If you are up for thrilling and offbeat adventures, then this post could be of great value to you. Indeed, I could not find any information online nor on Lonely Planet about this specific loop, which is certainly skipped as not part of the mainstream knowledge. As a matter of fact, I was repeatedly told by different persons in different spots I was the first Western foreigner to be seen there. I must assure you that places along this route are absolutely authentic and unspoilt by visitors. Just indigenous dwellers.
To be honest, this loop (at least until Taisha) was quite common among locals until the new (partially paved) road from E45 road (Macas – Puyo) to Taisha was built around 2 years ago. After that milestone, even locals go the other way around (cheaper and faster). Nevertheless, we are here for adventure, not for fastness.
That being said, I will tentatively try to provide some helpful guidelines for intrepid travellers.
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FROM LOJA TO GUALAQUIZA
I took the 8 AM bus covering the 179 Km stretch in about 6 hours. Price is 8.50 USD. I was told that you may also opt for a night bus heading for Macas (and dropping you at the Patuca Crossroad). However, timing for further transportation might be fairly uncertain. I personally spent one night in the agreeable Gualaquiza. Residential Anita’s fare is 9 USD/night and stands nearby the main square.
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FROM GUALAQUIZA TO PATUCA CROSSROAD (Y or YÉ, as they say in Ecuador)
Although the hitchhiking option is always available, I preferred to catch a bus from Gualaquiza’s bus station at 8.30 AM. The bus is painfully slow, though, and takes approximately 4 hours to complete the 137 Km until the crossroad. Ticket is surprisingly expensive at 8.63 USD (July 2022).
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FROM PATUCA CROSSROAD TO SAN JOSÉ DE MORONA
Although this road is beautifully paved until San José, no much traffic is reported here. You have then two options: either you wait for a bus every 2 about hours or, as I did, go for old school hitchhiking. I needed 3 lifts to get as far as San José de Morona (149 Km). The first was immediate and left me in Patuca. The second lingered a bit more and dropped me in Santiago (I faced some issues here because in the end the driver surreptitiously asked for money, not given). The third was a communist guy (technical service) directly stopping by the Monteverde Hotel (500 mt before San José), where you can decently spend the night in a private room with Wi-Fi for 10 USD (it was 11.20 indeed but I asked for discount : )
As a side note here, if you catch a bus, the line ends in Puerto Morona, about 11 Km before San José, since oversize vehicles cannot cross a narrow bridge. From there on just taxis or hitchhiking.
In San José you will encounter basic shops and eateries. I was told not wander about after 9 pm though. Just in case.
I was nevertheless struggling to get useful details. At the beginning, I headed for Puerto Kashpaim (2 km ahead San José) from where boats used to leave before the new road to Taisha was built. However, boats were not report to exist. A new port was mentioned instead: Puerto Panintza, 19 km after San José on a bumpy, unpaved road. They could not confirm any timetable though, nor contacts, nor phone numbers. It could be early in the morning as well as late in the afternoon. No clues.
I later started to inquire then about how to get to Panintza and whether boats were truly available. An only bus was said to be operating at the ungodly time of 5 am. No more buses after that time. Of course, all shops and eateries would be closed. The second query (boats) was never answered.
I then reluctantly resolved myself to give up for the day and risk the all for all the following day. I thereby set the alarm at 4.15 am and in the full darkness (few early birds around) walked the about 1.2 Km to the bus stop (at the end of the town, where the 3 forks crossroad stands and the paved road ends).
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FROM SAN JOSÉ DE MORONA TO PANINTZA
As said, the night was gloomy and still the bus did not show up after 30 minutes I was waiting for it. Two more persons luckily validated my hints and confirmed the bus would come, sooner or later. It sluggishly appeared at 5.30 am more or less. The jaunty and talkative bus driver (he owns the bus and is the route monopolist) again said to me I was the first Western to be seen in about 1 year he was serving that line. He asked me so many questions that I could hardly eschew. But he was nice in the end. He dropped me in Panintza (300 inhabitants) after 1.15 h, just to cover 19 Km : ) Again, no info about the boats. By the time we arrived, it was at least already daytime, luckily. No more road after that endpoint. It was planned to be built tough, maybe in 2 or 3 years I was told. Directly to Taisha. Not sure if that was true or not. By the way, it turned out that the bus was going back and forth two or three times a day. Hence, another fake news spread by my interlocutors. You can therefore wake up more easily a bit later, if you wish to.
