Our story
Born in the jungle.
Passionate about sharing it.
Escorpion Travels
A family agency,
built from the inside
Escorpion Travels wasn’t born in an office or a business plan. It was born in the jungle, in an indigenous community of the Bolivian Amazon, where Leonor Otoya learned as a child to read rivers, trees, and animals like living maps.
Founded in 2010 by Leonor and his wife, together with the whole Otoya family, the agency is now recognized as one of the most respected in the region. It’s one of the few agencies led by natives of Bolivia’s indigenous communities, giving it an authentic vision deeply rooted in the territory. Beyond tourism, part of our activity contributes to education and health projects in local communities.
“When we guide someone through the jungle, we’re not working. We’re sharing our home.”
The founders
The Otoya Family
Founders & Head Guides · Escorpion Travels
Born and raised in an indigenous community of the Bolivian Amazon, Leonor Otoya learned from childhood to read the jungle like others read books. At age 8, he left his community to study in Rurrenabaque. That contrast between community life, built on sharing, and the city deeply shaped his worldview and his understanding of tourism.
For more than 15 years he worked as a tour guide in the region, building a deep knowledge of the jungle, botany, fauna, flora, and local traditions. Aware of the opportunity to offer a more authentic form of tourism, he trained in tourism at the UMSA University Campus in San Buenaventura. In 2010, together with his wife, he founded Escorpion Travels.
Today, the Otoya couple passes that knowledge on to their children — the new generation of guides — teaching them the craft, respect for the environment, protection of biodiversity, and the values inherited from their community. Escorpion Travels is one of the few agencies in the region led by natives of Bolivia’s indigenous communities.
We grew up learning that the jungle doesn’t belong to us — we belong to it. That’s what we try to pass on to every traveler who joins us.
— Leonor Otoya and his wife, founders of Escorpion Travels
Our journey
A story built
from inside the jungle
The origins
A childhood in the indigenous community
Leonor is born and raised in an indigenous community of the Bolivian Amazon. At age 8 he leaves his community to study in Rurrenabaque, carrying with him the values of sharing and respect for nature that would shape his whole life.
Over 15 years as a guide
Knowledge built on the ground
For more than 15 years, Leonor works as a tour guide in the Beni region. He learns in depth the jungle, botany, fauna, flora, and local traditions. A training that no university could ever teach.
University education
UMSA Campus in San Buenaventura
Convinced that a more authentic and responsible way of doing tourism exists, Leonor trains in tourism at the UMSA University Campus in San Buenaventura. Field experience and academic training come together.
2010
Escorpion Travels is born
Together with his wife and family, Leonor officially founds Escorpion Travels in Rurrenabaque. An agency built from within, led by natives of Bolivia’s indigenous communities, with a vision of responsible and authentic tourism.
International recognition
Travelers from over 40 countries
Word of mouth and international reviews turn Escorpion Travels into the go-to agency in Rurrenabaque. Thousands of travelers from around the world have trusted us to discover the Bolivian Amazon.
Today
Responsible tourism and community commitment
Leonor’s children take over as certified guides. The agency actively supports education and health projects in local communities. Tourism as an engine of development, not just business.
What defines us
Our values,
our commitment
Authentic roots
Our agency is led by natives of Bolivia’s indigenous communities. We don’t imitate the jungle — we live it. That origin is our greatest legitimacy.
Family spirit
Every traveler is treated as part of our family. Bolivian hospitality isn’t a slogan for us — it’s been our way of life all along.
Certified ecotourism
We hold official sustainable tourism certifications and operate under strict protocols to respect the ecosystems of Madidi and the Pampas.
Community commitment
Part of our activity funds education and health projects in local communities. Tourism as a tool for sustainable development in the region.
Authenticity
No shows for tourists, no manufactured circuits. What we show is real because it’s ours. The authentic jungle, with guides trained in the field.
Local knowledge passed down
Botany, wildlife, ancestral techniques, indigenous traditions. We pass on to our children and our guides a knowledge that takes decades to learn, not classrooms.
The team
One family, one team,
one shared passion
Escorpion Travels is a family business in the deepest sense. Everyone who works here shares the same love for the Bolivian Amazon and the same commitment to tourism that respects both people and the environment.
Our guides know the territory in depth. Their training doesn’t come only from books — it comes from years in the jungle, on the rivers, and with the communities.
We operate with official sustainable tourism certifications, and part of our activity funds education and health projects in local communities.
Our guides accompany you in the language you prefer, so nothing gets lost in the experience.
Come meet us
The best way to know us
is to live the experience.
Book your tour with Escorpion Travels and discover why travelers from over 40 countries choose a family agency born in the heart of the Bolivian Amazon.