Best of Tena

On the western edge of the Amazon, the forest-backed town of Tena has long been a magnet for adventure-minded travelers. Rushing rivers nearby set the stage for some of Ecuador’s best white-water rafting. Tena also makes a suitable base for trips into the rainforest, with jungle lodges and abundant wildlife watching. Tena is a five-hour drive from Quito, making it a good choice if you’re looking to visit the Amazon without having to fly in or take an overnight bus trip. 

As the nation’s unofficial whitewater capital, Tena has loads of options for rafting trips. You can take fun, family-style floats with gentle currents or tackle class III and class IV rapids along both the Río Napo and the Río Misahuallí. For a taste of the Amazon, naturalist guides lead excursions into the isolated Sumaco Napo-Galeras National Park, where wildlife-filled tropical rainforest flourishes on the slopes of the Sumaco volcano. Closer to Tena, you can visit Kichwa communities and learn about their traditions and beliefs. At Tsatsayaku you can see a women’s cooperative of cacao producers who are helping to revitalize the community.