Tena

The steady descent from Baeza, across rattling metal bridges over muddy streams, eventually reaches Tena (pop. 17,000), the capital of Napo province. Ecuador’s self-proclaimed “cinnamon capital,” at the confluence of the Ríos Tena and Puno, began in the 16th century as a missionary and trading outpost—about as far into the forest as the Spanish were willing to settle.

  Tena is not at all what you might expect from a midsized jungle town—it’s peaceful, orderly, and clean, in a beautiful setting surrounded by forested hills and the edge of the Andes just visible to the west. It’s also more geared toward tourists than many of its counterparts, making it a better choice for more than an overnight stay. Many inexpensive hotels, tourist agencies, and restaurants serving vegetarian food cater to backpackers who use the town as a jumping-off point for trips into the rainforest. Red macaws croak from housetops over Sunday-afternoon volleyball games near the bus terminal.

  Tena’s location—a sort of “perfect storm” of steep topography, dazzling jungle scenery, and tons of flowing water—have slowly made it one of Ecuador’s white-water hotspots. It’s a great place to learn to kayak or raft, with warm water and many rivers nearby.

Sights
To kill a free day in town, you could do worse than the Parque Amazonico La Isla (8:30 a.m.–6 p.m. daily, $1 pp), a well-done jungle-style park occupying the wedge-shaped piece of land between the two rivers. Gravel paths wander through 22 forested hectares, past spacious cages with native animals and reptiles. (A word of warning: Don’t get to close to the monkey who lives near the animal cages—he likes to steal cameras.) Highlights include the 10-meter diving boards into the Río Pano, the canopy view from the mirador, and an ornamental and medicinal plant garden. Precocious kids wait at the covered bridge to act as guides.

Entertainment and Events
The Gallera Bar at the Hotel Puma Rosa is a good spot to shoot some pool or play ping-pong. It’s also one of the city’s most popular and largest discotheques upstairs. On the other end of the size scale, the Boli Bar on Orellana near the river is tiny but has a good music selection (take note that in such close quarters, darts may not be such a good idea). Other bars line the river between and around the two bridges.

  Tena celebrates its founding on November 15.

Shopping
You’ll find Tena’s best selection of souvenirs, particularly woven bags and jewelry, at Eco Artesania on the main plaza.

Recreation and Tours
Ríos Ecuador (tel. 6/2886-727, info@riosecuador.com, www.riosecuador.com) is run by Quito’s Yacu Amu Rafting on 15 de Noviembre. It offers rafting and kayaking on the Napo and Anzu ($55 pp), Upper Misahualli ($65), and Lower Misahualli ($70) rivers. The trips are safe, professional, and fun.

  Operating out of the Hostal Traveller’s Lodging, Amarongachi Jungle Trips (tel./fax 6/2886-372, pattyco64@hotmail.com) offers well-reviewed tours within a relatively short distance of town. A four-day trip visiting lowland Quechua communities and viewing wildlife from the Cabañas Shangri-La atop a 150-meter riverside cliff costs $160 pp.

  The Cerda family—Olmedo, Oswaldo, Fausto, and Blanca—are all repeatedly described as excellent private guides for the upper Río Napo. Tours of 2–8 days focus on indigenous cultures and the native flora and fauna, and can be based out of cabins or tents for $35–45 pp per day. They also offer rafting and motorized canoe tours. (Some English and German spoken.) Contact them through the Agencia Sacharicsina (Tarquí 256, tel. 6/2886-962).

  Another branch of the Cerda family runs Sapo Rumi Jungle Adventure (tel. 6/2887-896, fax 6/2886-608, ecerdafamily@hotmail.com). They have an office on 15 de Noviembre near the bridge and have gotten good reviews for their four-day “difficult” trips, starting at $45 pp per day, and their three-day “easy” trips from $30 pp per day. None of the guides speaks English.

  RICANCIE (El Chofer and Cuenca, tel. 6/2888-715, ricancie@hotmail.com, http://ricancie.nativeweb.org) is a network of 10 Quechua communities along the upper Río Napo. They offer hiking, canoeing, and explanations of traditional lifestyles and medicine during their well-run two- to seven-day programs from about $30 pp per day. You can pick the minds of local experts about medicinal plants and forest life, visit with a shaman, learn to make pottery or play traditional music, or participate in a minga (communal work event). Some of the guides speak a little English, but you’ll get more out of the experience if you or someone in your group knows some Spanish.

  On weekends it seems as if everyone in Tena under 21 (and quite a few over) is wearing a bathing suit and carrying an inner tube. They’re heading for one of the riverbank beaches near town, on foot and packed in trucks. The “playa del sol” (sun beach) and “isla del amor” (island of love) are west of town on the Río Tena (keep going past the end of the airport runway). There are a few more beaches south of the main plaza (reached by a foot trail from the Misión Josefina) and on the Parque Amazonico La Isla.