The Shuar heartland (east from the Gualaquiza-Macas road) is one of the lesser known part of Ecuador. The road in the valley of Rio Zamora, Rio Upano and Rio Santiago became paved in 2012 and it made the Shuar villages more accessible. It doesn't mean you can get close to action easily but the new road saves time to organize your mini-expedition.
SANTIAGO (TIWINTZA)
On maps Santiago, in real life Tiwintza is a small town on the bank of Rio Santiago, 2,5 hours from the Méndez junction by bus. There is not a lot to see in Santiago, but it's far the best place to explore the countryside, plan trips to the Shuar heartland or organize a boat trip down to Iquitos, Peru.
Information
There is a bank in the town but no ATM, so take cash with you. There are two internet cafes on the main square (1 US$ per hour) but after school can be full with children.
Sights
2 kilomteres back on the main road to Méndez you are in Kushapuku. Just behind the bridge you find a sign of 'Laguna'. A 1 km long dirt road leads to the small but amazing Laguna Achuay (admission free). There is a nice trail to a small look-out tower on the otherside of the lake. Cabanas Achuay (reservation: gise1992@live.com, r with bathroom 15 US$ per person) has four rooms in two huts what can be open in request. 10 kms back on the same paved road, close to Yapapas, a bridge crosses the Kushis River. A narrow path is snaking to the 70 meters high Kushis waterfall, one of the sacred cascades of Shuars. It's easy to get lost in the jungle so better to take a guide with you. Guides are available in Yapapas (10 US$/group), ask around. The Laguna Pitiu is another small but picturesque lake 7 kms from Tiwintza. A taxi to the lake is 5 US$ without waiting time. 9 kms from Tiwintza on the way to Morona you arrive at a small Shuar settlement, Penas. Only 50 meters from the road a nice jungle trail is zigzaging between eroded limestone cliffs. You don't need a guide to get to a small lagoon but highly recommended if you want to go further.
Sleeping & Eating
Hotel Emperador (Tel.: 073058484/073058272, r with bathroom 10 US$ per person) is the best choice in town, but has no sign at the time of writting. It's a three-stories white-orange building on the main road where rooms are big and airy, bathrooms are clean, and rooms have TV and fan.
Hostal Oasís Amazonica (Tel.: 073058555, r without/with bathroom 6/10 US$ per person) is another good option just two corners from the main square. Shared rooms are small and less airy but it's the cheapest in Tiwintza.
Hotel Caneles (Tel.: 073058386/073058375, r with bathroom 8 US$ per person) is an okay place to stay if the others are full. A few rooms has no window, ask one with that.
There are various eateries in the town but no restaurants.
Getting there & away
Buses departs and arrives at the Plaza central, just one block from the main road. Buses leave for Macas in every 2 hours from 6:45am (5 US$). They stop in Méndez (3 US$) and Sucúa (4 US$). There are four buses a day to Morona (3 US$, 2 hours), 10:00am, 12:00pm, 5:00pm, 9:00pm. Getting to Yapapas (20 minutes, 0,50 US$) just catch any Macas bounded bus. To Penas (30 minutes, 0,50 US$) take a Morona bus.
If you are heading for Peru, go to La Frontera (45 minutes, 1 US$), 20 kms from Tiwintza on the road to Morona. Every Thursday afternoon there is a boat to Peruvian Shuar villages. From these villages boat are unregular for Iquitos but good luck!
TAYOS CAVE
The second largest cave system on Earth is rarely visited, nobody knows why. The caves became famous in the end of 60ies when a Hungarian explorer, János Móricz (Juan Móricz how Shuars still call him) and his small expedition group has found gold statues and ancient metal books in a hall - as chronicles and Erick von Daniken's book says. In the end of 80ies Neil Armstrong (the first man on Moon) has visited the caves also but the gold of gods had diseappeared markless.
János Móricz mysterious death in Guayaquil made the story more interesting for sci-fi fans. Móricz said: "If people know the meaning of the metal books, there would be no war on Earth anymore". The Hungarian scientist believed that Amazonian indigenous tribes are relatives of Hungarians (Magyars) and the metal books explain the story how. Anyway, the story of the Tayos Cave is a big secret just as the cave itself.
