Tena Ecuador

Tena is a cool little city located approximately five hours southeast of Quito.

It is the perfect starting point for a jungle trek, an amazon jungle expedition, or a rafting or kayaking trip down one of the countless rivers that pass through or by the city.

Tena Ecuador Weather

In general Tena has a year round temperature of around 24ºC. The heaviest rains come in April, May, June and July.

Tena Ecuador History

Tena was founded in November 15th 1560. There were several Indian uprisings in the early days, notably in 1578, when Jumandy, chief of the Quijos, led a fierce but unsuccessful revolt against the Spaniards.

Today, the area is largely agricultural, cattle farms, coffee and banana plantations abound.

Even though is the commercial center of the province, with a population of just over 13,000, it still operates like a small town and has retained much of its culture and traditional lifestyle.

The area surrounding Tena supports a large population of lowland Quichua Indians, and significant numbers of Quijos and Chibcha Indigenous groups, who live further out in the forests outside the city.

It's possible to visit many of these communities and to observe and sometimes participate in traditional dancing, the preparation of chicha and shamanic rituals.

Tena city is small and easy to get around. It's divided in two by the rivers Tena and Pano and connected by two bridges, one for pedestrians and one for vehicles.

There are several sand and pebble beaches on both sides of the river, as well as a number of plazas and parks, like Amazonica Park, which is a botanical garden and zoo located on a small peninsula between the rivers Tena and Pano.

There is also a nice riverside walkway on the western bank of the river Tena.

Tena Ecuador Attractions

You will probably change forever after you lay your eyes on the pristine stretch of the Amazon rain forest.

Tena has also reached near legendary status with whitewater enthusiasts and boasts the best rafting and kayaking in Ecuador.

The jungle rivers on the Amazon side of the Andes are bigger and have more consistent flows than the west-Andean rivers.

They are also the cleanest and most scenic rivers in Ecuador.

Misahualli: is a remote port at the juncture of the rivers Napo and Misahualli. It is a popular starting point for jungle tours and canoe trips.

Misahualli offers well developed, though rustic, tourism services, including good craft shops, cafes, and lodging.

Jumandy Caves: are located four kilometers north of Archidona on the road to Quito, is a labyrinth of natural caves and tunnels that extend several kilometers underground.

There are plenty of guides you can hire in Tena who will take you into the caves.

Archidona: is a colonial town, located north of Tena, it still serves as one of the regions main missionary outposts.

It's also a business and social center for the small Quichua communities in its vicinity.

Archidona's celebrations attract people from all around Ecuador and several times throughout the year there are Quichua beauty and culture pageants, in which contestants, drawn from the many Quichua communities in the area, compete for the title of "Queen of the Quichua".

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Sumaco Volcano: is located in the Sumaco Napo-Galeras National Park and it is easily one of the most intense experiences to be had in Ecuador.

The volcano has an elevation of 3,732 mts and is surrounded by precipitous ravines and dense jungle, which have largely kept humans out and preserved its flora and fauna.

Tena Ecuador has a lively night life with lots of restaurants, discotheques and bars. Fridays and Saturdays are crowded with foreign volunteers, guides, tourists, and local young people.

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