Puyo

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December 8, 2017: Two bicyclists on the Cascades route near Banos.

©Ksenia Ragozina/Shutterstock

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Overview

Puyo is an enigma: whereas most towns make efforts to spruce up their centers and leave the outskirts stagnating, this place does the opposite. While it retains some vitality as the capital of the Pastaza province, overall this is just a built-up town with little to attract you. Regardless, anyone traveling in southern Oriente is quite likely to pass through. Dense green jungle flourishes close around the town’s edges, and – thanks in part to travelers from Baňos making the hour-long drive down to do a rainforest reconnoiter – accommodations are good and plentiful, with some highly recommended jungle tour operators located here.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Parque Etnobotánico Omaere

Puyo

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,…

Paseo de los Monos

Puyo

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…

Jardín Botánico las Orquídeas

Puyo

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…

Volcán El Altar

Puyo

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…

Museo Etnoarqueológico

Puyo

Puyo's tiny Museo Etnoarqueológico has ceramics, artifacts, models of various traditional indigenous homes and an excellent map showing the distribution…