Introduction of the Cueva de los Tayos Tour
This 3 day, 2 nights, private Cueva de los Tayos Tour can be better described as an expedition into the most famous Cueva de los Tayos in Ecuador. This particular cave became the focus of a popular myth perpetuated by Erich von Däniken about a hidden library of golden plates inscribed with hieroglyphs, variously ascribed to extraterrestrial beings or a lost human civilization. Despite numerous scientific and pseudoscientific expeditions, including one in 1976 that included the Scottish Stanley Hall and American astronaut and engineer, Neil Armstrong, the library has not been found. The consensus from the archaeological community is that the “golden library” was a hoax. In 2022 National Geographic and Will Smith organised another expedition into the cave in search of new species of flora and fauna that live within the extended cave system. More information about their visits you can find in our article about the Cueva de los Tayos Expeditions.
Hoax or no hoax about extraterrestrial artifacts, the Cueva de los Tayos (or Cave of the Tayos/ oilbirds, in English) maintains an enigmatic destination. The principal entrance to the cave is located on the territory of an indigenous Shuar community in the rainforest of Ecuador. The largest of three (known) entrances is a 55 metres (213 ft) deep shaft leading to 4.6 kilometres of spacious passages and a chamber measuring 90 by 240 meters. Although the cave isn’t fully explored yet, it is currently (2025) the longest known cave system in Ecuador. To access the cave you need to rappel a total of 61 meters down!
The native Shuar community has been using this Cueva de los Tayos (there are others as well) for many generations to hunt the fledgling oilbirds. The oil from these young birds is used for lamps, and their meat as food. Tourism has limited this tradition a bit, which helps to protect the declining population of oilbirds (Tayos) in the cave. Tourism also provide an alternative income besides the increasing (gold) mining activities in this area of the rainforest.
Short itinerary of this 3d/2n Cave Expedition:
Day 1: Limon Indanza – Yuquiantza – Shuar community – descending into Cueva de los Tayos
Day 2: Waking up in Cueva de los Tayos and full day of exploring the cave system
Day 3: Waking up in Cueva de los Tayos – Ascending from the cave and back to Limon Indanza
Check out this short YouTube video about the 3d/2n Cueva de los Tayos Expedition.
Additional details about this cave expedition:
Destination: Cueva de los Tayos – Kuankus
Climate: Humid tropical climate
Average temperature: 22°C
Number of days: 3 days, 2 nights (Camping in the cave).
Difficulty level: Demanding (jungle hikes with steep slopes, mud slides, rappelling, and assisted ascent of more than 50 meters in one go and crawling through narrow passageways).
Experience: No rappelling experience is required, but you need a good level of physical fitness.
Age: 12 to 65 years (Minors with parental permission and seniors up to 70 years of age who are physically active)
Departures: This private tour can start at each day of the week, with minumum two participants, however on public holidays in Ecuador this tour is popular with Ecuadorian adventurers, so it will be too busy to organise private tours.
Extended itinerary of the 3d/2n Cueva de los Tayos Tour:
Because this Cueva de los Tayos Tour/ Expedition is demanding and not without risk, we work for this tour in Ecuador only with the highly experienced Tayos Expeditions. They are the only local tour operator with experienced guides who are licensed in caving, spelunking and canyoning. Besides that, Tayos Expeditions is also seeking to promote alternative, responsible tourism that is friendly to the environment and communities.
Day 1: Limon Indanza – Yuquiantza – Shuar community – descending into Cueva de los Tayos
Around 6:30 am – Meeting at the office of Tayos Expeditions and breakfast in Limon Indanza.After breakfast we will travel with private transport in around two hours to Yuquiantza. From here we navigate around 30 minutes in a motorized canoe on the Namangoza River to the territory of the Shuar Arutam community. After departing the canoe, we will hike around two hours along a muddy ascending trail, through lush rainforest. Our destination is the Shuar family who protects the entrance of Cueva de los Tayos.
After lunch we will participate in a small Shuar ritual with the head of the family, to ask permission for entering their cave. Then we head down towards the entrance of the cave and put on our professional safety harness. The professional guide(s) from Tayos Expeditions will go ahead to instal the extensive rappel equipment, needed rappel the first 55 meters down into the cave. Double securing, descending and releasing takes around 10 minutes p.p. to get everyone down. Then there is a second rappel of six meters and a short adventures hike, before reaching our camp for tonight. Out tents are located in the middle of a huge cave chamber, that’s home to the tayos/oilbirds and has a ceiling of more than 20 meters high. Inside it is dry and there is a comfortable room-temperature. But it is also 24/7 pitch black and the tayos birds can make a lot of noise.After making ourselves comfortable, it is time for dinner and our first night in Cueva de los Tayos.
Day 2: Waking up in Cueva de los Tayos and full day of exploring the cave system
… Am ? (who knows what time it is when there is no daylight…) – Waking up in our tents and time for breakfast.After breakfast we put again our safety harness on. This time it isn’t for rappelling, but to be able to connect ourselves to security rope systems that are located strategical locations within the cave system. These security ropes make it safer and easier to explore some of the challenging tunnels and galleries within Cueva de los Tayos. Which tunnels and galleries we can explore, will depend on the water level in parts of the cave and the physical conditions of our group members. But most likely they will at least include: the ‘Moricz’s Arch’, the iconic ‘Daylight Cave’, the ‘Stalagmite Room’ and ‘Neil Armstrong’s Sinkhole and Stalagmite’. We will also participate in a traditional Shuar tobacco ritual at a small waterfall deep inside the cave. This is a great way to refresh both our body and mind.
