Tena (Ecuador) - Tena (Ecuador)

Tena is a city inAmazonian Ecuador.

To know

Capital of the province of Napo, Tena is a pleasant and quiet town in the Amazon basin area under Ecuadorian administration. Tena is the ideal place to practice rafting and kayaking. The lodges located in its surroundings are accessible by car or 4-wheel drive

Tena is an important commercial and tourist center in the eastern region of Ecuador, the starting point for excursions into the Amazon rainforest. The entrance to the city is dominated by the statue of the indigenous hero Jumandy, who led a revolt against the Spanish in 1578 and was later executed.

There are two most cited versions of the origin of the name "Tena": the first hypothesis is that the name derives from a Spanish settler of Archidona named Tena or originally from the "Valle del Tena" in Spain, while in the second hypothesis the name derives from Tena Colombian, founded in 1548 also by the Spaniards. However, in the maps Tena will only begin to appear in 1740, at a point where two rivers converge.

Geographical notes

Tena lies not far from the western slope of the Andes, where the river of the same name receives the waters of the Rio Puno. It is located in the south of the province, in the valley of the Misahuallí river, in the Ecuadorian Amazon region

Located east of Andes, Tena is surrounded by wooded hills and is crossed by two rivers, the Rio Tena and the Rio Pano, which flows right into the Tena in the center of the city. The Tena in turn, a little further downstream, flows into the Rio Misahuallí, which in the small town of Misahuallí flows into the Rio Napo, a tributary of the Amazon River.

From the park, called Parque Central, of Tena you can see the most active volcanoes of the Equator: Sumaco (3,900 m), Reventador is Sangay. Located at the confluence of the Tena and Pano rivers, the city benefits from large, very pleasant beaches such as those of Rancho Alegre, Cocha del Cementerio?, or Dos Ríos.

When to go

The hot humid climate of the rainforest in Tena is mitigated by the altitude and relative proximity to the Andean mountain range, compared to the more sultry temperature usually found in the innermost parts of the Amazon jungle. Temperatures range from 19 to 29 ° C during the day, with averages around 23-24 ° C. Precipitation occurs throughout the year, with a greater frequency in the months from April to July, while the relative humidity is around 90%.

Background

Spanish historians narrate that two peoples lived in the province of Napo, the Omaguas and the Quijos, the latter in particular already having frequent commercial contacts with the indigenous peoples of the Sierra and the Incas at the time of the Spanish colonization. Gonzalo Díaz de Pineda was the first to explore those unknown regions of the Amazon, driven by the myth of El Dorado and the gold that would have been present in large quantities in the Amazonian territory. The Inca ruler Atahualpa, imprisoned by Pineda himself and by Pizarro, also mentioned the existence of enormous quantities of gold in the Amazon, in the province of los Quijos, east of Quito. After the expedition of Francisco de Orellana in 1541, which led to the discovery of the Amazon River, several towns arose in the territory of the current province of Napo, including Baeza, in 1959, and Archidona, in 1560.

In 1563 the Spaniards began a new colonization campaign in the land of the Quijos, first asking permission from their leader Jumandy to advance south. However, the Spaniards, after having founded Alcalá del Río Dorado, began to mistreat and enslave the quijos, a rebellious people who did not willingly accept the abuse and excess work to which they were subjected by the Spaniards. Years later, in 1578, the discontent of the natives led to the rebellion of Jumandy and his people, who preferred to die or leave those places rather than being subdued by the Spaniards. The rebellion led the natives to destroy Ávila and then Archidona, forcing the Spaniards to retreat north and defend themselves in Baeza, to prevent Jumandy, allying himself with the natives of the Sierra, from arriving in Quito. The betrayal of some indigenous Serranians in Baeza led the Spaniards to victory, and Jumandy and other natives were captured, hanged and publicly quartered in Piazza San Blas in Quito. They tried another revolt in 1590 a Sumaco, led by a son of Jumandy. However, before putting the new revolt into practice they were discovered by the Spaniards who further increased the abuses against them. The Quijos realized that violence was not a valid method of survival and preferred to flee their land. Since then the Quijos Nation ceased to exist, and those who remained were later called Yumbos or Alamas.

How to orient yourself

How to get

How to get around

What see

• Tena Cathedral. Modern in style and has three naves. A large crucifix, from Rome is placed behind the altar, while the four bells of the towers have been fused to Bergamo and were donated by missionaries Italians. 
• Parque Amazónico la Isla (In the city center where the Rio Pano joins the Tena). It is home to several species of animals and plants from the Amazon region 
• Puerto Misahuallí (Half an hour's drive from Tena to the confluence of Rio Misahuallí with Rio Napo). The main tourist port in the area and a place where tourists can bathe taking advantage of the wide beaches present. 
• Cascada de Latas (20 minutes from Tena on the road to Puerto Misahuallí). These three waterfalls are characterized by a large number of bees and butterflies which contribute to the coloring of the area surrounding the falls. 
• Jumandy Monument, Jumandy Avenue (At the entrance to the city). An enormous statue depicting the "Gran Cacique de Guerra" Jumandy, the most symbolic figure of the revolts of the indigenous people of the Amazon. In the revolt of 1578 he burned the cities of Ávila and Archidona and continued north with the intention of freeing not only the Amazon but all of Quito's Royal Audiencia from the Spaniards. 

Events and parties

What to do

There are several hotels in the city that offer excursions for sporting activities, such as kayaking and rafting. In the area there are several zoos and parks and canoe excursions are offered, such as in Puerto Misahuallí, with the possibility of visiting some villages of indigenous communities that live on the banks of the Rio Napo.

Shopping

How to have fun

Where to eat

Where stay

Safety

How to keep in touch

Around

Other projects

• Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Tena (Ecuador)
• Commons contains images or other files on Tena (Ecuador)

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