TRITON DMC INCOMING ECUADOR & GALAPAGOS: Pastaza (Province)

Pastaza (Province) Ecuador

Pastaza is a province in the Oriente of Ecuador situated in the eastern jungle. The capital is Puyo, established on the 12th of May, 1899 and home to 36,700 people. The city is now reachable by tarmacked roads, a recent development; the main road from Baños follows the Pastaza river into the province. The Pastaza River rushes into the province from the west and as the landscape levels out, meanders on to the Napo, a tributary of the Amazon. Natural resources of Pastaza include bananas, grapefruit, tobacco, cocoa and coffee. Tea has been successfully grown by a few British companies, and in the mid-1980s one of the companies was honoured by a visit from Princess Margaret from the British royal family. The landscape is mostly mountainous in the western part of the province and becomes relatively flat toward the east as it nears the Peruvian border with rivers and plains characterising most of the province. The highest elevation is 1,820 meters (5,970 ft). The climate is warm and humid due to the nearly 7 meters of annual rainfall (22 feet) in the parts closest to the western mountains, but with significant amounts of rainfall throughout the province. The average temperature is 18 to 24 Celsius. It is rumoured that there is a lot of gold in the rivers of Pastaza; however, to date no significant discoveries of gold have been reported. Snakes and other venomous creatures, such as tarantulas and scorpions, are common in the province. Travellers are advised to be cautious in any trekking through the jungles, parks and trails. Some of the snakes blend extremely well even in trees, so walking sticks and/or machetes are a good precaution for hiking. The flora of the region is spectacular. A few local parks have been developed with myriad natural orchids from the area and admission to these parks is relatively inexpensive. Rainy day gear is advised since the rains are present almost year-round, often in the late afternoon, but occasionally all day as well. The rain is quite warm compared to those in North America. Pastaza is the largest province in Ecuador and the richest in biodiversity. To the north of Pastaza are the provinces Napo and Orellana, to the south is Morona Santiago, to the east is the country of Peru, and to the west are the provinces Tungurahua and Moronga Santiago. The total population is about 83,930 inhabitants.

Recommended airport

Chachoan Regional Airport (ATF)

Nearby destinations

Pastaza (Province), Ecuador

Pastaza (Province) Ecuador