Explore a typical Ecuadorian town in a jungle setting

The town of Tena isn’t pretty. It’s got charm for sure, but the town itself can’t compare in quaintness to Baños, nor does it have the stunning volcano views of Quito. But, somehow, we still really liked it. Maybe it has to do with the fact that it didn’t feel as though it catered mostly to tourists, as Baños did. Maybe it’s the way the town comes to life at sundown when the heat subsides – as our air bnb host turned buddy Miguel said, “De jueves a domingo en Tena hay mucha farra” (“from Thursday to Sunday in Tena there’s a lot of partying”). Could be the way you can make out the jungle covered mountains in the distance, and can hang out at a town park and watch monkeys play.

And of course, what’s around Tena is what makes it a truly special place to visit – incredibly green jungles, powerful rivers whose rushing waters hide tiny specks of gold, secluded waterfalls, and pristine lagoons are only a short ride away. If you want to venture a little farther, you can reach the Amazon Rainforest itself on a day or weekend trip. If you want the amenities of a town while being able to go into the rainforest, or want to explore a place that is a tiny bit further off the beaten tourist path, Tena is absolutely for you!

General Tena Tips

Tena is a town, not a city. Even though we stayed a little outside the center, we used walking as our main form of transportation in Tena. If you want to hail a taxi, they shouldn’t cost more than $1.25 during the day and $1.50 at night to get anywhere around town (you might pay a bit of a gringo tax, but don’t get into the car for anything over two or three dollars).
It’s HOT during the day! You are out of the mountains and into the steamy, humid jungle. This is one of the main reasons Tena really comes alive at night. If you can, do the exploring that doesn’t involve swimming in the morning or in the evening. We always felt safe walking around in Tena at night (although the night we stayed out past midnight we did take a taxi back to our accommodation).
Speaking of weather, we found that, similar to everywhere else in Ecuador, you can’t trust the weather forecast to be accurate. It might say “all day rain” and then be beautiful, so take forecasts with a grain of salt.
If you are rafting or visiting lagoons, be sure to pick up some handfuls of sand and look closely – it’s very likely you will see tiny specks of gold. Many indigenous communities along the river pan for gold for a living. After heavy rains the lagoons and rivers are a little bit muddier (usually they are crystal clear – when we went it had rained so while still beautiful, the water was a little darker). However, you might see more gold in the sand after a storm.
Tena is “the town of Guayusa and Canela.” Cinnamon (canela) is not exactly a rare find, but you really should make it a point to try a guayusa infusion while you are in Tena. Guayusa is an Amazonian plant that is brewed into tea and is drunk for its stimulative effects. It’s usually served sweetened or with lemon, and we thought it was really delicious – the energy given could be compared to coffee or tea. Apparently, guayusa has about the same amount of caffeine as coffee, but with twice the antioxidants as a cup of green tea.
We usually don’t recommend accommodation as it seems to be a very personal choice, but in this case we absolutely recommend our airbnb – the prices are right and the host is extremely friendly. If you are planning a stay in Tena, write to us and we will give you the information.
In town you’ll see many tour agencies offering “shamanism.” If you are interested in any ceremonies while in Ecuador, we suggest you just do your research conscientiously and be really careful which guide you use. We spoke to a man from one of the Amazon communities who grew up believing in (and respecting) the shaman’s role in his community. He expressed that he is saddened by the creation of many inauthentic shaman experiences created as a result of tourist demand just to make a quick buck, and we got the idea that he is not alone in his opinion. Shamanism is an extremely important part of some indigenous cultures and it’s a bummer that it’s being exploited to cater to tourists.
That being said, an Ayahuasca ceremony (for example) can be a healing, life changing experience so if you are interested in it definitely proceed – just with discretion. We didn’t do this in Ecuador so unfortunately cannot recommend anyone in particular, just a general note suggesting caution and being critical at the moment of choosing who you give your money to, and who it impacts.

Guayusa leaves on display at a vegan restaurant in Tena, Ecuador — guayusa

What to do in Tena

Visit some Lagoons

Laguna Azul

THIS should be your #1 day plan! Laguna Azul is a complex that includes several different lagoons, food stalls, waterfalls, and (small) cliff jumping opportunities with crystal clear water in an incredible jungle environment. The entrance fee is $3.00 for foreigners. You could easily spend several hours here swimming, exploring, or just hanging out. There are bathrooms and changing areas as well. Vegans be aware – a typical food of the Amazon is called “chontacuros” which are a kind of grubby worm – they are kept live in boxes and served in many of the food stalls at the lagoon. Vegans can get some grilled maduros (yellow plantains) there or perhaps some chips or drinks, but we suggest you bring some snacks with you if you’re making it an all day thing. Tips:

Climb behind the “precaución” sign (warning against jumping off the rocks, not that you’re getting into danger) at pool two to see a hidden lagoon.
We did the laguna trip in flip flops, so it’s definitely possible, but if you have water shoes you’ll be more comfortable walking over the rocks.
This place apparently is packed on the weekends, try to visit on a weekday if you can.

