Puyo, Pastaza
Encyclopedia
Puyo, also known as El Puyo, is the capital of Pastaza
, a province
in Ecuador
. Puyo is located at an altitude of approximately 950 AMSL by the Puyo River, a tributary of the Pastaza River
, which eventually leads into the Amazon River
. True to its name, derived from the Kichwa
word for "cloudy", the local climate is a wet one and the weather is often overcast.Henry Ades and Melissa Graham, "The Rough Guide to Ecuador" (3rd edition), Rough Guides publishing, January 2007
Puyo was founded in 1899. Located between Baños, and the Amazonian cities of Tena
and Macas
, Puyo is the commercial, cultural and political capital of the region. The city is connected by road to Ambato, Tena
, and Macas
and from there to the major urban areas of Ecuador. In late 2006, the city had approximately 25,000 inhabitants. It was the fastest growing city in Ecuador in 2006. The seasonal changes in the climate are relatively small, and daytime temperature typically range between 18-24 °C, with sun and generally short, but heavy periods of rain daily.
A small airport is located in the small town of Shell, approximately 10 kilometres north-west of Puyo. Small aircraft, both private and commercial, depart daily to small airstrips in the Amazon Rainforest
, and occasionally to Quito
in the case of severe medical emergencies.
The Puyo Carnaval, a famous Ecuadorian holiday, is celebrated each year in the days leading up to Lent. The custom is to have small neighbourhood parties, and water fights are sometimes involved. Other major holidays are the Day of the Ecuadorian East Amazon on February 12th, and the chonta-palm
festival.
Pastaza Province
Pastaza is a province in the Oriente of Ecuador located in the eastern jungle. The capital is Puyo, founded on May 12, 1899 and which boasts 25,800 inhabitants...
, a province
Provinces of Ecuador
Ecuador is divided into 24 provinces . The provinces of Ecuador and their capitals are:1 Population as per the census carried out on 2001-11-25In addition, there are three areas within Ecuador that are non-delimited...
in Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
. Puyo is located at an altitude of approximately 950 AMSL by the Puyo River, a tributary of the Pastaza River
Pastaza River
The Pastaza is a large tributary to the Amazon River.It has its headwaters in the province of Tungurahua, where the Tambo River joins the Latacunga River, near the foot of the Volcano Tungurahua, flowing south-east towards the Amazon Basin...
, which eventually leads into the Amazon River
Amazon River
The Amazon of South America is the second longest river in the world and by far the largest by waterflow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined...
. True to its name, derived from the Kichwa
Kichwa
Kichwa is a Quechuan language, and includes all Quechua varieties spoken in Ecuador and Colombia by approximately 2,500,000 people...
word for "cloudy", the local climate is a wet one and the weather is often overcast.Henry Ades and Melissa Graham, "The Rough Guide to Ecuador" (3rd edition), Rough Guides publishing, January 2007
Puyo was founded in 1899. Located between Baños, and the Amazonian cities of Tena
Tena
Tena may refer to:* TENA , a brand of incontinence products for adults and teenagers* Tena, Ecuador, capital of Ecuador's Napo Province* Tena , a district in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia* Tena Negere, an Ethiopian long-distance runner...
and Macas
Macas
Macas is the capital of Morona Santiago province in southeastern Ecuador. The city is also the seat of the county Morona. Known as the "Emerald of the East" due to its location east of the Andes mountains, Macas lies in the Upano Valley overlooking the Upano river...
, Puyo is the commercial, cultural and political capital of the region. The city is connected by road to Ambato, Tena
Tena
Tena may refer to:* TENA , a brand of incontinence products for adults and teenagers* Tena, Ecuador, capital of Ecuador's Napo Province* Tena , a district in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia* Tena Negere, an Ethiopian long-distance runner...
, and Macas
Macas
Macas is the capital of Morona Santiago province in southeastern Ecuador. The city is also the seat of the county Morona. Known as the "Emerald of the East" due to its location east of the Andes mountains, Macas lies in the Upano Valley overlooking the Upano river...
and from there to the major urban areas of Ecuador. In late 2006, the city had approximately 25,000 inhabitants. It was the fastest growing city in Ecuador in 2006. The seasonal changes in the climate are relatively small, and daytime temperature typically range between 18-24 °C, with sun and generally short, but heavy periods of rain daily.
A small airport is located in the small town of Shell, approximately 10 kilometres north-west of Puyo. Small aircraft, both private and commercial, depart daily to small airstrips in the Amazon Rainforest
Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
, and occasionally to Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...
in the case of severe medical emergencies.
The Puyo Carnaval, a famous Ecuadorian holiday, is celebrated each year in the days leading up to Lent. The custom is to have small neighbourhood parties, and water fights are sometimes involved. Other major holidays are the Day of the Ecuadorian East Amazon on February 12th, and the chonta-palm
Heart of palm
Heart of palm, also called palm heart, palmito, burglar's thigh, chonta, palm cabbage or swamp cabbage, is a vegetable harvested from the inner core and growing bud of certain palm trees Heart of palm, also called palm heart, palmito, burglar's thigh, chonta, palm cabbage or swamp cabbage, is a...
festival.