Macas, the capital of the MoronaSantiago province, serves as a base for a plethora of ecotourism, hiking, andother adventure activities. The cityitself is a bustling jungle “metropolis,” where people from all over theprovince venture for business. Perhaps the most attractive aspects of thissomewhat sleepy town are the Catholic Church’s patroness La Mama Negra and theindigenous ecotourism opportunities.

BuenaEsperanza is the most accessible of the indigenous stays because of its closeproximity to Macas. For the more adventurous and athletic you can take a 7-9hour truck excursion followed by 4-6 hours of trekking through the remote,virgin, primary jungle forests for a truly authentic Amazonian experience! Touroperators in Macas are eager to sell their packages but be wary that many ofthe tour operators function as a middleman and a decent portion of your tourprice is designated for their own pocket. A wiser economical choice would be totravel 30 minutes south to Sucua, the base of the Shuar federation, andorganize an excursion there, perhaps saving you the booking fee allotted bytour operators and this ensures money paid goes directly to the communities.