Though not as popular as a base for
jungle exploration as
Coca or
Misahualli, the vast Amazon basin stretches out east of Macas, with all its potential for adventure. Visits to local
Shuar communities can be arranged, as well as
horseback riding,
whitewater rafting,
fishing and
treks to remote caves, hot springs and waterfalls.
At
Miazal, for example, 50 km [
31 miles] southeast of Macas over the
Cutucu Mountain Range, a hot spring bubbles from the earth and flows from a rock in a naturally hot waterfall, while next to it is a cold waterfall of pure mountain water. Where else can you find natural hot and cold waterfalls side by side in the middle of a tropical rainforest? There's no road to
Miazal and it is a tough 50 km hike from Macas that takes a few days.
In the nearby
Shuar community visitors learn about the way of life of a people who live in close contact with their natural world.
In the vicinity of
Miazal there are
caves inhabited by colonies of the extraordinary
Oilbird. These huge, nocturnal, fruit-eating creatures live more like bats than birds and use a form of sonar navigation of audible clicks which keeps them from crashing into the walls in the pitch-black caves.
Oilbirds have long been prized by the Indians because of their fatty flesh which they boil down into oil and use for cooking and lighting. The best-known
Oilbird cave is
Cueva de los Tayos, near
Santiago between
Mendez and
Morona, but you'll need a guide to find them.
