Must-see attractions in The Oriente

This excellent archaeological museum of Orellana region's cultural legacy is a must-visit in Coca. Housing exquisitely restored and diverse artifacts from…

Yasuní is Ecuador’s biggest mainland park at 9820 sq km, boasting all manner of terrain from marshes to rivers to tropical rainforest. A Unesco Biosphere…

This beautiful reserve is a unique flooded rainforest covering 6034 sq km around Río Cuyabeno. Seasonally inundated with water, the flooded forest…

This 25-sq-km biological station and rainforest reserve is located on the south shore of the Río Napo, 23km east of Puerto Napo. It is run by Fundación…

Ecuador's largest waterfall and a slash of Río Quijos cut through thick patches of cloud forest. To visit the falls, catch a bus from Baeza to Lago Agrio …

You’re guaranteed to see all manner of jungle wildlife at AmaZOOnico, a well-known animal rehabilitation center located on the grounds of Selva Viva, a 17…

Less than 1km north of the city center, this ethnobotanical park offers one- to two-hour guided tours (included in admission fee) of rainforest plants,…

Near Limón Indanza, 112km southwest of Macas, a trail leads to the extensive Coangos cave system, where there are multiple caverns spiked with stalactites…

A couple of kilometers downriver from town is this Shiripuno community, most often visited on tours with Teorumi tour agency. The community tourism…

Misahuallí’s most enjoyable sight is some way outside the town, but it’s well worth spending a few hours to do the return riverside walk, which takes you…

About 4km north of Archidona, you’ll find Cuevas de Jumandí. This cave system, the best known in the area, has three main branches that remain partly…

Founded, built and run by a group of Kichwa women, this community center introduces visitors to their culture through activities such as jungle walks,…

The cathedral announces itself with a Technicolor virgin, looming over a plaza resembling an elaborate skate park. Inside, a tranquil, column-free space…

At Paseo de los Monos you can see a variety of rescued animals, including six kinds of monkeys, turtles and birds. Some animals are caged, while others…

Visitors rave about this privately run botanical garden, located 15 minutes south of Puyo, after Pindo Chico neighborhood just off the E45 road to Macas…

The perfect snow-covered cone of Volcán Sangay (5230m), some 40km to the northwest, can be glimpsed on a clear day. It’s Ecuador’s seventh-highest…

Parque Botánico, 3km southeast of central Sucúa, has a visitor interpretation center, a restaurant, a well-kept orquideario (orchid farm) and paths…

Early risers may see the jagged white teeth of Volcán El Altar (5319m), the fifth-highest mountain in Ecuador, about 50km southwest. On clear days look…

Coca's pretty riverside walkway seems to extend by several blocks every couple of years. It's a pleasant place to stroll and take in the life on the river…

We all feel the urge for a peaceful, green picnicking spot sometimes – particularly in Macas, where there's a dearth of them. Parque Recreacional delivers…