Tours
There are no organized tours from Macas, Sucúa or Santiago, so if you want to discover the caves, do it independently. It's not the cheapest adventure and takes time, but worth the patience and your cents. It's impossible getting to the cave without permission and guide. First go to the Federación Shuar in Sucúa where officers give you permission and will organize your arriving at the villages of Coangos (1 hour walk) or San Pedro (2 hours walk) where you can spend the night. Without permission locals will not let you get in to the cave.
In San Pedro you will meet your guide who charges 25 US$/day (up to 10 people). Local guides have only ropes so take accesories and carabiners with you (rent ahead in Cuenca or Quito). If you have no equipment, you have to rent another guide (25 US$ again) who helps him to get you down. The cave is a 1 hour walk on a muddy path from San Pedro.
To reach the tunnels is not easy at all. The entrance of the cave is a 70 meters deep vertical hole where you have to climb down by ropes. Inside the cave you can see tayos or guacháros (oilbird in English), rodents, tarantulas, scorpions and other insects. It looks like the mouth of the devil and the underworld is freaky. Usually people spend the night in the caves what has cool temperature and high humidity.
Sleeping & Eating
You can camp in Coangos and San Pedro for donation. Shuars usually eat yucca, plantain and papachina, wild meat is rare on plate, so if you want something heavier, take food with you.
Getting there & away
The bus from Santiago takes 1 hour (1 US$), from Macas 3,5 hours (5 US$). Ask the driver to drop you off at Yukiantza, a small Shuar settlement. Here you have to walk down to the the bank of Rio Santiago where your organized and overprized boat (40 US$) will take you to the jungle and the trailhead (15 minutes) for Coangos. From here it's a good 1 hour walk up to Coangos. The trail is always muddy (it means very muddy) so take gumboot with you. If you want locals send a horse for you and your equipment (5 US$).
TAYUNTSA, KAPISUN & NANTIP
Tayuntsa is 16 kms from Tiwintza on the main road. The village itself is nothing special but there are nice caves around. Guide (15 US$ per group) is availablbe in the village. Arrive early if you want to visit the caves as a one-day trip, because locals leave for their fincas in the morning.
Reaching the Shuar villages of Kapisun and Nantip are great multi-day excursions from Tiwintza. You need permission from Federación Shuar to get to the villages, but you don't need a guide to get there because the trail is easy to follow.
Kapisun is a small settlement on the other side of Rio Santiago, 2 hours walk from the main road (there is a hanging bridge to cross the river). Close to the village there's a small cave with paintings. The red devils are part of Shuar legends, Osvaldo can tell the story and guide you to the caves for a little money.
Nantip is a smaller Shuar village 1,5 hours walk away. The trail can be muddy in all season, so better to take gumboot with you, just because you have to cross rivers. Only 6 families live in a marvelous valley what is full of waterfalls. Locals are very friendly but you need fluent Spanish to enjoy the Shuar lifestyle. You can camp in the village for 5 US$, guides to the waterfalls are available for 10 US$.
Getting there & away
To get to Tayuntsa catch any Macas bound bus and ask the bus driver to drop you off at the village (30 minutes, 0.75 US$). The trailhead for Kapisun and Nantip is 1 km back on the way to Tiwintza. Bus drivers usually don't know the correct place, but it's not far from Tayuntsa.
SAN JOSÉ DE MORONA
The old mission of Morona is the last village before the Ecuadorian Amazon. The paved road finishes here and that's all what you have to know about the settlement. There is nothing to see but you have to spend the night here if you are heading for Taisha and deep Amazon.
Information
There is no bank or ATM in Morona. You can check your e-mails in InfoCentro if they have electricity.
Sleeping & Eating
The only recommended place to stay is Hostería Monteverde (Tel.: 073057766, r with private bathroom 8 US$ per person), 300 meters back on the main road to Santiago. The 10 rooms hotel has nice rooms with huge windows, TV and private cold showers. If you want to save a few dollars, try Hotel Thalia (r with shared bathroom 5 US$ per person), Hospedaje El Pueblo (r with shared bathroom 5 US$ per person) or Hospedaje Michellita (r with shared/private bathroom 4/5 US$) in the village. Rooms are occupied for hours and can be extremly dirty. There are only a few comedors in the village serving pollo con arroz.
