It rises in Ecuador, in the Zamora-Chinchipe Province, in the Podocarpus National Park.
[1] The basin formed by the river covers an area of 9,686.96 km2.
In Ecuador and Peru, the river is also known as Canananbo, Chuquimayo, or Mayo.
[2] One of the oldest cultures of the Andes developed in its basin.
The main tributaries that form the water catchment area of Chinchipe river are: