Who We Are
A Story That Began in the Forest
Top Trails was born from the meeting of two people who shared the same way of experiencing nature. Carlos, a Corcovado guide, and Laura, a traveler, discovered another way to experience the rainforest—one that was more authentic, more adventurous, and more deeply connected to nature.
In the midst of the pandemic, they decided to turn that shared vision into an experience for travelers seeking more than just a tour.
Our Story
How Top Trails Began
It all began when Laura arrived looking to escape the noise of city life and disconnect from her daily routine. Carlos was her guide on that journey.
As they entered the rainforest, Laura felt a profound mixture of wonder, peace, and freedom—a connection awakened by the majesty of the primary forest.
Along the way, she discovered how Carlos interprets the jungle: not as a simple walk filled with facts, but as a living organism that can be read through its sounds, scents, textures, and the delicate balance that holds it all together.
Laura saw in Carlos's passion the spark needed to connect with nature on a deeper, more emotional level. Through the eyes of someone seeking genuine transformation, she brought an understanding of what travelers hope to find when they arrive somewhere sacred. Carlos brought years of knowledge gained from walking this land and an unwavering admiration for Corcovado.
From the traveler's fascination and the soul of a local guide came a shared purpose: to create experiences beyond the traditional routes, along rarely explored trails where every traveler could learn to feel and understand the rainforest through all the senses.
Philosophy
We Are Not Here to Collect Sightings. We Are Here to Experience the Forest.
Our experiences invite you to do a handful of unfashionable things.
- Slow down.
- Listen.
- Breathe.
- Feel the earth and the water.
- Escape the crowds.
- Respect the natural behaviour of wildlife.
- Enjoy the unexpected.
- Value the entire experience, not one moment of it.
Design of the Tours
Carlos and the Design of Every Journey
My passion for Corcovado began the first time I entered its ancient primary rainforest. Watching the jungle awaken at sunrise beneath trees towering more than 50 meters high was an experience that changed my life forever.
Inspired by that moment, I personally designed every Top Trails route to take travelers into the wildest, purest and most untouched parts of Corcovado. Our guides do more than show the way—they help you pause, listen to the forest and understand the extraordinary network of life that sustains it.
Corcovado is more than a destination. It is an experience that reconnects you with what truly matters, inviting you not only to walk through the jungle, but to become part of it.
- Years of experience inside Corcovado
- Route creation and on-the-ground evaluation
- Designing the flow and pace of each journey
- Ongoing supervision of the experiences
- Selection of expert guides
- Preparation and guidance of every guide
Responsible Tourism
How We Try to Leave This Place
Observing Without Expectations
We enter nature without checklists or promises, open to whatever Pachamama chooses to reveal. Let yourself be surprised.
Respect for Nature
We learn to walk in harmony with nature, pausing whenever the forest invites us to observe, listen, or simply feel.
Beyond the Most-Traveled Routes
We leave the crowds behind and venture onto unique trails and into places few travelers ever reach—places where nature still preserves its pure, untamed essence.
Teaching Our Travelers
We teach you how to observe, listen, and interpret the forest so you can appreciate everything happening around you through all your senses.
Small groups
Fewer people means less noise, less impact, and a genuinely different experience for everyone walking.
Local communities
We work with people from this region and support the community that makes these experiences possible.
Moments