R.N. La Isla Escondida
R.N. La Isla Escondida, like El Amargal, is another private venture with strong links to Colombian and international research institutions.
The reserve is 111 hectares of primary growth foothills Napo Moist Forest (90%) in southwest Colombia near the Ecuadorian border. This is an exceptionally biodiverse part of the Colombian Amazon, where lowland moist forest begins to transition into Western Andean Montane Forest as you climb the Cordillera Occidental.
The lodge’s main building sits at around 850 metres above sea level, but the reserve covers a larger elevational range throughout the transition zone, meaning a hyper-diverse mix of habitats and species—From Jaguars, Puma, Margay Cats, tayra and Spectacled Bears to mixed Andean and Amazonian herpetofauna.
And, because of its location at the confluence of two highly distinct ecoregions, La Isla might also be the site in Colombia with the highest bird diversity. The density and health of the forest here, with its endless creeks, streams, and bromeliad-covered trees, really make you feel as though you have travelled back in time.
The reserve features 25 kilometres of well-maintained trails that crisscross the property, as well as four birdwatching towers at 6, 9, 18 and 23 metres. The reserve provides the necessary rock climbing gear free of charge for you to safely scale the tower ladders, with the option to spend the night in the tallest of the four.
Even if you chose to simply stay sitting in one of the hammocks off the main dining area for your entire trip, you would see an incredible number of bird species (especially hummingbirds), as well as tamarin monkeys, myriad butterfly species, and very likely hear the illusive Salvin’s Curassow, which is commonly heard and seen very close to the main building.
Accommodations here are simple but comfortable, and the lodge is entirely off-grid, though there is exceptionally good Starlink satellite internet.