By road, Tena and Canoa are about 344 miles (554 km) apart, or roughly 7 h 53 min of driving.
- Level 3: Reconsider Travel in Ecuador: Sucumbios, Manabi, Santa Elena, and Santo Domingo provinces.
Read the full advisory before you go: Ecuador. Advisory issued: Ecuador August 18, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Ecuador: “Some roads are poorly maintained. They may lack crash barriers, guard rails, signs, and streetlights.”
| Distance | 344 mi (554 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 7 h 53 min |
| Main roads, in order | E45 → E20 → E28 → E385 → E382 → E15 |
| Provinces on the route | Tungurahua, Pichincha, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Manabi |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 13.8 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 4 |
Driving Tena to Canoa: the shape of the trip
E20 (59 mi) and E15 (56 mi) carry about 33% of the 344 miles. It runs through 4 provinces: Tungurahua, Pichincha, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Manabi. Of the 4 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Tena to Canoa
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Province |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Tungurahua |
| E45 | 1–53 | 52 | Tungurahua |
| E20 | 53–102 | 49 | Tungurahua, Pichincha |
| connecting roads | 102–106 | 4 | Pichincha |
| local roads | 106–130 | 24 | Pichincha |
| E28 | 130–183 | 53 | Pichincha |
| connecting roads | 183–185 | 2 | Pichincha |
| local roads | 185–217 | 32 | Pichincha, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas |
| E20 | 217–227 | 10 | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas |
| E385 | 227–247 | 20 | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Manabi |
| E382 | 247–287 | 40 | Manabi |
| connecting roads | 287–288 | 1 | Manabi |
| E15 | 288–344 | 56 | Manabi |
- Mile 88 of this route: Tungurahua → Pichincha (province line)
- Mile 201 of this route: Pichincha → Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas (province line)
- Mile 244 of this route: Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas → Manabi (province line)
Places worth a stop between Tena and Canoa
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Intiñan Museum (mile 132)
- Nature and outdoors: Gustavo Orcés V. Natural History Museum (mile 114), Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve (mile 134)
- Museums and history: El Inga (mile 104), Gustavo Orcés V. Natural History Museum (mile 114), Intiñan Museum (mile 132)
El Inga
On the slopes of Ilaló volcano in Tumbaco, El Inga is an archaeological site dated to 10,000–2,000 BC, used as a campsite by Paleoindian hunter-gatherers.
Gustavo Orcés V. Natural History Museum
A natural history museum in Quito, Ecuador, the Gustavo Orcés V. Natural History Museum was established in 2005.
Intiñan Museum
Just 200 meters from Ciudad Mitad del Mundo on the outskirts of Quito, Intiñan Museum (Museo de sitio Intiñán) is a site museum built in 1989.
Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve
Surrounding Pululahua Volcano, this geobotanical reserve lies 17 km north of Quito in the northwestern part of the Pomasqui Valley, Pichincha province.
More drives to Canoa
From Tena to other places in Ecuador
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Tena to Canoa?
About 7 h 53 min of driving without stops, over 344 miles.
How far is Canoa from Tena by car?
About 344 miles (554 km) on the Wayro route. Other map services may show a few miles more or less, depending on where they start and end in each city.
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Tena to Canoa drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Ecuador Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Tena to Canoa?
In order: E45, E20, E28, E385, E382 and E15. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Tena and Canoa?
Closest to the road: El Inga (archaeological site, mile 104, 1 mi from the route); Intiñan Museum (museum, mile 132, 0.2 mi from the route); Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve (nature area, mile 134, 2 mi from the route). All stops are described above.
How we put this guide together
Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on October 10, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.