When my tourists ask me about the region, or rather, the geographical area that I like the most in Peru, without thinking about it, I tell them that it is the jungle. Don't get me wrong, the coast and the Andes of Peru are amazing places, with many traditions and diverse cultures. But for me, walking among nature, among big trees and feeling the sounds of the jungle, that makes me very happy.

I can say that this love for the Peruvian jungle began when in December 2017, to receive the new year, I traveled to Tarapoto (San Martín Region) for the first time, in order to participate in a yoga retreat organized by Beyond Time Yoga . at Chirapa Manta Ecolodge . Chirapa Manta is a paradise located in San Roque de Cumbaza, where food is based on plants and fruits and where each cabin has been treated in an eco-friendly way. Those almost 4 days for me were really like a rebirth. After a year full of activities, work, energies between positive and negative that I had been absorbing, definitely what I needed was a drainage of all of it, and there on that trip I got it. Combining the place + yoga classes, meditation, circle of sounds, walks, bathing in the river and doing an exfoliation with cocoa, I ended up revitalized and ready to continue with my activities in the city of Tarapoto.

And it is that that trip that I made through the jungle of the San Martín Region, did not end after the yoga retreat, but I stayed 5 more days to continue enjoying this beautiful city. Next, I will tell you what I did so that when you travel to this beautiful place you have an idea of what you can do.

What to visit within the city of Tarapoto?

There are some activities that you can do in Tarapoto without having to book tours in advance. The good thing about this city is that it is small and you can easily get around using motorcycle taxis or the world-famous Tuk Tuks (characteristic transportation of the jungle, they can even pick you up at the airport with one of them).

The first place I recommend you visit is the Urku Center , a place dedicated to wildlife, which is located parallel to the Shilcayo River. The mission of the Urku Center is to rescue animals that have been captured for smuggling or abuse. Be careful, we must make it clear that this place is not a zoo. The animals rescued by the center go through a rehabilitation process and the idea is that when they are ready they can return to their natural habitat. I remember that when I visited Urku, Marilin Rodas accompanied me as a guide, and the connection she had with all the animals in the center seemed incredible to me. She guided me with a lot of love and dedication. In Urku you can see parrots, macaws, Makisapa monkeys, the widow eagle, amphibians and insects, including the Bala or Isula ant, and be very careful with it! Because if you get stung, you will experience a pain 30 times stronger than when a wasp stings. You can visit Urku from Monday to Sunday from 8:00 – 16:30. It also includes holidays. And the costs range between s/. 2.50 for children between 4-11 years old, s/. 5.00 for young people between 12-17 years old and for adults +18 is s/. 10.00. Be sure to visit this place, it's amazing! And the best thing is that at Centro Urku you can also volunteer, here is the link so you can find out more about it: https://www.centrourku.org/programa-de-voluntariado-centro-urku/

And for all chocolate lovers! In Tarapoto we have the Orquídea chocolate factory. Paying an income of s/. 7.00 they can visit the facilities, learn about how cocoa is grown and also what the process is to make the chocolates, obviously at the end you can try some of them. It is an entertaining and short-term experience so you can do it in a morning or afternoon together with a visit to the Urku Center. My recommendation is that you stay a little longer after the explanation of the chocolates so that you can observe the beautiful Cordillera Escalera and enjoy all those panoramic views of the jungle that surrounds the city of Tarapoto.

Tarapoto = Nature

Tarapoto offers many nature tours where you can learn about the fauna and flora of the place, relax in the waterfalls and lagoons that they have or simply walk through the jungle while admiring the place. These are the experiences of nature that I made in Tarapoto:

The first one is when I visited the Carpishuyacu Waterfall , for this, in Tarapoto you will find thousands of waterfalls and cascades, each one of them beautiful and unique! I chose this waterfall because you have to walk through the jungle and cross a small river on a raft to reach it. Throughout this tour they explain to you about the local plants, insects and amphibians. It was fascinating! And as an official tour guide, I must say that I really appreciate when guides or local people proudly show what they have and have knowledge of everything! That happened with Mr. Fernando, my guide that day, he showed me every detail of the jungle and explained how this type of ecosystem works.

Before reaching the waterfall, he showed me how he feeds a tarantula, which left me, a fact that, in the video that I put below, you can see it. Then, we arrived at the waterfall and it was time to go in and take a dip! It was a lot of fun and the water was warm, it was a very relaxing moment. We spent a good time there and then it was time for lunch! For this, Fernando brought us 'Juane', a very typical dish from the Peruvian Amazon prepared with rice, chicken, egg, olives and sachaculantro, all cooked and wrapped in bijao leaves. How delicious! In fact, that's my favorite jungle dish. After lunch, we began our return through the jungle until we found the car that Mr. Fernando would drive to return to the city of Tarapoto.

