Amazon Basin - Peru - page 957

The picks of Satipo's mushrooming accommodations scene are extremely tourist-
friendly, comfortable Hostal El Palmero ( 54-5020; Manuel Prado 228; s/d S20/30)
and top dog Hostal San Luis ( 54-5319; cnr Grau 173 & Leguía; s/d S40/60) , where
decent-sized rooms are served by a cafeteria downstairs. Hostal El Palmero can help ar-
range guided tours to nearby waterfalls and petroglyphs. Satipo's best eatery is El Bosque
(Manuel Prado 554; mains around S15) , a lovely courtyard restaurant (food served from
8am to 5pm).
It's possible to charter light aircraft at Satipo's nearby airport. Minibuses and colectivos
leave regularly for Pichanaqui, where you can change for La Merced, or head direct to La
Merced less frequently. Larger buses leave every morning and evening for La Merced
(S10), some continuing on to Lima, including Turismo Central Offline map (
964-101-123; Los Incas 339) , which has Lima (S56) and Huancayo (S26) buses. The
spectacular, but difficult back road to Huancayo via Comas is rarely used by public trans-
portation.
Bunched around the corner of Francisco Irazola and Bolognesi, colectivo vehicles leave
for Mazamari (S5, 30 minues), Puerto Ocapa (S25, two hours) and eventually, via an ever-
deteriorating road, to Atalaya, at the intersection of Ríos Urubamba, Tambo and Ucayali.
From here, it's possible to find boats heading to Pucallpa, 450km downstream (a trip tak-
ing up to three days). If undertaking this trip, be aware that this is remote jungle and not
without dangers, one of which is armed plantation saboteurs.
Oxapampa
063 / POP 7800 / ELEV 1800M
There is a distinctly alpine feel to this pretty ranching and coffee center, 75km north of La
Merced. Perhaps this was why during the mid-19th century it attracted some 200 settlers
from Germany, the descendants of which (many still blonde haired and blue eyed) inhabit
Oxapampa and smaller, lower, still more Germanic Pozuzo (four hours north of
Oxapampa by daily minibus; longer in the wet season), and have preserved many of their
old customs. Buildings have a Tyrolean look, Austrian-German food is prepared and an
old-fashioned form of German is still spoken by some families. Oxapampa has a BCP on
the main plaza and decent accommodation options.