Pastaza

Puyo is the capital of Pastaza province and the main gateway to Ecuador's Amazon rainforest, set about 237 km southeast of Quito near the meeting of the Puyo and Pastaza rivers. Warm, green and relaxed, it combines a compact provincial centre with a strong Kichwa, Shuar, Achuar and Waorani cultural presence.

Founded on 12 May 1899 and officially named Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Pompeya de Puyo, the city grew from a mission and trading settlement into Pastaza's administrative and commercial hub. Its development remains closely linked to Amazonian indigenous communities and to trade and travel between the Andes and the rainforest.

The riverside Malecón Boayaku and the 2.5 km Paseo Turístico del Río Puyo are the city's best-known public spaces, with trails, viewpoints, craft stalls and places to swim. Nearby highlights include the Omaere ethnobotanical park, Morete Puyo aquatic park, the Indichuris lookout above the Pastaza River, the Casa del Árbol in Shell, and waterfalls such as Hola Vida.

The compact centre concentrates hotels, markets, cafés and restaurants, while the road toward Shell and the surrounding countryside leads to community tourism initiatives, eco-lodges and indigenous craft workshops. Short excursions connect visitors with Kichwa and Shuar communities, jungle walks, canoe trips and traditional ceremonies.

Puyo is also a regional centre for commerce, public services, education and ecotourism, anchored by institutions such as the Universidad Estatal Amazónica. Its food scene features Amazonian staples like maito, grilled chontacuros, chicha de chonta and guayusa tea, and its position between Baños and the deeper Amazon makes it a practical base for both leisure and business travellers.