ARCHIDONA , a well-kept town that sits in cultivated fields in the hills 10km north of Tena, was the first capital of the Oriente until 1920, when control shifted to Tena with the formation of the new (and now defunct) Napo-Pastaza province. Since its foundation in 1560, missionaries have ensured the place has stayed shipshape and the church is a case in point, its rude concrete blocks painted layer by layer in brown, white and yellow like a Lego building. Apart from gawping at the church and wandering around the pleasant central square crammed with shrubs and flowers, Archidona won't keep you occupied for very long. Not far from the town, however, are a number of caves and petroglyphs including the Cuevas de Jumandy , and the Museo Mundos Amazónicos (around $1), signposted at the southern end of Archidona on the main road. Built by the Unió n Huacamayos , one of the museum's pride exhibits is a large sacred stone carved with petroglyphs, thought to be over two thousand years old, found by the entrance. Inside the museum, a modest but wide-ranging collection of artifacts with accompanying text give a good survey of all the Oriente's indigenous peoples.

 

Archidona is only a short ride from Tena, which is far better geared to tourism, so you shouldn't have to find a place to stay here. If you do, try the inexpensive Residencial Regina (tel 06/889144; $5-9) near the plaza, which has private bathrooms and a reputation as the best place in town. Buses to Tena from Baeza or Coca usually pass through Archidona along the main road, though there is a bypass, so tell the driver if you want Archidona. Local buses from Tena to Archidona leave from the corner of Amazonas and Bolívar, stopping at the top (north) end of this main street.