Two people descending stairs to a lagoon fed by a river. — cross pool 2 and climb up behind that sign to see a hidden lagoon

How to get to Laguna Azul

Take the bus Centinel de Tena (map location of bus stop here) straight to the entrance! See the picture with the schedule to and from Tena below. Bus tickets are $1. Otherwise, a taxi will probably run you about $20 but we don’t suggest it, as you’ll have to get a phone number or hope one is waiting in the parking lot when you wish to return. Another option would be to take a taxi there for speed and a bus back for ease, your choice.

Schedule for the bus between Tena and Laguna Azul. — schedule for the bus between Tena and Laguna Azul

Laguna Yani

We really loved this lagoon – it is smaller than Laguna Azul but we had it all to ourselves when we were there. It’s less commercialized/developed so there aren’t as many amenities, though it is slightly cheaper than Laguna Azul at $2.50. Laguna Yani is on the way to Laguna Azul, so you should be able to combine a trip to the two – just ask the bus driver if they can let you off at Laguna Yani on the way to or from Laguna Azul (of course, you’ll have to pay attention to the bus schedule so you don’t miss your ride).

To get to Laguna Yani you also get to take a tarabita (a small horizontal cable car) across the river. The tarabita, and the views from it, are included in the price. Once across the river, you pay and walk down a trail for about 10 minutes to get to the lagoons. There are some stairs and a path behind the first lagoon that we were unable to explore as we only had flip flops – you might have better luck here in real shoes. Enjoy the peaceful tropical atmosphere, look for specks of gold, swim in the crystal clear water, or jump from the rocks above and, if you’re lucky, you’ll have it all to yourself.

Stairs leading down to laguna Yani near Tena, Ecuador.

Go whitewater rafting

Whitewater rafting was one of the main activities we wanted to do in Tena, and we were not disappointed. There are several companies offering rafting journeys from Tena which vary in length and difficulty. Our new friend in Tena wanted to go rafting with a company his friend worked at, Raft Amazonia, and we ended up going down the Jatunyacu river. Our guides were professional and gave us a great time, so we can recommend this company wholeheartedly. If you’ve never gone rafting before, we recommend this journey or a similar one with class III rapids, as it was extremely fun without the fear of being thrown from the boat. It was amazing to be able to see the jungle views from the river, and in calm places you are able to cool off by jumping off the boat and floating downstream in the water.

Floating down the Jatunyacu river during a whitewater rafting trip near Tena, Ecuador

As mentioned above, this area is known for its quantity of gold, so you will also see Quichua people panning for gold on the river banks. All equipment is provided, as was lunch. The lunch provided was a “surprise,” so we won’t give it away, just know that it was easy to make vegan and we definitely got enough to eat. At $65, this is not one of Ecuador’s cheapest activities – but the rafting itself was over three hours, lunch was included, and the activity from beginning to end lasted almost all day, so we thought it was worth the price for this amazing opportunity.

Whitewater rafting on the Jatunyacu river near Tena, Ecuador.

A few tips: Wear long pants and long sleeves if possible (Raft Amazonia provides long sleeve shirts if you don’t have one). Especially if you wear shorts, learn from our mistake – put on sunscreen and REAPPLY that sunscreen during the lunch break or your legs will fry. The guides can store your personal belongings in the raft so you’ll have access to it during the break.

Check out Rafting Amazonia’s website here for more info. If you want to shop around, Caveman adventures also does a variety of rafting, kayaking and Amazon trips, as does River People.

Cool off right in town

One of the most underrated things we did in Tena was go to Balneario las Sogas with our new local friends. We never would have found this place on our own, but we were so glad we did! It’s not touristy at all, in fact, this is where the locals go to cool off in the water and have a few beers or guayusa tea. While not as full of “natural” beauty as the other lagoons due to its proximity to Tena, we loved the relaxed vibes here and appreciated being in a place that locals were enjoying too. The atmosphere when we went was super chill, but apparently on weekend nights they also have a discoteca there.

It’s called “las Sogas” because of the ropes you can use there to climb up the wall on the far side of the river and then jump into the water – just be careful, it’s harder than it looks to get up there! You can actually walk to this balneario from downtown Tena in about 30 mins using the Sendero la misión (sendero is “path” in Spanish) – despite having more garbage than ideal (unfortunately a problem throughout Ecuador) on this semi-urban trail, we still enjoyed the chance to walk along the river, easily get into nature, and enjoy more of Tena’s jungle flora.

View of the beach, river, and cliff at Balneario las Sogas in Tena, Ecuador

Launchpad to the Amazon

If you haven’t got time or the budget for a longer Ecuadorian Amazon expedition (though it might be cheaper than you think), Tena is a great place to stay and take day or weekend trips that will give you the Amazon rainforest experience in a shorter time. There are several companies that offer day trips to the Amazon from Tena, including Akangau, Caveman, River People, or through your accommodation.

