Hostería Finca El Pigual

Overview

Description

Puyo is the main gateway to the Ecuadoran Amazon. The region has exuberant vegetation, numerous rivers and waterfalls, and a rich fauna.

El Pigual is on the banks of the Puyo River. To get there, you must cross a 44 meter-long private bridge that will take you to a natural corner completely isolated from the urban area, even though we are very near the city.

We are building an 82-acre theme park next to the lodge using bamboo and other environmentally-friendly materials. This is a private space with limited access where visitors can stroll different ecological trails to appreciate the bamboo groves, tropical plant nurseries, ornamental species of the region, bodies of water, buildings made of bamboo, secondary forest protection zones, and observe wildlife.

Rooms

30 rooms in standard, executive, and premium categories. We offer single, double, matrimonial, triple, quadruple, quintuple, and sextuple rooms. We also have duplex rooms and suites.

Making a Difference

Number of employees: 21

Percentage of local employees: 85%

Conservation of the environment and its biodiversity is a priority for El Pigual.

We protect and maintain all the lodge’s green areas and we try to integrate all our buildings into the natural setting in a responsible way without altering the landscape. We are constantly reforesting with native plant and tree species (palms, heliconias, anthuriums, orchids, bromeliads, etc.), to foster the observation of typical Amazonian species in their natural habitats, including birds, butterflies, toads, monkeys, and crickets.

One of the objectives of the theme park we are creating is to show bamboo’s potential as an alternative to lumber, and we are promoting it as a means of reducing deforestation in the Amazon. We are also implementing best practices in all areas of the lodge’s operations, which is helping to lower our environmental impact and make us sustainable.

We support neighboring communities by creating jobs and prioritizing the purchase of supplies from local providers. We promote Amazonian handicrafts in our shop and we recommend places where tourists can make their purchases. We tell visitors about the diverse cultural activities in the area and whenever possible, we include small indigenous communities in our excursions.

Rates

$51 – $75

Our rates are per person and include lodging, breakfast, a standard dinner, and use of the installations (pool, Turkish sauna, and hydro-massage).

For more information about rates, please visit:

• www.elpigualecuador.com/contenidos.php?menu=3&submenu1=5&idiom=1 (available in Spanish).

Getting There

Nearest international airport: Quito (OUI)

Nearest local/national airport: Shell Mera (PTZ)

Travel time to nearest airport: 10 minutes

The road to the site is accessible year-round in any kind of vehicle.

Additional Information

Awards or Recognitions

Recognition from the Fundación Ambiente y de Sociedad Programa Bolsa Amazónica in 2006 for supporting the purchase and promotion of Madre Tierra jams produced by farmers in the Guayaba “La Delicia” Producers Association. They aim to fight poverty and environmental destruction by making use of forest products.

Awarded a “Pearl of the Southern Pacific” statuette in 2009 from the Fundación Ecuatoriana Revista Turismo & Comercio as a dynamic promoter of tourism development in Pastaza province.

Date This Information Was Provided

October 2011.

Photos courtesy of Hostería Finca El Pigual, Ecuador, for SustainableTrip.org.