DIRECTIONS

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From Quito:
Buses leave from the Quitumbe terminal around every hour for Tena. It takes about 5-6 hours to arrive. The road is well-paved.

From Guayaquil:
There are no direct buses to Tena. Buses leave Terminal Terrestre for Ambato throughout the day and night. The roads crossing the mountains are sometimes damaged by landslides, but they are usually passable. From Ambato, there are direct buses to Tena.

From Cuenca:
For a scenic trip through the páramos of the Andes, take a bus from Cuenca to Ambato, and then from Ambato to Tena. The roads are generally well-maintained. For a scenic trip through the upper Amazon jungle, take a bus from Cuenca to Macas. The road may be in a state of disrepair. From Macas, there are buses to Puyo, some of which continue to Tena. Buses run from Puyo to Tena throughout the day. The road between Macas and Tena (E-45) is well-paved and crosses mostly flat terrain.

When you exit Tena's bus terminal, walk to the intersection with Tia (the large red-and-white supermarket) at one corner. Stay on the side across from Tia, cross the intersection, and walk for 2 blocks. You'll see the local Centinela del Tena terminal. Wait here for a bus that says "Serena" on the front windshield. There are 6 buses per day. The first leaves at 05:45 and the last at 17:45. There is no 05:45 bus on Saturday/Sunday. You can also take a taxi for $8-$10 to the bridge (puente) in Serena-piedra grande-lugar de rafting. From "puente Serena" (the last stop for the bus), walk across the long old pedestrian bridge over the big Jatun Yacu river. (Don't be deterred; they are constructing a new big bridge here. Just get through the site.) From the old pedestrian bridge, you can see the green round roof of our yoga house, a small cabin near the beach, and views of the mountains if it´s not too cloudy. After the bridge, you will take a right where the road become´s a "T." Walk for about 200 meters, and you´ll see our round yellow spiral sign, a yelow bus stop and a big sign reading Comunidad Serena. Here you´ll turn right again, crossing the football/soccer field of the local school. Follow the fencing on your right with red-flower bushes, and you'll see another yellow, circular sign and a small door. There will be dogs, and they might bark, but just enter slowly and show no fear. If we are not here, make friends with the dogs, and have a rest. We will be around. There is a local store across from the school where you can also rest and buy a drink, but normally we'll be here. To find us easily, avoid travelling at night from Tena (so try to avoid the last bus).

Buses from Tena to Serena: 05:45, 06:45, 09:45, 13:45, 16:45, 17:45

We do not use a phone as it barely works here.

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Note: Don't get confused by the famous Google Maps. It shows incorrect location data and does not accept corrections. We are by the Jatun Yacu river, close to the village Talag, not in Muyna.

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(We recommend OpenStreetMap and the free Marble and OpenMultiMaps programs if you need map software.)

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Lumicon, Serena, Parroquia Talag, Tena, Ecuador