The community of Martinica was legally formed in 1997 with a 150 members. The community joined together to start protecting and conserving their land by registering it for personal use and an area specificity for tourism. The Yaku Warmi cabañas are built at the heart of the conservation land for tourists to enjoy all the jungle has to offer.
The community grows their own food, providing the freshest food to all those who visit Yaku Warmi. They grow products such as yuca, plantain and rice. All the members of Martinica are all part of the Yaku Warmi project and work together to make it possible. They rotate their position taking care of the guests and working at the Yaku Warmi cabañas.
On the way to the cabañas, you pass right along the border with Peru. During our stay, we even took a quick stop at the border to take a photograph with a border marker, which is right on the edge of the river!
Boutique Cabañas of Yaku Warmi
The beautiful wooden cabañas have three beds. Most importantly for the rainforest, each bed has its own mosquito net, a requirement to sleep soundly through the night. There is also a bathroom and shower in each cabin, with running water, a rare find out in the jungle. Out front you can enjoy the surrounding nature on a small shaded porch.
In the evening, there are lights and power to charge all your important devices for the trip, especially your camera and flashlight batteries. However, we always suggest bringing along a small solar charger with you to make sure you never get stuck at an amazing landscape without batteries.
Within the Yaku Warmi complex there is a traditional kitchen where you can watch the delicious local foods be prepared for the freshest meal you will experience. In the morning, we watched them go fishing in the river and enjoyed their catch for lunch.
Luxury Jungle Experience
The Yaku Warmi Cabañas at Martinica provide all inclusive experience to visitors. Staying at the cabañas includes transportation to and from Rocafuerte, about a 90 minute motorized canoe ride. However, Rocafuerte is a full 8-10 hour boat ride from Coca. Remember, this means you will be traveling deeper into the rainforest, so the travel time is completely worth it!
Besides the beautiful cabaña accommodations, the nightly price includes three meals a day and all tours and excursions throughout your stay.
They recommend staying in Yaku Warmi for four days to get the full experience the surrounding forrest has to offer. This would come out to a total of a six day excursion as it is a complete day trip each way from Coca, the closest main city with an airport and incoming highways.
The best months to visit are February, August and December for the best weather and chance of seeing more wildlife. The low season is April and May when the river is higher, sending animals further into the jungle making it harder to view them. We visited at the end of March, when the river was already high and had no trouble spotting many different animals!
Our favorite tour is the observation tour through the lagoons where you walk to see seeing macaws and pass the dolphin feeding. They also offer walking tours around the jungle to look for different types of plants and animals during the day and at night.
Witness the Pink Amazon River Dolphin
When visiting the community of Martinica’s conservation land at the heart of the jungle there are so many different types of animals to seek out. The area is most well known for its pink river dolphins, which also come in a gray variety.
Every time we went out on the canoe, we witnessed the river dolphins and even had the chance to feed them several times. The community also helps protect and preserve the dolphins and other animals with guard houses along the river to protect from poachers.
You will also see a wide range of birds including parrots, toucans, ducks and potoo. There are at least six different species of monkeys living in the conservation land as well. If you are lucky you might spot an otter, sloth or even a manatee during one of the many boat rides.
Being nature, there is no guarantee you will have the ability to see all the animals, but you will be taken on a significant number of excursions to try and view them.
From the edge of the Yaku Warmi cabañas we were able to see monkeys feeding in the nearby trees. We could not have felt more at one with nature. There is no better place than Yaku Warmi to enjoy everything the rainforest has to offer at your feet.
Yaku Warmi of Martinica Cost
The all-inclusive stay at Yaku Warmi Cabañas costs $130 per night per person. This includes round trip transportation to Rocafuerte, accommodations, food and all the tours throughout your stay.
The small number of cabañas allows for a total of 18 guests to guarantee the best personalized service possible. Head to Yaku Warmi to experience the heart of the jungle in comfort and style.
Contact Yaku Warmi
Manuel Coquinche
Cellphone and WhatsApp: +593 099 310 4290
Telephone: +593 06 2382 226
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