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Last month marked the completion of the development and construction of a second Achuar community ecotourism project – located in the Tiinkias community, three hours from the Peruvian border in a remote and pristine corner of the Ecuadorian Amazon. Tiinkias community will function in conjunction with the Kapawi Ecolodge as an alternative for adventurous travelers to learn more about life within an Achuar community.
Visitors stay in traditional Achuar cabins, situated on top of a hill overlooking untouched primary rainforest. The project developed out of the desire of the Makusar assembly (of which Tiinkias is part) to share the beauty of this part of the rainforest with visitors.
A reserve has been established around the community of Tiinkias and its large black water lagoon since 2003, allowing for a unique experience for visitors to come to a wildlife sanctuary of birds, monkeys, fish, caiman, giant otters, and many insects. Tiinkias itself was founded as a community only a few years ago in order to protect the reserve and the lake from exploitation for hunting and fishing by other indigenous groups. Community members have decided against the construction of an airstrip, to maintain the traditional nature of the community and the high prevalence of animals living in and around the community. Within the visitors’ campsite, one can see wild turkeys, guatusa, parrots, macaws and oropéndulas just walking from the cabins to the village center.
The cabins are located about ten minutes from the center of the community, permitting privacy for both visitors and community members as they maintain their traditional lifestyles without intrusion. The community is composed of only eight families, leaving one’s experience there very intimate. The community has seen a cultural regrowth since the creation of this project, which has served as an initiative to relearn several ancestral practices that were being forgotten or replaced. This has a secondary benefit for tourists who are able to learn about Achuar traditions while at the same time, the local population maintains and recovers many practices that had not been observed for a long time in the area.
The construction of the infrastructure of Tiinkias community ecotourism project and the local capacity building for the community took part with financing from the Inter-American Development Bank and support locally from The Pachamama Alliance and Fundación Pachamama. It is now completely operational.
Visits and stays at Tiinkias community are included in some of the itineraries of Pachamama Journeys in 2011.
