The Napo River is 550 miles (885 km’s) long and flows from the eastern slopes of the Andes in Ecuador to the Peruvian border where it turns south eastward through dense tropical rain forests, joining the Amazon River approximately 80 km’s downstream from Iquitos. The Napo River was explored by the Spanish soldier and Amazon explorer Francisco de Orellana in 1540 and Portuguese Amazon explorer Pedro Teixiera in 1638. It is an important transportation artery, for much of it is navigable. There is much activity on the riverbanks, with many villages working with cattle and the forests a source of rubber, chicle, timber and fur.
