Yachana Lodge and Center for Geotourism Training

"Yachana Lodge is the best true ecotourism project I have found in 17 years of travel in Ecuador. Highly recommended and congratulations."
--Rob Rachowiecki, Author of Lonely Planet, Ecuador

"...Yachana Lodge excels in introducing guests to, and encouraging their participation in, the local ways of life."
--Brook Wilkinson, Reporter for Condé Naste Traveler.

"Everything is comfortable, loads of hot water, comfortable beds, very clean and very helpful staff. Abel, our guide was incredible and his knowledge of the local area was phenomenal."
--'LondonKane', Tourist review from TripAdvisor.com

Yachana Lodge and Center for Geotourism Training is an award-winning, Ecuadorian Amazon ecotourism destination that inspires both thousands of international and national visitors each year.  A 2008 winner in the National Geographic Ashoka Changemakers Geotourism Challenge as the best example of Geotourism in the world, the lodge is not only a world-class destination, but also the only lodge in Ecuador actively working with students of ecotourism and sustainable development!   Yachana Lodge is now a training center fully integrated with the educational programs and initiatives of the Yachana Foundation where students get practical, hands-on experience in the operation, guided by professional staff acting as their mentors and trainers.  This helps make your stay with us a truly unique experience and one you will not find in other lodges in Ecuador. 

"Yachana" is an indigenous Kichwa word that means "a place for learning" and the lodge is an integral part of the overall goal of the Foundation, which is to achieve sustainability through education.  As you embark on your journey deep into the Amazon, you can be proud that your visit is helping to address not only education but also conservation and sustainable development in a unique way in this environmentally sensitive region. At Yachana, we believe the future of the rainforest is inextricably linked to the wellbeing of its inhabitants; only those who call the rainforest their home can ensure its survival.

You will hike in primary and secondary rainforest with one of Yachana's multi-lingual naturalist guides and discover the amazing symbiosis of the animals, birds, trees, plants and insects. You will discover how the area's peoples have coexisted with the forest for centuries. You will visit the local Kichwa community of Mondaña and its schools supported by the Yachana Foundation in addition to Yachana's student boarding facility set up to allow youth from remote Amazon communities to be able to have access to a high school eduation. Participate in a traditional cleansing ceremony with a local healer, stargaze from our stunning deck and visit our butterfly house. And of course you will have time to relax in your hammock and to swim in the Napo River or sip an exotic drink while watching a spectacular sun setting over the river with the Andes Mountains in the distance. Whatever your motivation for visiting Yachana, you can be sure that your experience will be unforgettable.

Come and experience the beauty and adventure of Yachana!