the “Gorge of Sacred Waterfalls,” which plunge steep and white into the river canyon.  We can expect regular sightings of parrots and tropical butterflies here, with opportunities to explore riverside caves and forest for wildlife.

After 2 nights camping, a hotel in Macas will be welcome respite before we travel overland to Tena and then on to a riverside candle-lit Amazon lodge close to the site of our next leg of rafting.  This is the Jatanyacu - relatively easy rafting river (Class III to III+) where you can enjoy some stunning lowland rainforest scenery.   The river itself is renowned for its clearer waters and rock pools.

You will leave the Jatanyacu where it joins the Rio Napo, from where we take you to the most demanding rafting river of this journey: the Jondachi.  The upper reaches of this river bring expert kayakers from around the world, attracted by its demanding and continuous rapids channeled through sculpted, granite boulders.  We descend this section the first day and camp overnight on the river banks.  Our second day on the river still reaches class IV, but with more relaxed sections to enjoy the stunning rainforest scenery of this deep river canyon.

The finale of this journey is the exciting Quijos River where extra energy is required by the team to track a course through this river’s rapids.  This river feeds from Ecuador’s Lake District of the Cayambe Coca Reserve and the Papallacta Hot Springs.  The mountain scenery here is some of the most beautiful in the country with excellent hiking down into the cloud forest.  The hot spring pools of the spa resort, set beneath the snow capped peak of Antisana, is a wonderful setting in which to unwind and reflect on your whitewater journey.

Photographs kindly provided by Marcelo Meneses, Ralph Pannell

Day 1
(B)
Arrive Quito.
You will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel.

Day 2
(B,L,D)

Day to acclimatize in Quito and take the opportunity if you wish to visit Old Quito - a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Day 3
(B,L,D)

In the morning we fly from Quito to Macas, a small town in the southern Amazon.  After enjoying a brief visit to the city we leave behind us all but a satellite telephone link to the outside world and head to our put in site for a final safety a raft familiarisation briefing.  We then begin our white water rafting journey down the Rio Upano.

When we first meet the Upano, she is a wide river alternating between verdant valleys and steep boulder passages, with mostly class III rapids and a sprinkling of class IV rapids that get our heartbeats racing.  Not to be underestimated, slightly further downstream the Upano morphs into a narrow but powerful channel of water when it cuts through the Namangosa Gorge. On this first day of rafting, we will get used to paddling as a team, while we take the time to appreciate the stunning rainforest scenery around us.  This is a truly unique rafting and camping expedition through picturesque and undisturbed areas of Amazonian jungle.  We can expect to see a great variety of birdlife, including several types of parrot and parrokeets, and dozens of varieties of butterflies.

We will also pass thatched-roof hut settlements of the Shuar indigenous peoples dotted along parts of the riverb. The Shuar are famously (or infamously) known as the "headshrinkers " of the Amazon - a post battle custom they have, fortunately, left behind them.

When we make camp for the night on the riverbanks of the Upano near Sucua, we will visit a Shuar community nearby. In the evening we will enjoy dinner at our campsite and a peaceful night's sleep along the riverbanks.

Days 4 - 5
(B,L,D)

After crossing under the Patuca Bridge and entering the stunning Namangosa Canyon Gorge, the Upano River changes her mood and becomes a very fast-moving body of water that propels our raft forward through class IV-IV+ rapid after rapid. As the river's volume increases, the riverbanks grow into towering canyon walls lush with vegetation, and water is channelled into a narrow, boulder-choked gorge. The Shuar call this the "Gorge of Sacred Waterfalls".  Stunning views of white waterfalls are the only thing that interrupts the green of the canyon walls- except, that is for the vibrant bird and butterly life.

The end of day two finds us camping at a site known as Mina, with another full day of exhilarating rafting ahead of us. Hiking trails and hidden caves give us spaces to stop and seek wildlife along the riverbanks. We can swim in the numerous tributary streams that feed into the Upano, offering different temperatures and volumes of water. When we reach our take-out site, our vehicle will be waiting for us to drive back through the countryside to Macas in the evening. We spend a night of our journey there.