Splash through caves at Cavernas Jumandy

The caves are located near Tena about 10 minutes away from the town of Archidona – take the bus Expreso Napo and it will get you close enough to walk – you can always tell the bus driver you’re going to Cavernas Jumandy to make sure you get off at the right place. Prepare for about 1 hour if going by bus and 20 minutes by taxi. The caves are part of a larger complex that includes pools if you want to swim before or after your cave visit, though the entrance to the caves is separate from that to the pools and goes through the community.

You have to hire a guide to take you through these caves, and be prepared to get wet – some parts of the tour require walking and wading through water. You can rent rubber boots if you don’t have water shoes. You’ll see giant stalagmites, bats, interesting rock forms, and more on your one hour tour. The Jumandy caves are named after a resistance fighter who resisted the Spanish conquistadors – your guide there will tell you the story of the caves and their famous namesake.

Take a walk down the Tena malecón

Downtown in Tena you’ll not want to miss the malecón, or boardwalk area, along the Tena river. Where the Napo and Tena rivers join there is a bridge to the Parque Amazónico La Isla – the view is not to miss here, and you’ll also see some stairs to a lookout point that will give you a great view of the town. The park itself we did not visit because it includes a zoo. If you’re lucky, you’ll see some wild monkeys playing around the bridge area near the lookout point.

Tena is definitely a town that comes alive at night, when the sun goes down and the tropical temperatures drop to a pleasant level. If you take a walk down the boardwalk along the Tena river on any night, but especially Thursday-Sunday, you’ll see what seems to be the whole town hanging out at the restaurants and cafes along the river – a fun, party atmosphere that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike.

Parque Lineal

Lineal park is located in an area that used to be an airport. Consequently, this park is “lineal” or in a line that is definitely runway shaped and makes it long and narrow. This is the best place in Tena to get in an outdoor workout – they have outdoor workout equipment, a path, and public bathrooms. We recommend you go in the morning because it does get pretty hot in Tena, and there is little shade!

*One of the “top rated” activities in Tena is the AmaZOOnico animal rehabilitation center. While we appreciate an organization that rehabilitates animals back into their natural habitats, we are not really excited about zoos in general so we did not visit this location. The animals you would see here are the ones that can’t be reintroduced into their natural habitats. Seems more legit than a “zoo” zoo, but a zoo nonetheless. If you’re comfortable with it, their website will explain how to get there.*

Vegan food in Tena

Though Tena has only one vegetarian restaurant, we were easily able to find vegan food in this town and during our two week stay survived through a combination of cooking in our air bnb and eating out. Here is where we recommend:

Tuna Bistrot is currently the only vegetarian restaurant in Tena. They serve eggs and dairy but have many vegan dishes and understand veganism. You can get a lunch menu (almuerzo) for $4 or a variety of items off the menu including burgers, bowls, burritos, and plant milk for coffee. We enjoyed everything we ordered here and the owner is very friendly.
Helados Amazónicas is going to be a must visit location once you feel the jungle heat of Tena. This ice cream place has a huge variety of delicious homemade popsicles. There are some with dairy, but many of the fruit popsicles are made without. This is a great place to try some of the fruits that are endemic to the Amazon. We tried vegan popsicles made with fruits and plants we had never heard of before like “Mulchi,” “Moreto” and “Arazá,” as well as some more familiar flavors and other Ecuadorian specialties like “tamarindo” “uvilla” “mora” and “jamaica.” You can just ask to clarify that the popsicle you’re ordering is “sin leche.” The store includes pictures of all the popsicles for easy selection, and at $0.75 each, you can easily make this a daily stop.
Curassow is an awesome place with a sweet river view that serves craft beer and food. They have a veggie burger that is vegan. We loved coming here to sit outside by the river and enjoy a few beers. They sometimes have workshops and live music as well – an overall really cool place.
Kallari chocolate is based in Tena, made by Kichwa communities, and states they are farmer-owned, ethical, and sustainable. You can visit their store on the outskirts of Tena to buy any of their several vegan dark chocolates. We were also given the option to buy some Kallari chocolate from a community during the lunch break of our rafting trip.
Rey Paletas is an Ecuadorian chain of popsicle stores that offer several “paletas de agua” that are just fruit and water. Their menu has English translations and vegan symbols. They also have “Michelados,” beer served with a popsicle dropped in, which we thought made the beer pretty delicious (though a bit salty). We went here because it’s right next door to Tuna Bistrot and thought it was worth a mention.
Tia supermarket is the biggest in Tena and is located near the bus station. You’ll be able to find typical Ecuadorian staples here as well as snack foods and anything you might need to cook at your lodging.

Hopefully this article has given you some ideas about what you can do in Tena, as well as the resources to eat well here as a vegan. Let us know what you think!

Tena Guide