There was no way we could have travelled all the way over to South America without stepping foot into the Amazon rainforest. This was very much a bucket-list thing for Adam and something I was hugely curious about having studied the Amazon at a young age. As a kid I remember being enthralled by pictures of all the flowers, bugs and creatures that call the rainforest home.
Thankfully, there are no shortage of entry points into the Ecuadorian Amazon. The mission for us, however, was finding the sweet-spot of ensuring an authentic experience, which was also cost-effective at the same time.
We had scoured the internet for hours looking for the best Amazon access points within a reasonable budget – if you begin looking into this yourself you will find that things very quickly become extortionately expensive. We could quite easily have spent our three month budget in one go with some of the options on offer!
With a lot of research and some luck along the way we settled on the wonderful town of Tena. It was one of the best decisions we made during our entire trip.
The Ecuadorian Amazon
When people think of exploring the Amazon, Brazil is normally the first country that comes to mind. Peru, perhaps, a close second.
Ecuador, however, is one of the most incredibly diverse countries on the continent and is a perfect alternative for those that want a less touristy (and cheaper) Amazon experience.
The country is made up of four areas – the coast, the mountains, the Galapagos and the rainforest. Many tourists will transfer via Quito or Guayaquil straight to the Galapagos. Just a four hour drive away from the capital, however, exists untouched primary Amazon rainforest. At a much more affordable price point than what is on offer elsewhere.
Tena
There are a number of towns and cities that exist to the east of Quito that can act as your base for exploring the Amazon. We settled on Tena, a mid-sized city which appeared to have the best of both worlds. Numerous places to stay and eat and easy access to the rainforest.
The largest city in the Napo Province, Tena is located on a river intersection, just off one of the tributaries of the Amazon itself. Unlike other popular Ecuadorian Amazon destinations like Coca, Tena appeared to have less ‘tailor made group tours’ on popular tour group websites. After a bit of digging, however, it became obvious that hostels and hotels in the area provided their own, smaller and more personal experiences, which could be booked on arrival.
Our experience in Tena was simply fantastic. And we were able to enjoy some of the best of the Amazon for a fraction of the price we would have done in Coca and surrounding areas, let alone Brazil and Peru!
Here are my recommendations of things to see and do in and around Tena…
The Boardwalk
Tena’s boardwalk sits adjacent to its river and features a handful of cute cafes, restaurants and bars to explore. It also connects two bridges that cross over the river – one is a pedestrian bridge that leads to La Isla (more on this below) and features a lookout tower with views over the city and another allows vehicles to cross over the river.
Parque Amazónico La Isla
Parque Amazónico La Isla is one of the most unique tourist attractions I have visited to date, purely for the fact that it is, by all accounts, abandoned. The 24 hectares of land were opened up as an educational conservation park in the 1990’s, but has since fallen into disrepair.
With that being said, La Isla is a fun place to explore as it allows you to get up close to wild squirrel monkeys, all manner of bugs and butterflies, as well as a wild tapir!
There is an entry fee of $1 which you pay to the volunteers who man the entrance, but we think this fee only applies at the weekend, as we visited a few more times during the week and were able to walk straight in.
Because the park has ultimately been left to nature, there are certain areas – the deeper you venture into the park – that become a little treacherous. Pathways become skeletal and expose their foundations. Old buildings and lookouts look like they could fall down at any moment.
The whole area reminded us of Jurassic Park – a lost world reclaimed by the forest. On weekends, however, the area was packed full of locals. And during the week there were still a handful of people about. There are some reviews saying not to venture into the area during the late afternoon due to potentially sketchy people being about. We visited three times and had no issues.
But be sure to bring strong insect repellent as bugs are everywhere!
Address: 254M+9RC, Av. Francisco de Orellana, Tena, Ecuador
Puerto Misahualli
To the east of Tena lies Puerto Misahualli, a small village with plenty of restaurants and shops selling souvenirs made by the ingidinous community. The main attraction is a group of capuchin monkeys that call the area home. You can access the area by crossing for River Napo on a small boat for about $1. It’s very popular with locals on the weekend.
It’s slightly off the beaten path for backpackers/tourists – we visited with our hostel owner during one of our tours. However if you have a local driver/ask your accommodation for bus routes you should be able to visit hassle free.
We had local fish at one of the restaurants and it was one of the best meals we had on the trip!
Tubing, Rafting & Kayaking
Tena is building itself a reputation as a rafting and kayaking hotspot. And we wouldn’t be surprised to see the city grow as popular as neighbouring Coca in a few years, as more tourists make the trip eastwards.
There were plenty of local businesses offering rafting, canoeing, kayaking and tubing experiences across the numerous rivers. We went tubing with our hostel owner which was fun, and a bit scary.
Amazoonico Animal Rescue Center
Despite having ‘zoo’ in its name, Amazoonico Animal Rescue Center is not a zoo at all. It is an animal rescue center run by mostly volunteers.
Here you will be able to see all kinds of local wildlife and learn about the often incredibly sad stories of how they ended up at the center. Many kept as exotic pets or used in the tourist trade etc.
It’s an emotional, yet powerful tour and well worth a visit. Your entrance fee will go towards feeding and looking after the animals, as well as general upkeep of the rescue centre itself. The money also helps the volunteers release and track those animals and birds fit enough to return into the wild.