Day 6
(B,L,D)

We will drive along scenic jungle roads (for about 4 ½ hours) to make our way to Tena and recuperate after our first three days of rafting. We take time to explore the town and take lunch, after which we hike through a private forest reserve . The evening is spent dining and relaxing at our riverfront jungle lodge at Cotococha . This four-hectare site in humid tropical forest has 17 thatch-roof cabins built from local materials.  Each cabin is surrounded by what feels like your own personal Amazon, to give you a sense of peace and exclusivity.

Day 7
(B,L,D)

After breakfast we drive to Llanganates National Park, which extends from the high Andes down into the Amazon basin.  This is part of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The water that collects in this area forms the Jatunyacu River, a class III-III+ river which is considered Ecuador's best one-day rafting run.

We begin the day with a short hike to our put-in on the Jatunyacu and begin a 4 ½ hour white water journey downriver.  The trip provides some exhilarating white water rapids, big waves, holes, and high volumes of water. The Jatunyacu is famous for its abundant birdlife, crystal-clear water, and glimpses into indigenous communities that live along the shores in small bamboo and wood houses. We will take a break halfway through for lunch and an optional 30-minute hike later in the afternoon through a hidden water cave along the riverbanks.  We can often find colourful spiders here spinning their webs along the cave walls and crevices lined with resting bats.

Day 8-9  - the Rio Jondachi
(B,L,D)

Our next descent is a two-day rafting adventure on the Jondachi River. Before put-in we can hike to a crystal-clear waterfall and explore numerous small caves and rock ledges.

On our first day of rafting, we cover the upper section of the river - a class IV-V steep creek which attracts expert kayakers from around the world to challenge its continuous rapids channelled through sculpted, granite boulders.  Our experienced guides lead us through the steep creek and choose the safest routes.  At times, the river is highly technical and demands our utmost attention. At other times, it is wider and allows for more time to appreciate some of the most remote and pristine sections of jungle found in Ecuador.  We will make camp along the riverbanks and spend the night beneath the stars.

Early morning the second day we put-in and raft down the lower section of the Jondachi. This part of the river is more tranquil than the upper section; with mostly class III-IV. Later on, the Jondachi joins with the Hollin River and becomes wider and more peaceful shortly before we reach our take-out near the town of Misahuallí.

Day 10  - the Quijos River
(B,L,D)

In the morning, we drive eastwards for an hour or so and gain altitude before we reach our first put-in at 7,500 feet (2,300 meters). The Quijos River snakes through the eastern foothills of the Andes, with a seemingly endless series of Class IV and IV+ rapids which provide plenty of paddling exercise!  When we aren't paddling furiously to get through the next class IV rapid, we can take the time to enjoy the sights of the rainforest and look out for birds. After rafting, we drive to the relaxing natural hot springs at Papallacta, nestled in fantastic cloud forest scenery, and submerge our muscles in the soothing alkaline-rich waters.

Day 11
(B,L,D)

In the morning, we enjoy another rejuvenating dip in the soothing hot springs of Papallacta. The locals believe that the mineral waters, heated naturally by geothermal activity, have special healing properties. Later in the morning, we depart Papallacta and head to Otavalo, the Andean town famous for its colourful indigenous crafts market. Here, local indigenous artisans and craftsmen sell their handmade wares, including textiles, leather goods, jewellery, and much more. Ecuador's vibrant indigenous culture and heritage is also visible in the foods sold by street-side vendors and in the music being played by local Andean artists.  After lunch we head back to Quito and the hotel.

Day 12
(B)
You will be met and taken to the airport for your flight home ... or stay on to experience more of what Latin America has to offer.

Photographs kindly provided by Marcelo Meneses, Ralph Pannell