Amazon Rainforest Journeys with Cristina
The Amazon is in my blood. Come feel it with me.
Travel deep into Ecuador's southeastern Amazon with Cristina. She has been visiting this rainforest for 30 years, and the Achuar people who protect it welcome her as family.
8 days to 2 weeks · Small groups · Reachable only by small plane and canoe
My Story
The Forest Runs Through Me
My relationship with the Amazon started when I was five or six years old.
I was born in Cuenca, Ecuador. My father worked for a government institution and directed programs with the Shuar, an Indigenous people of the southern Amazon. Several times a year my family drove seven hours from Cuenca to SucĂşa, a frontier town at the edge of the rainforest, and stayed for two or three weeks while he worked.
I loved every part of it. There were dirt roads, four-wheel-drive tracks, landslides, wild landscapes and beautiful rivers. Then came the forest, which was the most amazing thing of all.
When my father went out to meet the Shuar families in their communities, I asked to go with him. I crossed the bridges over the rivers in my rubber boots, and I was never afraid. I got dirty, touched the plants, looked up at the trees and felt the humidity on my skin. I was so happy.
That little girl never left. Today the Amazon feels like part of my blood. When I am there I feel one with the forest, the trees, the plants and all the life around me. It is a connection to something much bigger than me.
For 30 years I have kept going back. The children I met when I was young have grown up, and some of the elders I knew are gone. Their children and grandchildren are now leaders of their nations, and they are my family.
I share this place because I believe we humans have forgotten something. We think the mind is the only thing that rules this world, and that we can control everything. The forest teaches a different kind of awareness: a sensitivity and a closeness to nature, and a connection to the spirit of a place far more powerful than we are.
The Amazon matters to the people of South America, and it matters to everyone in the world. If you come and experience it yourself, you will go home changed, and you will want to protect it.
The Experience
Deep in the Forest, With the People Who Protect It
We travel to the southeastern Amazon of Ecuador, to territory so remote that no roads reach it. The Achuar people chose to live in this isolation to protect their forest. Their way of life is what makes this journey unlike any other.
A day in the rainforest
Most days, we hike into the forest with local Achuar guides. They show us the plants they rely on for daily life, how they use them, and how they have learned to live with the forest's species: respecting them, not only using them.
The rest of the day might bring a canoe ride, kayaking, a swim in the river, fishing, birdwatching or a search for wildlife. When the community invites us, we take part in their spiritual rituals.
The moment people go quiet
It usually happens in front of a giant tree. People stop, look up, and can't find words. They can't believe how big the trees are.
What surprises everyone
They are surprised by how green it is, and how dense, how vast and how alive.
Why you have to be there
A documentary, a podcast or a beautiful Instagram post can show you the rainforest. None of them can let you feel its energy, or breathe air that clean.
The Transformation
Come Home Lighter
This is not a regular hike in a national park or a comfortable camping trip. The Amazon is a massive, powerful ecosystem, and spending time inside it changes people.
I have watched it happen many times. Each person's transformation is personal. Some feel a deep connection with the spirit of the forest. Some feel protected, and some feel stronger in their own spirit.
In the forest, nothing stays still. A tree falls, decomposes, and new life starts to grow from it. For me the forest has been a teacher: it taught me courage, strength, resilience and determination, and it taught me to keep moving.
“I hope they come back with a mind that is more clear and a heart that is healed.”
— Cristina
Strength
Not the physical kind, but spiritual strength to live your life fully.
A clearer mind
You go home with less noise in your head.
A lighter heart
You feel calmer and more at peace with who you are and what you want to do.
A new relationship with nature
You understand why this place must be protected, and many travelers make real changes toward living more sustainably.
Why Travel With Cristina
More Than a Guide: A Bridge
- 30 years in the forest. I have been visiting these communities since I was a child. Over the years I have learned how to lead groups and how to help each person through their own experience.
- Family, not contacts. The Indigenous leaders today are people I have known since they were young, along with their parents and grandparents. You are welcomed because I am welcomed.
- You'll feel at ease. Travelers see how comfortable and connected I am with the people, and they feel it right away.
- Local voices first. The local guides are the most important people on this journey. They share their wisdom, rituals and knowledge. I am only the bridge between them and you.
- Healing, not just sightseeing. Beyond the beauty of the forest, this journey helps people understand themselves and work through what they carry in their lives.
Is this journey for you?
This trip is for you if you are:
- Brave enough to say yes to something completely different from anything you know
- Comfortable with the unknown, with no fixed expectations
- Flexible and easygoing, because the forest is not a TV show and plans can change
- Open-hearted and willing to receive what the experience brings
- Kind and respectful toward another culture and its home
“You have to be courageous to say yes.”
Trip Details
Your Questions, Answered
Where do we go?
The southeastern Amazon rainforest of Ecuador, in remote Achuar territory with no road access.
How long is the trip?
8 days to 2 weeks, depending on the itinerary.
How do we get there?
By plane, bus and canoe, then a small five-seat bush plane into the forest.
What's included?
Hikes with local guides, canoe rides, kayaking and paddling, swimming, fishing, birdwatching, wildlife watching, and spiritual rituals when the community invites us.
What does it cost?
[CONFIRM WITH CRISTINA] $4,000–$6,000
How fit do I need to be?
You don't need to be an athlete. You do need to be able to walk and move comfortably for long stretches, and to be in good health.
Is it safe?
We never put travelers in dangerous conditions. As anywhere, conditions in Ecuador depend on the time of year and current events. We plan around them and keep you informed.
Where do we stay?
[ADD LODGING DETAILS]
How do I book?
No dates are set yet. Join the waitlist and Cristina will contact you as soon as a trip opens.