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The Pastaza (the ancient river Sumatara) is a large tributary to the Amazon River.
It has its headwaters in the province of Tungurahua, where the Tambo River joins the Latacunga River, near the foot of the Volcano Tungurahua, flowing south-east towards the Amazon Basin. It is very shortly thereafter dammed by the Agoyan hydroelectic project, which has made a large, silty lagoon just below the town of Baños. The Agoyan dam was placed in that location specifically to leave the famous Falls of Agoyan, about 5 km further downstream, intact. In Tungurahua, the Pastaza is a very fast whitewater river with class-4 rapids; it is often used for whitewater rafting although it is not considered to be of the same quality as the Tena River and is therefore less popular for the sport. The Troncal Amazonas highway parallels the river from Baños to Puyo, passing through seven tunnels, and four major waterfalls that are touristic destinations for many Ecuadorians (Agoyan and Pailon del Diablo being the most popular.) Just past the town of Santa Inez, the Pastaza River crosses into the province of Pastaza, where it forms the boundary between that province and Morona-Santiago. There are no major fisheries on the Pastaza River - it is primarily used as a means of transport by canoe. Its rise and fall are rapid and uncertain, and it is shallow and full of sandbanks and snags. Flooding occurs seasonally. After cutting through Ecuador, the Pastaza passes into Peru at a point about 60 miles west of the mouth of the Huallaga.
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