We accessed the centre via a boat during one of our hostel tours, however it shouldn’t be too difficult to visit alone, if you ask your accommodation for directions.
Address: amaZOOnico, Tena 150108, Ecuador
Dining Out
One of the benefits of having a hostel so close to Tena was we were able to visit the city for lunch, dinner etc. And we didn’t feel trapped inside our accommodation when it came to having to eat. Here are some of the places we visited and would recommend:
El Papito Asadero
Our restaurant of choice most nights in Tena!
You can choose between BBQ’d fish, prawns or various marinated meats that come with loads of plantain, rice, beans, a side salad and a jug of guayusa! It appeared to be a local hotspot, was super affordable and in a really pretty setting.
It’s very likely you’ll be the only tourist on sight. We were never overcharged and the owners/chefs were always very friendly and accommodating.
Address: Av. 15 de Noviembre Frente Emergencias del Hospital JMVI, Tena, Ecuador
Classic Frozen Yogurt
A bright pink and modern frozen yogurt shop for those with a sweet tooth!
Address: Calle Sucre y Lalama Esq. 180103 Ambato, Ecuador
MatDan
If you are looking for a super cheap and filling meal deal, head here.
You can’t really do wrong with a soup starter and a chicken, beans and rice combo meal AND a drink for under $5.
Address: Av. 15 de Noviembre &, Tena, Ecuador
Cafe Tortuga
Along the boardwalk in Tena you will find Cafe Tortuga (Turtle Cafe). This is a good quality, affordable eatery attached to a hostel.
Naturally this was the place where we saw the most backpackers/tourists. It was one of the more ‘westernised’ places we saw in all of Ecuador. Menu includes burgers, yuca fries, empanadas etc, as well as great drinks.
There’s free WiFi and it’s a good stop off before/after visiting Parque Amazónico La Isla.
Address: Av. Francisco de Orellana, Tena 150150, Ecuador.
Drink Guayusa Iced-Tea
Native to the Amazon rainforest, the leaves of the guayusa tree are used to brew a kind of sweet iced-tea.
This drink is delicious and super refreshing on a muggy day, however it has a stimulative effect, so just be sure to limit how much you drink before bed!
Try Maito De Pescado
This fish dish, originating from the Amazonian region of Ecuador, is hands-down the best I have ever eaten. Typically in the Amazon region of Ecuador the fish used will be tilapia.
When the fish is THAT fresh – often still alive the same day – and steam cooked in banana leaves over charcoal to perfection, nothing else can compare. Served with yuca and aji (ofcourse!).
I would highly recommend sampling this dish in Puerto Misahuallí, as recommended to us by our hostel owner.
The Climate
We visited Tena in late August which is technically during the dry season. It was very hot and humid.
We did however experience a few downpours during the day, and even more during the evening.
It is called the rainforest for a reason!
What About Malaria?
When getting all our shots in preparation for travelling South America, something we sought advice on was whether we would need to take malaria tablets as we knew we would be entering the Amazon rainforest at some point in our trip.
We were told that malaria tablets would not be necessary for entry into the Amazon from Ecuador. This seemed strange to us, but it’s the advice we were given. Other travellers were told the opposite and were on tablets prior/during their stay.
The most important thing to do is keep your bug spray on. Top up regularly and always carry it with you. Make sure you ask your doctor/pharmacist what’s best for you before you travel. We would recommend this product from Amazon as we remained bite free our entire trip.
Where To Stay
We would highly recommend staying at Hostel Pakay on the outskirts of Tena. Not only is it stunning – and at a price point far less than you would pay elsewhere – but the owner offers incredible tours of the rainforest.
Read more about our experience staying in the eco-hostel here.
Getting There
There are two ways to get to Tena from Quito – bus or driver/taxi.
Naturally the bus will be the cheaper option but it will also take considerably longer and the roads can be pretty dangerous. We saw a couple of incidents along the way and were told during the wet season it can be a really dangerous journey.
Throughout all of Peru and Bolivia we never saw as many issues on one piece of road as we did during this four hour trip. Landslides, breakdowns, crashes, and even cows in the road!
If possible we’d recommend getting a few people together to chip in on a private driver. It’s more expensive, but worth it.
Hiring A Driver – Our Recommendation
We were lucky enough to meet a great driver (and ultimately good friend) called Javier who took us to Tena and picked us up as well!
We met by chance as Javier was one of the taxi drivers outside Quito airport, who we just happened to use to take us to our accommodation. He spoke perfect English and we kept in touch during our stay in Ecuador.
It’s always worth keeping the details of reliable drivers on file when you travel, as you never know when you might need them again!
If anyone out there is looking for a friendly local to take you around Ecuador, Javier is your man! Just be sure to tell him Adam and I said ‘hello’!
Javier Aucancela | (+593) 99 247 6830 | vierjanel@gmail.com
Tena Gets A 10/10!
Adam and I had such a fun and exciting week staying in Tena and it really was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
We couldn’t recommend the city enough for anyone looking to get up close and personal with everything that the Amazon rainforest has to offer.
If you are looking for an affordable and off the beaten track entrypoint into the Ecuadorian rainforest, Tena is the place to go!
Until next time,
Lica xoxo