Getting there & away
There are 4 buses a day to Santiago (2 hours, 3 US$) and Macas (7 hours, 7 US$). The first leave at 7:30am. There is a boat to Tuutinentza port or Nunkui (8 hours, 6 US$) every day between 5am and 6am, departing Puerto Kashpaim, 4kms from Morona. Boats sometimes leave earlier if they already have enough passengers, ask the day before in the port. Shared taxis from Morona to Kashpaim are 0.25 US$, a private cab is 2-3 US$. Be in the port as early as possible to have a seat in the boat. If you missed the boat or you want to travel on another day, just hang around in the port, usually there is at least one cargo boat a day also. Price can be a little bit higher but no more than 10 US$. A private peque (small motor) is 100 US$, a motorboat is 300 US$ one way.
TAISHA AND AROUND
The jungle town of Taisha is a great point to explore the Amazonian rural life. The center of action is the airport where flight arrive and depart in every 20 minutes. There is not a lot to do here but if you want a real off-the-beaten experience you are at the perfect place.
Information
There is no bank or ATM in the town, but on the commercial street along the airstrip you can find numerous internet cafés (1 US$ per hour) and a call center. For local information and guides contact to the city hall.
Sights
There is a small lake in Taisha with a trail around and a natural pool, Dique, out of the town, good for swimming. A few kilometers northwest of Taisha, close to San Luis you find a small waterfall, Mashuntz. There is no transportation, a taxi to the trailhead costs 15 US$. To find the cascade you need guide.
Another nice swimming option is in Jimiara Entza, 15 kms south of Taisha. At the two rivers meeting point there's a pool with small cascades. A few kilometers away you reach Tuutinentza, the second biggest settlement in the zone. It's more tranquil than Taisha, locals still have traditional huts. No accomodation at the time of writting.
16 kms southeast of Taisha there is a small Achuar village, Pumpuentsa. Here you can organize dances and your own ayahuasca ceremony for a little money.
Sleeping & Eating
All hotels of Taisha are next to the airport. The quality of accomodation is under the Ecuadorian quality but still okay for travellers.
Hotel Mary (Tel.: 073900103, hosptaisha@hotmail.com, r without/with bathroom 10/12 US$ per person) is far the best budget choice in Taisha. It's a nice white wood building on the southern edge of the airport. Beds are comfortable but rooms without bathroom are a little bit dark. The owners are friendly and helpful and they serve okay food in the restaurant for 2.50 US$.
Hostal Jea Mía (Tel.: 073900065, jeamialodging@yahoo.com, s/d 25/40 US$) next to Hotel Mary is the best hotel in the Shuar heartland. Rooms are big with comfortable beds, bathrooms are super clean. It has swimming pool and a palm tatched eatery where you can try the best food in Taisha.
Hotel Yajanua (r with shared bathroom 5 US$ per person) and Hotel Taisha (r with shared bathroom 6 US$ per person) are less attractive and clean option. Rooms are cell and hot but okay to survive the night.
Getting there & Away
Air
Taisha's domestic airport is a real traffic jam in the morning hours. Almost every 10 minutes there's a small airplane departing or arriving. Aero Social, Aero Regional, Aero Sam and Aero Sangay has numerous flights to Macas (20 minutes, 25 US$) every day, usually in the morning. Tuin governmental airline has also one daily flight to Macas from Monday to Friday (30 minutes, 15 US$) but these 18 seats airplanes are for only Ecuadorian residents. If you are heading for Puyo, a few days a week there's a military flight to Shell (45 minutes, 15 US$). Private flights are also available. A 5-seats plane to Macas 120 US$.
Bus
Taisha has no bus terminal, but buses waits for passengers at the entrance of the airport. There are only a few route they do. There are four buses a day to Tuutinentza (45 minutes, 1.75 US$), three to Pumpuentsa (1 hour, 2 US$) and a few departures for Nunkui (1,5 hours, 3 US$). Buses come back after arriving. At the time of writting there were no buses to Makuma and Macas because the road was not finished between them.
Boat
If you are heading for Morona or Tiwintza, you have to catch a boat in Nunkui (6:30am, 5 hours, 6 US$) or in Tuutinentza port (5am, 5 hours, 6 US$). Buses are fixed for boat departures. For Nunkui catch the 5am bus in Taisha, for Tuutinentza port catch the 3:30am bus for the bridge and change there for the port. Boatmen always wait for the bus.
Edited by: endimirador