At dinner tonight is a good moment to talk about our experiences of today and to exchange other great travel stories. When the Tayos wake up, it is time for us to return to our tents, because tomorrow we will have to get up early.
Day 3: Waking up in Cueva de los Tayos – Ascending from the cave and back to Limon Indanza
Depending on our group size we get up around 5:30 am to clean up our camp and have breakfast.After breakfast we put for the last time our climbing harness on and depart to the main entrance/ exit of Cueva de los Tayos. To ascent the cave, we will use a pulley system and physical strength to pull everyone up. Double securing, ascending and releasing takes around 10 minutes p.p. to get everyone up.
Lunch will be in the lunch room of the Shuar family. Then it is time to descend the muddy trails towards the river and our canoe journey past two impressive waterfalls, back to our bus. Along the way back to Limon Indanza we make a short stop in Bella Unión for a cold beer or soda. Around 19:00 h we will be back in the office of Tayos Expeditions, where we will collect all the equipment and say goodbye to our newly made friends from this adventure.
Please keep in mind that this Cueva de los Tayos tour in Ecuador is more of an expedition, than a standard sightseeing tour. For this reason the itinerary as written above is meant to give a good day to day description of the activities, but it isn’t a guarantee that all can be accompliced. Much will depend on local circumstances and your own physical abilities. We will always try to do our best to provide you with the best options possible.
This tour to la Cueva de los Tayos is inclusive:
– Private ground transportation from Limón to Yuquiantza and back
– Private river transportation by canoe on the Namangoza and Santiago Rivers (including the use of life jackets)
– Professional guiding from guides who are licensed in caving, spelunking and canyoning and assisted by experienced native guides from the Kuankus Shuar community
– All meals for the three days (3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, and 2 dinners)
– Group use of filtered water in the cave
– Use of personalized caving equipment (helmet, pelvic harness, torse strap, 3 anchor lines with carabiners)
– Use of assisted descent and ascent system with double rope and fall arrest device.
– Use of headlamp with up to 600 lumens of light (exclusive batteries)
– Two nights of camping inside Cueva de los Tayos
– Use of camping equipment: sleeping bag, camping mattress, and tent
– A tent for our dry toilet, which will be set up inside the cave.
– Use of rubber boots
– Permits from the Shuar community for entering the cave and using their trails
– Use of first aid kit throughout the trip
– An adventure accident insurance for the three-day expedition (Note: this insurance doesn’t cover very high costs, so it is important to also ask your own insurance company if the cover spelunking)
– The hiring of additional people from the Shuar community to help with pulling our group out of the cave
– One ice-cold personal beer or soft drink at the end of the expedition.
This cave tour doesn’t include:
– Transportation to and from Limon Indanza
– Accommodation in Limon Indanza
– Recommendable, additional hydration drinks (especially for day 1) and snacks
– The use of additional porters or a horse to carry your personal backpack
– (international) bank transfer fees
– Anything not specified in the program
What you will need to provide yourself for this Cueva de los Tayos Tour:
– A comfortable backback of 45 to 65 litres
– Three sets of three (is 9) AAA batteries (for your headlamp)
– A pair of nitrile-coated gloves
– Minimum one litre of water and one litre of sports drinks.
– Some energy-boosting snacks, candy, chocolates and or dry fruits
– Two changes of quick-drying old clothing (2 pairs of pants, 1 pair of shorts, 2 T-shirts, one long sleeve shirt, one waterproof jacket, 3 pairs of base layers, 3 pairs of socks, 1 cap, and 1 pair of flip-flops or Crocs)
– Insect repellent and sunscreen (small containers)
– Personal hygiene kit (small soap, shampoo sachet, toothbrush, small toothpaste, deodorant, a small travel towel, etc.)
– Camera, cell phone, GoPro (optional) to capture your best moments (Protect equipment from moisture and impacts with zip-lock bags or dry bags)
– A power bank to charge your phone/ camera
– A plastic plate, cup, knife, fork and spoon
– Plastic bags for wet clothes
– A small camelback, fanny pack, or drawstring bag for carrying your water and phone while exploring the cave
What Tayos Expeditions provides for this cave tour, but you will have to carry in/ on your backpack:
– A light weight tent for one, two, three or max 4 people (carried by one person)
– A light weight sleeping back
– A sleeping mat
– A climbing security helmet
– A headlight
– Rubber boots (you will be wearing most of the day)
Optional to bring with:
– Walking sticks
– Knee and elbow protectors, for crawling through narrow passageways
– Insoles for wearing withing the rubber boots
– An additional flashlight (just in case something happens to the one you received)
– Earplugs (to sleep with the sound of the tayos (oilbirds)
– An inflatable pillow
Additional tips:
• For this expedition, you should only bring the bare essentials. All your clothing and equipment must be carried in your backpack and additionally, you must carry the personal camping gear we will provide you at the agency.
• If you do not wish to carry your backpack, a porter from the community can be requested for a fee of 15 US$ one way.
Note: This private tour can start at each day of the week, with minumum two participants, however on public holidays in Ecuador this tour is popular with Ecuadorian adventurers, so it will be too busy to organise private tours.
