About Jaguar EcoTours
Jaguar travels throughout Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. We are currently planning an adventure to Ecuador departing in December of this year. In 2011, Jagtours will guide a group within Peru, one the archaeological capitals of the world.
Jaguar tours are extremely unique and intimate. We emphasize local experiences that leave money in the pockets of native people and support sustainable projects in small towns and villages. It is not uncommon for Jaguar clients to form intimate relationships with people they meet along the way. Simply by visiting, you can help develop a community that operates with limited resources. Jaguar tours are ecologically responsible; We work to conserve the natural environment and improve the well-being of those that we visit. We support the wishes of indigenous groups that have graciously opened their homes, in order to bring peace, understanding and opportunity. Both parties benefit from the exchange and they look forward to our visits!
If you are interested in a customized EcoTour please contact Jaguar directly. In most cases we can accommodate you with a personalized itinerary. 100% of the proceeds will benefit local communities! If we cannot meet your needs for a personalized EcoAdventure, we are pleased to offer information and guidance.
Tour Operator
Miranda Detore of Seattle Washington is the founder and tour operator of Jaguar Ecotours. Miranda has a background in wilderness guiding, municipal firefighting, and is a certified EMT-Paramedic. In 1998 she founded Jaguar Ecotours as a way to bring awareness to the Cofan People and their struggles for autonomy.
Miranda began traveling at an early age and planned her first group trip at the age of 15. Miranda began her travel career organizing and facilitating out-of-state trips for her high school ski club. During this time she also served as a student ambassador to Europe as part of a five week program. At age 19 Miranda expanded her travels to South America. It was there on her first trip that she was fortunate to meet the Cofan Indian Tribe. She celebrated her 19th birthday at the top of the active Tungurahua Volcano in Ecuador. Later that same year (1994), she planned a family backpacking trip to Europe that lasted six weeks and covered seven countries, managing all travel details for four people.
Miranda speaks three languages and feels comfortable moving through and within diverse cultures. Through her experiences she has developed a passion for diverse peoples and languages throughout the Western Hemisphere.
She moved to Ecuador in 1996 and completed a year-long program in Latin American studies, working as part of a 20-person research team. In 1997 Miranda lived with the Cofan Indians in their village called Zabalo. There she began her academic research on ecotourism in the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, of the Upper Amazon Basin.
Miranda is a graduate of the University of Washington where she majored in Latin American studies, American Indian Studies and Geography. She is a fluent Spanish speaker and has a strong background in the Cofan Indian language, A' Ingae. In 1997, at the request of his parents, she brought a young Cofan boy to the United States where he could learn English. In 2000, Miranda and the young Cofan boy were guest speakers at the United Nations for Earth Day. He went on to receive a formal ‘western’ education and graduated from Blanchet High School in Seattle, Washington in 2006.
After fostering a Cofan child for over 11 years, Miranda re-located to Portland, Oregon to complete a third degree and pursue a career in the Emergency Services. Miranda is ambitious, resourceful and a detail-oriented traveler. Her interests include emergency medicine, firefighting, live music, charity fund raisers, cooking, and teaching. Passions include traveling, discovering new places, adventure, outdoor recreation, and photography.
Thanks for visiting the Jagtours website…I am committed to making a difference in the lives of local and native people. I have led groups in and around the jungles of Ecuador, working with and for the native people of the region. In 2000, I was honored to speak at the United Nations on behalf of the Cofan tribe. In 2009, Joe Berlinger produced CRUDE, www.crudethemovie.com an independently produced documentary detailing an ongoing battle with corporate oil companies that have hurt our friends the lands they call home.
Our next trip will be to Ecuador where we will be taking much-needed supplies to people in remote areas in Ecuador. While there, we will live among the A’I, visit several cities and townships along the way, and feel the magic of South America. The experience promises to be very intimate and rewarding for both the people on the tour and the people we will be visiting.