Tena, Ecuador

Tena. What can I say about Tena...


Tena is an absolutely, amazing place. It is the capital of the province of Napo and is located in the northern oriente part of Ecuador. The climate encourages adventures to waterfalls, rivers, indigenous communities and, of course, the jungle. The two rivers, Rio Tena & Rio Pano, get most attention. There are so many things to do in Tena including river rafting and tours through the rainforest. Read a little about the exploration that I had.

Day 1: Hike to Cascada de Latas. Cascada de Latas is located right before the town of Misahualli. It is about an hour hike-it is well know as the el camino a las cascadas (trail to the falls). Not only are you walking through the rainforest but stopping along the way to swim in various swimming holes!

Cascada de Lata

Day 2: River People, a tour company in Tena, took us on a private tour throughout the jungle. This was not your average walk through the forest. We climbed up waterfalls, around dangerous peaks, worked our way through mud, and crossed various rivers. It was a difficult but well-worth it hike! We stopped a lot to swim in clear water swimming holes. It was, by far, one of the best days I have had in Ecuador. Around lunch time, we stopped and ate with a Quechua family.

To end the day's hike we climbed through a cave. It was about an hour hike through this tiny, bat filled, spiders larger than your head, cave. I have to say that this was not the best experience but in the end, I don't regret doing it. Take a look at the pictures below! What do you think?