Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
by car (but roads are rough) but they guide guests to virgin rainforest, making it an access-
ible base from which to organize a range of deeper excursions. Perfect for those looking to
meet adventure with luxury.
Coca
Surrounded by primary rainforest but plagued by the oil exploitation that brought a boom
to the village it was before the 1980s, Coca is now a concrete jungle out-of-sync with the
real one that surrounds it. Modern hotels, restaurants and nightclubs cater to the expats
working for oil companies based in town and the travelers who stop off on the way to eco-
lodges in Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve and Yasuní National Park. The irony keeps this oth-
erwise dull town interesting.
Coca is located about 2 and-a-half hours northeast of Tena on the other side the Amazoni-
an volcano Sumaco at the confluence of the Coca and Napo Rivers. Almost all travelers
use the town as a jumping-off point to the region's virgin rainforest as it doesn't offer
much else in the way of attractions. However, the city has just spent over $1,000,000 con-
structing the city's beautiful
Parque Central
, a sleek figure of Swiss design that twists out
onto wooden platforms and into the surrounding vegetation. Most hotels are located on
the riverfront conveniently located by the dock, just make sure to make all jungle excur-
sion arrangements before arriving in Coca as special permission is required to access the
surrounding reserves.
Food
•
La Casa del Maito
Eugenio Espejo between Quito and Napo streets
$
'
Maito House' specializes in the traditional Amazonian-Ecuadorian dish
maito
, consisting
of tilapia or catfish rolled in
Yaki-pang
leaves and fried over a wood fire. It's typically
served with a side of yuca, plantains and spicy salsas. La Casa del Maito is
the
place to try
it.
•
Pizza Choza
Napo street and Vicente Rocafuerte
$-$$
If you're craving international or fast foods, Pizza Choza is known for having the best piz-
zas and pastas in town.
