La Casa del Suizo is a tranquil Amazonian refuge located on the shore of Ecuador’s majestic Napo River and a stone’s throw away from the eastern slopes of the Andes Mountains. Perched comfortably above the riverbank and the small Quichua Indian village of Ahuano, La Casa del Suizo overlooks vast expanses of the surrounding tropical rainforest environment.

In addition to our comfortable accommodations, La Casa del Suizo´s property includes 1500 acres of pristine vegetation for our guests to explore. Whether walking on our jungle trails or visiting the neighboring village, our activities offer a unique and incredible opportunity to experience the culture, nature and wildlife of the Amazon you!

GETTING THERE

The trip to La Casa del Suizo will depart from Quito, Ecuador's capital, by one of the routes:

It is currently possible to reach La Casa del Suizo over land, along a scenic stretch of road, which takes us from the majestic snow-covered peaks of the Andes Mountains down into the rainforest. During this 5-hour trip there are several opportunities to stop for photographs, overlooking lush green valleys and sparkling waterfalls. An optional stop along the way is at Papallacta, a small mountain village famous for its natural hot springs, to enjoy a swim and lunch before continuing our journey!

In the near future, on both Mondays and Fridays it will be conveniently possible to take a 40 minute flight from Quito over the highlands and down into the Amazon Region. The destination is the city of Tena, located only one hour from our port on the Napo River. (Please consult your travel agent for upcoming flight availability!)

Be it by land or by air, our destination is Punta Ahuano, tiny port towns on the northern bank of the Napo River where canoes await for an enjoyable 20-minute ride downstream to La Casa del Suizo.

Accommodations

Our 75 modern rooms provide full electricity, hot water and ceiling fans to make your stay more comfortable. Each room has its own terrace as well, with an exquisite view that may be peacefully absorbed from a comfortable hammock. With a magnificent panorama of the Napo River, our guests may also enjoy our swimming pool, outdoor dining area and pool bar, which offers and array of delicious tropical drinks.

The hotel's dining rooms offer a wide variety of both Ecuadorian and international dishes, and our buffets cater to vegetarians.

Activities

Both bilingual naturalist guides, as well as native guides with expert knowledge of the rainforest's medicinal and other useful plants, are available for excursions at La Casa del Suizo. A typical day begins after an early breakfast, and there are a variety of trails and activities to choose from:

Walks may range from full day hikes through primary rainforest to short, easy walks along river islands, depending on each group's interests and physical abilities.

Most outings begin with a short canoe ride along the Napo River or one of its many tributaries, during which it is possible to observe a variety of shore birds on the way to our trails: once in the forest, with giant trees and tangled vines tower above, the guides will point out important aspects of the vegetation while on the lookout for tropical birds and other jungle creatures… With some luck, monkey species such as tamarinds or squirrel monkeys may even put in an appearance!

On one trail, our native guides have built model-hunting traps to represent those traditionally used by the local people in the past. But this is only one aspect of the Quichua culture you may learn about here: There will be opportunity to visit with a local Quichua Indian family as well, whose garden contains many medicinal plants still commonly used today. They will explain how such plants are used, and demonstrate other aspects of their traditional culture such as the spiritual cleaning rituals still practiced today throughout the surrounding community.

Learn how to make chicha, a typical beverage (which of course all may taste), and finally, all may participate in a blowgun target shooting contest-but don't expect to beat the natives! After the morning walk, many of our guests choose to have lunch under the rainforest canopy. We will send lunch from the hotel, for all to enjoy near the edge of the Napo…..

But the fun is not over yet! Afterwards you may live the incredible experience of building and navigating a wooden raft:

On a small river island your guide will show you how to tie balsa logs together, so those who wish can float down the Napo back to La Casa del Suizo! We even have inner tubes for those who wish to take a refreshing, wet ride down by this magnificent Amazon tributary.

For those in the mood for more serene activities, it is possible to visit an artisan in the village of Ahuano, who will demonstrate how the traditional Quichua ceramics are created, painted, and hardened.

Birdwatchers?

Nearly 300 species of birds have been registered during La Casa del Suizo´s activities, and bird guides are available upon request… Just be sure to let us know in advance!

Optional Excursions

Amazoonico

Just across the river from La Casa del Suizo is Amazoonico, a rescue center for wounded and displaced tropical rainforest animals. Here it is possible to see coatis, tapirs and several species of monkey, snakes, and a variety of birds, many of which wander around freely!

Entrance into this center is about USD 2,00.

River Rafting

With advance notice it is possible to arrange a full day of river rafting, either on the upper Napo River (class III) or the Misahuallí River (class IV – IV+). Rafting trips are led by experienced bilingual guides with top-of-the-line equipment, and include a riverside lunch. These excursions begin in Tena, at about 45 minutes from La Casa del Suizo, which is reachable either by public bus or private transportation.

ITINERARIES

The tour schedule at La Casa del Suizo varies, depending on the preferred means of transportation: For visits with round trip access overland, we are happy to announce that our programs may now begin and end on any day of the week!