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IN PANINTZA
The God-forgotten hamlet was really astonished at seeing a traveller there. People waved and behaved nicely notwithstanding. I immediately detected a canoe owner who assured he was returning to Puerto Panki (never heard before, I had to check in the map). The situation got quite awkward afterwards: first he was saying that he was leaving at 12 am for 8 USD/person, maybe in quest of some passengers to share the gas costs. However, he was disposed to leave earlier (it was barely 7 am at that point) if I would be willing to pay an extra fare, which amounted at 30 USD. I consequently pondered the pros and cons: on the one hand I should have waited at least 4-5 hours to pay the minimum fare (he needed to revert at last); on the other hand, I did not know what to do during that time. I thus resolved myself to close the bargain at 20 USD, for immediate departure. He accepted.
Since no bars or eateries were available, I kindly begged a shop owner to prepare me a frugal breakfast, made of eggs and bananas. No coffee or tea served. Just water. Breakfast + chocolate bars + 2 x 0.5 Lt water resulted in 3 USD.
The last tricky scene happened after breakfast: the canoe owner (whom I was trying to study some time before leaving) requested me to pay beforehand. He stated not to own enough money for the petrol. Since I had no more options hitherto, I unwillingly decided to put some trust in him. I was again double-checking the docking point in the map. We left at 8.15 h eventually.
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FROM PANINTZA TO PUERTO PANKI THROUGH RIO CANGAIME
While constantly checking the map to verify if we were following the right way, I was nonetheless appreciating the still and lush environment around me. No much wildlife though, apart from water and trees. We crossed several canoes along the way amiably waving in return. A few shacks and huts are scattered all around the river necks, which approached very slowly one after the other. Remember: you are on a small canoe with a limited engine : )
Although not properly comfy, the canoe was however stable on the flat and calm surface. It took us around 3 hours and a half to successfully complete the sailing up to Puerto Panki, indeed connected with a new, unpaved road leading to Taisha. People there greeted at us very cheerfully.
You can even spot a mini shop to buy basic stuff. What a surprise !
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FROM PUERTO PANKI TO TAISHA
Not a problem at all. I only had to wait for around 30 minutes before a shared taxi (forget about hitchhiking there !) collected me and other passengers along the way. The fare was 3 USD. If you can, better to seat inside, as the outer pickup loading space was really crammed with incoming people. No limits. There should be a shared taxi every 30 min, max 1 hour, not sure until when though. The sooner you get there, the better, needless to say. Also because 2 more hours on untarmacked roads are required to reach Taisha from there. Take thus into account that time too.
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IN TAISHA
After the car drops you at the bus terminal, you need to start searching for an accommodation. After inquiring a few places, I found the best option in Hosteria Kawa, 10 USD for a decent private room with Wi-Fi, fan and bathroom. No much to do in town, anyway. Just stroll around and explore a bit the centre.
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FROM TAISHA TO PUYO (OR MACAS)
Having been told that the direct buses to Puyo would leave at 3.30 pm, I had two options: either catch a bus to Macas and stop at the Santa Isabel crossroad (E45) and from there to Puyo by bus or hitchhiking; OR hitchhike straight away from the beginning. It goes without saying I went for the second : ) I had only waited 20 min at the end of the town, when an helpful motorbike driver pulled off by me. The ride got never-ending nonetheless. 87 Km with 3 backpacks (one big behind and two small between me and the driver) and a bottle of water in the hand became almost unbearable. But it was true adventure again on a bumpy, dirty road across several small hamlets nested in the Ecuadorian Amazon. It was my longest motorbike hitchhike ever, as far as I recall. The guy even carried me after the crossroad to the Humboya’s fork, from where finally direct buses are available (one stopped around 1 pm, 1 h 30 min duration).
The driver, one more time, stated I was the first Western he ever saw along that path. He was in fact very curious about me and my background. We spent almost 4 hours together for 110 km, of which approx. 60 unpaved.
That’s it, long story short, this was a great accomplishment because there was no info online nor on other traditional sources; and especially because even locals did not know much about this itinerary. They were just trying to guess. All was to be discovered straight on the spot. A 3 days journey allowing me to sink more into the indigenous life and habits, completely out of the mainstream circuits.
