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Coca's official name is Puerto Francisco de Orellana, after the first Spaniard to navigate the length of the Amazon. Coca appears as a settlement on maps as far back as the eigteenth century, but up until the 1970s it was a forgotten outpost in the midst of virgin jungle, cut off from the rest of the world except by boat or plane.It was also used in the sixties by Capuchine monks as a missionary post for the Christianization of the Huaorani people.

However, oliexploration have made the town boom in recent decades and today Coca. In fact COCA has enjoyed such a boom that in 1998 it became the capital of its own province, Orellana. You can find all kind of shops, commodities, internet, banks, ATM machines, Western Union etc. in Coca.

The city is located in the at the confluence of the Coca River and the Napo River. It has a population of approximately 25,000 inhabitants.

The aiport in Coca is often used by tourist agencies that take people from Quito to the lodges further downstream Rio Napo or Yasuni National Park. You can also go by bus. The trip from Quito to Coca is approximately 10 hours.