Another of the tours that I took and my favorite was also the full day to Santa Elena and Palestine ! What you have to take into consideration is that this tour starts super early, between 3 – 4 am they pick you up at your accommodation. Then the journey to Santa Elena is almost 3 hours, which you can take advantage of to continue sleeping, take a little coat because this area is higher than Tarapoto and it is a little cold. The visit includes a raft tour through the Alto Mayo wetlands, which is incredible since you are in the middle of the jungle and listen to the sounds of the different types of monkeys that inhabit that place, you can even see them jump between the trees. For me, it was the first time I saw something like this live and direct, without a doubt, that was the best place to connect with nature.

After breakfast, we went to Palestine, a place that is included in this circuit so rural-community tourism can be carried out. Here, the families have organized themselves to show the tourist 2 different places: The Palestine Caves and the Butterfly Garden. And let me tell you that they do it with a lot of love, they even gave us a little welcome with songs and hugs, it was the best of the day. Upon entering the caves we saw thousands of stalagmites and stalactites forming different sculptures and images which our guide showed us.

Then we went to the butterfly farm, where we learned about their life cycle and we observed many of them in different colors and shapes. I really liked the fact that the children of the Palestine community are also involved in the tourism project, they were with their parents and happily showed us the larvae that would later become butterflies, they knew a lot about them.

Finally, one of the most traditional tours that can be done outside the city of Tarapoto is the visit to Moyobamba and Rioja . Moyobamba, the capital of the San Martín region, is also known as the capital of orchids, because around 3,500 species grow here. This tour includes a visit to an orchid garden, where they explain to you about this diversity of orchids and about other plants as well, such as carnivorous ones.

Continuing with the tour, on the way to Rioja, we made a stop at the Tourist Attraction 'Tío Yacu' where they give you some time so you can get into the waters of the Yacu River source. Of course, here you will have fun with the local people, especially if it is a hot day the place will be super crowded. Get ready to listen to a lot of music from the jungle, watch dances, eat some snacks from the jungle, like their delicious ripe banana and even play some volleyball! Now, to continue the fun, once in Rioja they will visit the famous 'Chuchu Center', a place dedicated to the preparation of regional and exotic drinks, each dedicated to a specific profession! Here you will find the drink of the doctor, the architect, the nurse, the lawyer, the engineer, etc etc.

And here comes the data for the more adventurous!!

Personally, on every trip I take, I like to play with my emotions and challenge myself to do new activities or activities that I don't usually do. That was the case in this destination, where I found two fun and adventurous activities to do!

At the Talliquihui waterfall you can rappel. They gave us the safety equipment and also a talk about what we were going to do, how to grab the ropes, what position to put ourselves in, etc. I was super nervous! But when you start to descend, your nerves go away. First, training is done in a part of the cliff that is dry and the second time it is done in the waterfall, with the pressure of the water the situation becomes a little more difficult but not impossible. Let's remember that in the end, all those fears and anxieties are a game of our minds! You have to be stronger than them and you will see the satisfaction you will have when you get down completely. Recommendation: Wear good shoes to make rappelling more comfortable and bring clothes and other shoes so you can change after entering the waterfall. This activity is carried out in the mornings, so he advised you to complement it with the following experience:

Canoeing or Rafting on the Mayo River! What a fun experience! Well, it was not my first time rafting, I have done it several times in other regions of Peru, but this river did surprise me, it is very wide and at the time I went (January) it was super charged, which made the experience was much better and that the adrenaline rose. This experience takes place in the afternoons and like the other one, they also give you all the implements and a safety talk. I love rafting especially to feel the energy of the water every time the rapids come, in the end you end up super relaxed and very hungry!

Tarapoto is an amazing city!! If you have never visited the jungle of Peru, it would be a good place to start. It is a city full of culture, nature, flavor and adventure. Come alone or accompanied, in any way I can assure you that you will have a great time!

Useful data:
Altitude: 250 masl (city of Tarapoto).
Access routes: Air, land and river.
Holiday Dates:
– February: Carnivals!
– June 22 – 30: Feast of San Juan in Moyobamba
– July 8 – 19: Tourist Week in Tarapoto
– September 4: Anniversary of the San Martín Region
– September 8: Virgin of the Nativity Patronal Feast in Lamas
– October 30: Orchid Festival in Moyobamba

For more information about this destination, go to: https://www.peru.travel/es-pe/donde-ir/san-martin.aspx