TAYOS ADVENTURE of your life!

tayos adventure

OVERVIEW

Tayos Adventure for your life! Our newest Tour!

Try the adventure of a lifetime! Our tour for the spelunkers of the world.
Challenge yourself and join this fantastic adventure tour in the Amazon of Ecuador. The Tayos Cave.

A totally specialized activity for speleology lovers, a fascinating and mysterious site with many natural treasures to discover. You will reach a depth of up to 300 meters, where there is everything: slides, waterfalls, rivers, wells, meanders, in short, it is a giant cave, unexplored in many places and totally unique.

A place where the squawking of the Tayos (a unique bird species) invites you to follow every step with incessant curiosity.

The Shuar Indians guard the cave and invite you to get to know their culture, their customs, their history, their gastronomy and their own world.
Dare to explore!

Interested in some experience from other people? Read Las Cuevas de los Tayos – An incredible cave expedition

General Information

Place to visit:Cueva de los Tayos” of the Tayos Nankupas”.

Province: Canton Morona Santiago: Limón Indanza

Community: Kuankus

Climate: Humid tropical

Average temperature: 22- 25 °C

Number of days: 5 days, 4 nights (1 night in Limón Indanza, 2 nights inside the cave and 1 night in Limón Indanza).

Difficulty level: High, demanding, quite a lot of physical effort.

The Cueva de los Tayos is located in the province of Morona Santiago, Canton Limón Indanza, in the northern foothills of the Cordillera del Cóndor, on the right bank of the Kuankus River. It is located within the territory of the Shuar nationality, an ethnic group that has guarded it for centuries.

This activity besides being an extreme adventure expedition is a community tourism activity, which means that with this trip you will contribute and share in the Kuankus community who provide various services that will facilitate part of the logistics during this expedition.

TOUR FACTORS

Difficulty 90%
Adventure 100%
Comfort 50%
Family friendly 30%

ITINERARY:

Click to see every day in detail

Departure from Quito, the private transportation and the driver will pick you up very early in the morning at the place you previously indicated. You will start your trip to the town of Limón Indanza, approximately 470 kilometers of travel, which takes 8 hours. You will arrive at your comfortable hotel.

Included: Transportation with Spanish speaking driver

Accomodation in QuitoStandard accommodation in double bed or twin room

Early in the morning your private transporter will pick you up at the hotel to take you to the meeting point in Limón Indanza, approximately 06:00 am you will meet your specialized guide, your breakfast will be served, you will receive your personal equipment and you will register for your adventure insurance. In a transportation bus you will be transported by land to the town of Yukiantza, where you will take the canoe for navigation on the Santiago River. During the trip you can admire the Amazon rainforest, landscapes and waterfalls that will delight you. After disembarking, you will begin a 3-hour walk to the Shuar Community, where you will have lunch with a Shuar family. You will participate in the Shuar protection ceremony where you will be given the permission to enter the Tayos Cave. You will continue the hike to the entrance of the Cave, you will receive the techniques for the descent and ascent and safety demonstration.
Once prepared with all the techniques and equipment, you will descend approximately 55 meters using the rappel technique.
Upon entering the cave a new world will welcome you, you will hike inside the cave and set up camp.
You will enjoy dinner and share experiences and knowledge with the Shuar guide and your specialized guide.
From the departure from Limón Indanza to the Tayos Cave it takes approximately 8 hours.

Difficulty level: Demanding

Includes: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, specialized guide in speleology, native guide, shared transportation both by bus and river transport, personal equipment: helmet, pelvic harness, rope clip, ascent, stopper, anchor ropes, pedal and carabiners, ropes and evacuation equipment, entrance permits to the community and the cave, use of trails, horse(s) for transport of supplies, photographs of the adventure. Adventure insurance with coverage of US $10,000 p.p. up to 65 years of age.

Accomodation in Quito

Accommodation: Inside the Cave

Walking time: 7 hours

On this day you will visit the caves during 5 hours, you will be able to see several galleries and geological formations such as: stalactites, stalagmites, pillars, flags, gours, etc. You will be so surprised by what you have admired and even more you will be surprised by a series of mysteries about this geological formation.

The cave is not a dead place, on the contrary, in its darkness can be found a lot of life that has adapted to this environment. You can observe tayos or hear their squawks, or maybe at some point you will bump into a bat, sometimes there has been found rainbow boas, small forest mice, you can also find many invertebrates such as cockroaches, tarantulas, amblypygians, scorpions, crickets, etc.. At the same time, you will find a carpet of seeds, and when they germinate, they form a miniature forest in search of light. All this set of geological formations and life will make your exploration a real experience, as if you were on another planet.

Difficulty level: Demanding

Included: Breakfast, box lunch in the amphitheater, dinner, guide specialized in speleology, native guide, personal equipment: helmet, pelvic harness, rope clip, ascent, stopper, anchor ropes, pedal and carabiners, ropes and evacuation equipment, adventure insurance with coverage of US $10,000 p.p., up to 65 years of age, exploration of subway structures.

