For a somewhat easy and economical exploration of the Amazon - Tena, the capital town and the oldest town of the Napo Province - is easy to reach by land. From Tena even last minute tours of the rainforest can easily be arranged. Though technically in the secondary Amazon rainforest, the area is green, wet and wild.
Ferry boats in Tena
The town of Tena on the Rio Tena River
Rio Napa on the edge of the jungle
It's a grueling 10 hour bus trip from Quito to Tena. But cheaper than the 670 mile plane ride from Bogota to Leticia. Tena is surprisingly pleasant and tranquil little city offering all the services and amenities a traveler needs. It's an ideal and well-used base for travelers who stay a few days and embark on river tours visiting some of the indigenous communities ($60 per person per day), or to go whitewater rafting 2-3 day trips - $55 a day.
Parque Central in Tena
Tena
Tena
A statue of the an indigeneous warrior in Park in Tena
Walking along the Tena riverfront is a relaxing experience and there are a wide range of hotels, restaurants and tour operators catering to the tourist crowd. The forest sprouts from the edges of town and Parque Central is a nice place to relax. Nearby there is a small island called Parque Amazonica La Isla where for $1 one can wander down gravel paths through 22 forested hectares.
Port Misahualli
An easy day trip is to catch a bus from Tena to Port Misahualli - a sleepy little pueblo, just a 40 minute bus ride ($.75) through the jungle. The town lies on the upper Rio Napa river and appears to have lost its popularity. Little used restaurants, bars, tourist offices line the town square - probably only busy during key Ecuadorian holidays. Most tourists use the larger and more popular town of Tena as a base to organize and venture off into the Amazon these days - leaving Port Misahualli a sleepy, forgotten village.
Mischievous monkeys in Misahualli
The most famous residents of the town are the mischievous capuchin monkeys. They come out in the morning and evenings running along the wires, jumping from roof to roof, ripping leaves off trees and walking into stores and restaurants. Do be careful as they will charge up on you and steal anything you leave laying around or on the ground and park benches. Tourists from Tena come and sit in the Plaza as evening falls and watch the monkeys play.
Jon McInnes is a journalist who has been traveling to Colombia since 1972. He travels to Colombia and other parts of South America yearly and writes for newspapers, food, wine and travel publications. He currently lives between Colombia and Detroit. You can also follow him on facebook and contact him via email at: jonmcinnesjon@gmail.com
Los Llanos - the Great Plains of Colombia
Los Llanos of Colombia sometimes look and feel similar to the plains of North America and the fields of the Midwest. Lush, green, flat grasslands stretching as far as the eye can see, scattered with herds of cows and huge red skies in the morning and night.
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