Coca: 300km (186 miles) E of Quito; 60km (37 miles) S of Lago Agrio

Although officially called Puerto Francisco de Orellana, this riverside port city is known universally as Coca. The capital of Orellana province, Coca, like Lago Agrio, is a relatively young boomtown carved from the jungle to service the oil industry. Not surprisingly, it's seedy and rough around the edges. And, like its northern neighbor, Coca is also a gateway to several isolated jungle lodges.

Coca sits on the banks of the Río Napo, which, along with its tributaries, canals, and lagoons, is home to some of the best nature lodges in Ecuador's Amazon basin. Most of the lodges listed below are located a 2- to 3-hour boat ride downstream from Coca. The wildlife-viewing here is top-notch.