Puyo & Amazon Day Trip
Puyo
The Amazon gateway city at the end of the Waterfall Route, offering rainforest hiking, the Hola Vida waterfall and an Indigenous plant park.
Puyo is the capital of Pastaza province, about 60 km east of Baños, a drive of roughly 1.5 hours. It is the most convenient gateway from the Andean highlands into the Amazon rainforest. Baños travel agencies' one-day rainforest tours typically include a hike to the Hola Vida rainforest waterfall outside Puyo, a visit to an Indigenous community, a monkey rescue centre and a canoe trip. In town, the Omaere Ethnobotanical Park introduces the medicinal plants and traditional dwellings of the Shuar people. The rainforest is hot, humid and full of mosquitoes, so bring insect repellent, long sleeves and a raincoat.
Opening hours
Open all day (group tour access)
Nearby sights
- Machay Waterfall
- Pailón del Diablo
- Manto de la Novia
- Ruta de las Cascadas
- Mirador La Cruz de Bellavista
- Termas de la Virgen
- Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Agua Santa
- Casa del Árbol (Swing at the End of the World)