Puyo: 237km (147 miles) SE of Quito; 79km (49 miles) S of Tena; 61km (38 miles) SE of Baños

Puyo is the capital of Pastaza province and the principal gateway to the southern Amazon basin. It sits on the banks of the small Río Puyo, at the major road junction connecting Tena and the northern Oriente with Macas and other points in the southern Oriente. Despite not having any major oil industry, such as Coca's or Lago Agrio's, Puyo is nevertheless the largest city in El Oriente, with nearly 25,000 inhabitants.

Located at the edge of the Andean foothills at an altitude of some 950m (3,117 ft.), Puyo has a slightly cooler and more pleasant climate than you'll find at the lower elevations of the Amazon basin. But it is very humid and moist here.