Reserva Rio Guaycuyacu

we are a family farm and nature reserve in an isolated rainforest area of ecuador. we grow subsistence crops, herbs and vegetables, ornamentals, and a world class collection of over 500 different kinds of fruits. besides the cutivated areas there is a reserve area of primary forest, with abundant plant and animal life.

you will stay in a cabin with individual rooms, electricity from our small water-powered generator, and good running water. we cook and eat together. we enjoy good food, mostly vegetarian; meals feature farm produce, including chocolate, tempeh, and many fruits.

we would expect you to work in the mornings, usually with us, at farm tasks. the machete is the main agricultural tool, but farm chores are varied and include orchard and nursery work, seed collection and processing (aka picking fruit and eating it!), food preparation (making jams, vinegar, chocolate, bread, tempeh etc.), construction (often using native materials like palm and bamboo), crafts, botany and natural history, gardening. we encourage you to participate in both household and community life. your stay could, if you wish, include some time spent living and working with any of several campesino neighbor families on their farms nearby. Ê they raise animals and grow subsistence crops, and have much local knowledge and love of nature.Ê you may also choose to work on your own projects, and you will have plenty of free time.