A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Tena vs. Puerto Madryn for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Tena or Puerto Madryn?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Tena and Puerto Madryn can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.

Where Should I go: Tena or Puerto Madryn?

Tena

Tena is the capital of the Napo Province, an attractive and quiet city in the Amazon rainforest, and is known as the "cinnamon capital" of Ecuador. Tena has a friendly population, lots of backpacker infrastructure, a gorgeous setting surrounded by jungle-covered hills and a high concentration of surrounding rivers where white-water lovers from around the world come to paddle and kayak. The town provides a gateway to exploration into Ecuador's most accessible part of the great Amazon rainforest, which does not leave visitors disappointed. Beyond being a base for discovering the jungle and its wildlife, Tena is also a hub for adventure sports which are abundant in the area. Tena is a charming place where many travelers find themselves hanging around quite happily before or after a trip into the rainforest.

Puerto Madryn

Puerto Madryn is mostly known as the gateway to Peninsula Valdes, welcoming tourists who come for whale watching. The Peninsula Valdes is a nature reserve designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site; 97 km long and 63 km wide, it is connected to the continent by an isthmus of 35 km from which we can see both gulfs, San Jose at north and the Nuevo at south.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best G Adventures Tours to Colombia, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Bogota, The Best 2-Week Tours in Argentina, and The Best 3-Week Tours in Argentina.


Which place is cheaper, Puerto Madryn or Tena?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Tena is $51, while the average daily cost in Puerto Madryn is $14. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Tena and Puerto Madryn in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Tena $24
    Puerto Madryn $5.25
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Tena $48
    Puerto Madryn $11
Compare Hotels in Tena and Puerto Madryn

Looking for a hotel in Tena or Puerto Madryn? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Tena


Hotels in Puerto Madryn


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Puerto Madryn Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Tena $17
    Puerto Madryn $3.28

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Tena

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Tena:

  • Transfer in Private Car from Bucaramanga Palonegro Airport (BGA) to Bucaramanga: $15
  • Round trip transfer in Private Car from-to Palonegro Airport(BGA) to Bucaramanga: $29
  • San Andres hotels to San Andres Airport (ADZ) Departure Transfer: $36
  • Transfer in private minivan Medellin airport (MDE)- Guatape: $42
  • Roundtrip transfer in private minivan Medellin airport (MDE)- Guatape: $84
  • Private Transfer from Villavieja to San Agustín: $150
  • Popayan to Cali Private Transfer: $272
  • Popayan to Cali Private Transfer: $272

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Madryn

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Madryn:

  • From Punta Tombo Day Trip with Hotel Transfer: $131
  • Trelew Airport Shuttle Transfer To Puerto Madryn : $47

Is it cheaper to fly into Tena or Puerto Madryn?

Prices for flights to both Puerto Madryn and Tena change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Tena $15
    Puerto Madryn $5.69

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Tena $15
    Puerto Madryn $5.77

Tours and Activities in Tena

Here are a few actual costs in Tena for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Full Day Adventure Laguna Negra-Páramo de Ocetá from Mongua: $20
  • 4-Hour Private Walking Tour along Ruta de Las Flores: $42
  • Unique experience flying paragliding: $50
  • Gastronomic Private Walking Tour in Popayán: $50
  • Private 2-hour Diving Experience with Instructor: $65
  • Private Guided Tour to Piedra Colgada and Indian Face and Lagoon: $75
  • Tour 5 Rosario Islands: $94
  • Scuba Diving Private Tour in San Andres: $130
  • Enjoy a Coffee Tour & Santa Fe de Antioquia Colonial Town!!: $135
  • Popayán Tour from Cali: $216
  • Popayan and Silvia Town Private Tour from Cali: $240

Typical Entertainment Prices in Puerto Madryn

Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Puerto Madryn are as follows:


  • Whale Watching for Two
    $0.35

Tours and Activities in Puerto Madryn

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Puerto Madryn are as follows:

  • Kayaking adventure in Puerto Madryn: $60
  • Excursion to Punta Loma and Puerto Madryn for Cruisers: $60
  • From City and Punta Loma Tour: $70
  • Shore Excursion: Punta Loma+City Tour, for cruise passengers: $70
  • Punta Loma Shore Excursion with City tour: $75
  • Punta Loma Excursion for Cruise Passengers: $75
  • Full Day Peninsula Valdes Experience - optional Whale Watching : $87
  • Punta Tombo Tour, the Penguin Experience: $90
  • Full Day Peninsula Valdes Experience: $90
  • Shore Excursion Punta Loma Sea Lions Reserve Including Puerto Madryn City Tour : $95
  • 4 x 4 experience around Puerto Madryn: $100
  • Wonderful Punta Tombo Penguin Rookery Tour : $100

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Tena $10
    Puerto Madryn $3.13


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Tena and Puerto Madryn, we can see that Tena is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Madryn much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Puerto Madryn would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Puerto Madryn and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Tena would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Tena than you might in Puerto Madryn.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Tena Expensive? and Is Puerto Madryn Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Tena or Puerto Madryn?

Puerto Madryn has a larger population, and is about 90 times larger than the population of Tena. When comparing the sizes of Tena and Puerto Madryn, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.