Accomodation in Quito

Accommodation: Inside the Cave

Today your unforgettable adventure inside the cave is ending. We hope you had a great experience and learned a lot about speleology. After a light breakfast you climb up the 60 meters to leave the cave. The ascent is demanding, however, after everything you have experienced, you will feel completely satisfied and eager to return accompanied by many more colleagues.

After your arrival to Limón Indanza you return the equipment and  will spend the night in a tourist hotel.

Difficuty level: Demanding.

Included: Breakfast at Shuar family, guide specialized in speleology, native guide, personal equipment: helmet, pelvic harness, rope clip, ascent, stopper, anchor ropes, pedal and carabiners, ropes and evacuation equipment, adventure insurance with coverage of US $10.000 p.p., up to 65 years old.

Shared transportation both river and land transportation by bus and private transportation with driver in Spanish in Limón Indanza.

Accomodation in Quito

Accommodation: Inside the Cave

 

Walking time: 7 hours

Upon agreement of the departure time with the driver, you will be picked up at the hotel to be transferred to the city of Quito, during the trip you can make a stop for pictures, for a short rest and to eat on your own.

Included: Breakfast. English speaking driver guide with private transportation

 

WHAT'S INCLUDED:

starting from

$1200 ,- p.p.

in US DOLLAR

*Please contact us for special offers and child discounts. Prices are subject to change.

 

*Price based on double occupancy.

What to Bring:

  • Carry 8 liters of water, energy bars, cookies, dried fruits, sweets.
  • Flashlight, preferably with more than 100 lumens and water resistant (No matter the brand or model)
  • PVC or Nitrile covered gloves (No matter the brand, but must fit your size)
  • Sleeping bag for tropical climates, Insulation or sleeping pad
  • Plate, spoon, pitcher (required) and water bottle (optional) for personal use
  • Mask and antiseptic alcohol
  • Traveler’s backpack with a capacity of 40 to 50 liters (No matter the brand or model, but it must have a rain cover.)
  • Lightweight, quick-drying clothing
  • Windbreaker
  • Hat
  • Sun block
  • Sunglasses
  • Personal water bottle or water canteen
  • Underwear for change
  • Toiletries
  • Crocs type slippers
  • Medium size bath towel
  • Insect repellent
  • First aid medications or those that you take frequently.
  • Camera and memory card
  • Waterproof packing for your camera
  • Binoculars Lightweight, quick-drying clothing
  • Windbreaker
  • Hat
  • Sun block
  • Sunglasses
  • Personal water bottle or water canteen
  • Underwear for change
  • Toiletries
  • Crocs type slippers
  • Medium size bath towel
  • 1 change of clothes completely sealed in plastic so that they do not get wet (to sleep in dry clothes).
  • Insect repellent
  • First aid medications or those that you take frequently.
  • Camera and memory card
  • Waterproof packing for your camera
  • Binoculars

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE CUEVA DE LOS TAYOS

*The total depth of the cave as far as the experts have reached is – 250 m where a second sinkhole has been found which has not been passed through because it is flooded. The first sinkhole has been passed and there is a long way to go from there. This first sinkhole can be passed as long as the water level allows it and this is evaluated once inside the sinkhole.

* Inside 60% of the cave are large galleries but the remaining 40% are narrow, laminators, sumps and crawl spaces, there is a lot of water flow in the aquatic part of the cave, although an inner cave suit is not needed, only an outer cave suit.

*There is also mud in the Devil’s gallery and a lot of bat guano there. It is not highly recommended to go there, but if you want to know the mystery of strange sounds and a giant footprint, you can do it.

*There is everything: water slide, waterfalls, river, wells, meanders in short it is a fantastic and unique cave.

*The air temperature in the cave is 18 to 24 degrees Celsius.

NOTE: If the trip has not yet started and there are adverse weather conditions that do not guarantee the expedition, the expedition will be suspended and the money paid will be refunded, except for the amounts paid for land and river transportation, accident insurance, food for the first day and operating expenses.

Alternative Tours

Consider as you reserve:

Not Included:

International airfare to and from destination; meals not described; cost of medical immunizations as needed; trip cancellation insurance or any other travel insurance; cost of optional activities; excess baggage charges; airport taxes (if any); alcoholic beverages or soft drinks; optional gratuities to your guides; items of personal nature, Headlamp and batteries, Nitrile covered gloves, Rubber boots, Sleeping bag, Insulating pad or mat, Personal hydration, Extra food: dried fruits, chocolate, energy bars, Camping tent, Horse or mule for carrying each passenger, Backpack chargers, Everything not mentioned in the itinerary, Personal expenses, Optional excursions

Travel Insurance:

To protect your travel investment, we highly recommend the purchase of travel insurance. Travel insurance is intended to cover medical expenses, trip interruption and cancellation, theft and other losses incurred while traveling domestically or internationally.

Visa and Entry Requirements:

Ecuador requires a valid passport (with a minimum 6 months validity). Contact your local embassy or consulate for the most up-to-date visa requirements.