Misahualli

Misahualli sits where the Misahualli river joins the Napo, and until roads reached further east it was the port where Amazon travel began, with motorised canoes leaving from a sand beach below the plaza. That role has moved downriver to Coca, and the village is quieter now, but it keeps the beach, the canoe trips to nearby communities and waterfalls, and a feature nobody expects: a troop of white-fronted capuchin monkeys that lives in and around the main square, taking food, bags and sunglasses from anyone careless. Butterfly farms, a small animal rescue centre and short forest walks fill a day, and it is an easy first taste of Amazon country from Quito.

What you actually see

• Capuchins in the main plaza - a wild troop living in the village square.
• The river beach and canoe port - the sand where trips leave.
• Canoe trips to communities - Kichwa villages and waterfalls downriver.
• Butterfly farms and rescue centre - the small attractions around town.

When to go

Year round; the river is higher and browner in the wet months. A day, or a night to slow down. The monkeys are most active in the morning and late afternoon.

Honest expectations

The monkeys steal and occasionally bite; they are wild animals habituated to people, and feeding them makes it worse. The village is very small with limited food options. The Napo here is silty and not for swimming.

Nearby

Tena is west; Coca lies far downriver.