Limoncocha Biological Reserve

Limoncocha is a shallow blackwater lagoon of a few square kilometres beside the Napo, protected since 1985 and listed as a wetland of international importance, and its reputation rests on two things: a bird list of well over three hundred species recorded in a very small area, and a black caiman population dense enough that night canoe trips reliably pick out dozens of eyes across the water. Hoatzin, horned screamer, macaws and kingfishers work the edges, and monkeys and river otters are regular. A Kichwa community manages access and provides guides and simple lodging. Oil infrastructure runs close by, which is part of the honest picture of the area.

The landscape

• Black caiman by torchlight - the night canoe trip across the lagoon.
• Well over three hundred bird species - a dense list in a small area.
• Hoatzin along the shore - the strange leaf-eating bird of the edges.
• Community-run canoe trips - the Kichwa guides who manage access.

When to go

Year round. A day is enough for the lagoon, but the night trip means staying over. Dawn and dusk are the wildlife windows. It rains at any season.

What to expect

Facilities are basic community lodging with limited food. Oil roads and installations are close and visible, and the water quality has been a long-running concern. Mosquitoes are heavy at dusk, exactly when the trips run.

Nearby

Shushufindi is north; Coca lies south-west.

Key facts