Experience the Amazon at The Yachana Lodge!
The Amazon jungle is the largest rainforest in the world, spanning eight different countries across South America. But where to stay in the Amazon? To experience Ecuador? The Yachana Lodge is nestled in Ecuadorian Amazon jungle, between Tena and Coca and near the Napo River. If you are looking to see and visit and experience the Amazon, the Yachana Lodge is an excellent place to go. Designed especially for you- whether you are solo traveling or with a group or as a family with children, the Yachana is a unique and beautiful destination.
Yachana, A Place of Learning
“Yachana” is a kichwa word meaning a Place of Learning. All that the Yachana Foundation does is based in education. Douglas McMeekin, the founder of the Yachana and known affectionately by many in the social media world as the “Gringo Loco del Amazonia”, has lived in the Amazon for 37 years. Our family first connected with Douglas and the Yachana over a year ago. Six months ago we moved our family from our home in the United States to Ecuador. Specifically, we are living and working with the Yachana Foundation.
The Yachana is involved in various projects with research groups and universities as well as involved in tourism. We invite people from Ecuador and around the world to actually come and see the Amazon jungle. You’ll find a number of projects that have been done by students and researchers including a ram pump, a large solar dehydrator and plots for tracking plant life and growth in the primary rainforest. Small beehives encourage the preservation of Amazonian stingless bees. A full lab for additional research and a health clinic are projects they are working on . These will contribute to the needs and interests of the surrounding community.
The Yachana Lodge, the Place to Stay in Ecuador
The lodge and excursions set up for the guests will make you feel at home. We have 10 guest cabins with clean rooms and private bathrooms, hot showers, potable drinking water from our own ozone system. Three meals are provided each day in the lodge dining hall. You’ll enjoy traditional Ecuadorian food and see how we are working to grow and produce most of the food they use right here with sustainable and low-cost methods.
Excursions. Activities at the Yachana Lodge to See and Experience the Amazon
Our all-in-one excursion package makes a lot of sense as we are very remote and quite a distance from everything, so besides lodging and meals, we also plan a number of activities which you can participate it, including:
- Visit a nearby farm and taste a number of exotic fruits
- Swim at a waterfall
- See the Napo River (one of the headwaters of the Amazon river), with options to float with inner tubes or go for a canoe ride
- Make chocolate from locally grown cacao
- Cook a traditional Ecuadorian meal
- Visit with the “Gringo Loco” himself, Douglas McMeekin
And if you find yourself with down time, we do have wifi- as well as 1,000 acres of rainforest to explore.
The plants and trees and all the life that can be seen in this little piece of the Amazon jungle will astound you. From taking in the grandeur of the giant Ceibo or “Kapok” tree or stopping to notice the tiny “Angelita” stingless Amazon bees we are protecting, a visit to the Yachana Lodge is a visit you won’t forget. We hope that you’ll come as a curious and adventurous tourist. That you will learn about and experience a little more of the unique biodiversity here and leave with a recognition of the need to work together to protect this rainforest jungle.
Read more about the “Gringo Loco of the Amazon”, Douglas McMeekin
Read more about a recent project and building of the “Choza” classroom
For more information about the Yachana Foundation and Lodge, visit their website.
- Learn about the conservation program “Footprint for Life” where you can make a donation to offset your own carbon footprint
- Find opportunities to volunteer as an assistant English teacher or in our agriculture projects
- Prices and How to Book a Stay. See all the activities they offer
- Also look them up on social media, “Yachana Foundation” on Facebook, Instagram, TicTok and Youtube!
