The City of Coca takes its name from its position at the convergence of the Coca, Napo and Payamino Rivers. In the 1980s, with the discovery of petroleum in the surrounding jungle, Coca mutated from a sleepy Amazon outpost into a sprawling oil boomtown. Tourists had no reason to visit Coca during the first two decades of this urban transformation, but in the late 1990s the Municipality began a program to make itself more appealing to travelers.
Today, while it’s still not the most attractive city, Coca has become an essential hub for the serious eco-tourist. It provides access to a great number of ecological lodges, such as Yachana, Pañacocha, Sani and Yuturi Lodges, as well as Yasuní, a National Park and UNESCO International Biosphere Reserve that encompasses nearly one million hectares of pristine primary rainforest.