Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Laguna Azul
Also called Laguna de Sauce, this popular local spot is reached by crossing the Río Hu-
allaga, 45km away, on a vehicle raft ferry and continuing by car for another 45 minutes.
Day tours (S85 per person, minimum two people) and overnight excursions are available.
You'll find good swimming, boating and fishing here, and accommodations, ranging from
camping to upscale bungalows, are available. Several
combis
a day go to nearby Sauce
from a bus stop in the Banda de Shilcayo district, east of the town. Taxi drivers know it.
LAKE
Cataratas de Ahuashiyacu
This 40m waterfall is about 45 minutes from Tarapoto toward Yurimaguas. There's a
small restaurant nearby and a locally favored swimming spot. Five-hour tours cost S28 to
S65 per person. Also popular is a similarly priced trip to the
Cataratas de Huacamaillo
,
which involves two hours of hiking and wading across the river several times. These
places can be reached by public transportation and then on foot, but go with a guide or get
detailed information to avoid getting lost.
WATERFALL
Chazuta
A two-hour drive will find the impressive 40m, three-level
Tununtunumba
waterfalls,
another small museum showcasing pre-Inca funerary urns, artisanal crafts and a port on
the Río Huallaga with great fishing. Agencies in Tarapoto are starting to promote 'mystic-
al tourism' here, where trips include a visit to local
brujos
(witch doctors). Day tours to
Chazuta (S70 to S125) are road condition dependent.
Combis
leave from Jirón Olaya four
times a day.
VILLAGE
VILLAGE
Lamas
A small indigenous village that unfortunately lost many of its colonial buildings in a 2005
earthquake; however, it's a standard tour destination for its small museum and crafts. The
large indigenous population here has an annual
Feast of Santa Rosa de Lima
in the last
week of August. Although minibuses and
colectivos
go to Lamas from the 10th cuadra of
Jirón Urgarte, it's easiest to visit with a guided tour (S28 to S55 per person, four to six
hours), which usually includes a visit to Ahuashiyacu waterfalls.
