Discover the Story Behind Sacha Lodge

A Dream of the Wild

Sacha Lodge (“Sacha” is the Amazon Kichwa word meaning ‘forest’) began as the dream of Swiss explorer Beny Ammeter. Guided by a restless curiosity for the unknown, Beny boarded a ship to South America in 1963 and set his course for Chile.

After a short time in Chile, he set off for Bolivia, where he remained until 1967 and discovered the Bolivian Amazon jungle, becoming enchanted by its wilderness. His journeys later took him farther north to Peru, where he worked in several different industries, got married, and continued visiting the Amazon repeatedly—this time in Peru. His fascination with the jungle deepened with every trip.

Toward the end of 1979, Beny set out once more—this time for Ecuador—where he settled and raised his two daughters. His passion for the Amazon took him to the Ecuadorian rainforest, where he traveled widely and fell in love with the Napo River region. In 1985, starting from scratch and with the help of his two daughters, Beny opened La Casa del Suizo on the Upper Napo, next to the village of Ahuano, where his two daughter attended a local missionary school.

Always exploring deeper into the forest, while living in Ahuano, Beny continued venturing into remote parts of the Ecuadorian Amazon. On one of these trips, a local companion led him to a hidden lagoon reached by hiking through a swamp along what would later become Sacha’s present-day boardwalk. Beny was captivated by the lake—Pilchicocha—and by the abundance of wildlife surrounding it. There, his dream of opening a second lodge, deeper in the Amazon, took shape.

In October 1991, around 70 employees began the construction of Sacha Lodge and its famous wooden tower. Six months later, the initial construction of the lodge was complete. In April 1992, Sacha Lodge was officially opened with six guest rooms, a dining room, and housing for guides and other staff. During the first six months, Beny managed the Lodge himself.

Over time, the Lodge expanded its facilities and reserve, now covering approximately 5,000 acres (2,000 hectares). Today, Sacha Lodge remains under the care of Beny’s Ecuadorian descendants, continuing his legacy with the same passion for nature, people, and preservation.

Our Evolution

A Legacy of Protection and Purpose

For more than 30 years, Sacha Lodge has evolved while staying true to its founder’s dream: a refuge where exploration supports protection. Our private reserve, recognized as a Private Protected Forest by Ecuador’s Ministry of Environment, is permanently safeguarded from hunting, logging, mining, or oil extraction.

Sacha remains locally rooted, family-run, and conservation-driven — redefining wild comfort through meaningful and unique experiences, scientific collaboration, and deep respect for both nature and people.

Guardians of Forest and Culture

Conservation, Community, and Knowledge

Our private reserve protects a living mosaic of ecosystems, from canopy to riverbank, cared for daily by local hands and expert eyes.

The vast majority of our team comes from the Ecuadorian Amazon region— guides, cooks, rangers, and caretakers whose wisdom and pride sustain this place. Our guests explore in small groups, always accompanied by Ecuadorian guides, either naturalists, Kichwa naturalists, or, in some cases, both a naturalist and a native Kichwa guide. Together, they reveal the forest through two perspectives: scientific insight and ancestral wisdom.

Here, exploration supports preservation, and every visit strengthens the bond between people and nature — ensuring the forest thrives for generations to come.