Ecological village
"Jardín de las orquídeas"
Who we are
Come and visit us!
The Ecological Village "Orquids Garden" project was initiated by farm workers from the "Los Rios Settlement" through their Organization
ACOPROCOR, for the sole purpose of preserving and protecting the Amazon rain forest over an area covering 350
hectares, extremely rich in bio-diversity. This private Law Organization received Department of Environment agreement Nº 080 on August 17th 2001. 26 members, heads of family form its membership.
Through the ACOPROCOR Organization, the Settlement of "Los Rios" is presently setting-up the Project
"Ecological Village Orquids Garden" to promote community ecotourism within our Settlement.
We offer lodging in simple cabins made from locally available materials with private bath and shower and surrounded by gardens; tours within the primary forest are also available.
One of our goals is to extend the size of the protective area and prevent
deforestation; to do this we started developing ecotourism as a mean to generate the necessary funding to go ahead with the Project "Ecological Amazon Village Orchids Garden".
Roads suitable for traffic were built recently leading to the rainforest and along came timber traders offering up-front money to people willing to cut down trees and sell its wood; to counter this alarming threat of deforestation, the Organization is trying to find ways to promote community tourism as the only alternate solution to avoid the destruction of the forest and preserve
Nature.
The Ecological Village is located within Los Rios Settlement, 3 hours by bus East from the city of
Tena, toward Orellana Province along the right bank of the Napo River.
Area extension: Approximately 500 hectares
Mean temperature: 25º Celsius
Altitude: 480 metres above sea level
Water representation: Napo and Humuyaku Rivers, lakes.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
On December 23rd 1972, seven families from Los Rios Province arrived in Napo Province sailing along the Napo River and landing in the
Yuralpa area. From there, they decided to continue on foot for two
kilometers to reach the Humuyaku River where they settled on both banks and established the Los Rios Settlement to
honors their Province or origin; soon, arrived also Amazon Natives from
Tena and other townships who founded the Mumuyaku, Selva Amazonica and Runa Shito and San Juan de Raya yaku Communities. It is during the 70's that "Mestizos" as well as Amazon Natives started the settlement of that part of the Amazon.
Despite cultural differences, Natives from the Kichwa Nation and "Mestizos" live together peacefully showing mutual respect.
After years of peaceful neighborhood both Communities started sharing customs, particularly in the area of agriculture, clothing and food.
COMMUNITY TOURISM IN THE "AMAZON ECOLOGICAL VILLAGE ORCHIDS GARDEN"
Colonia Los Ríos, Parroquia Chontapunta, Cantón Tena, Provincia de
Napo - Contact: Lourdes Granja or Nicolás Díaz
Tel.: (06) 2888578
By mail: Lourdes Granja
Avenida Pano 164 y Serafín Gutiérrez - Tena - Ecuador