Tarapoto, known as the "City of Palms," is in the District of San Martín, "la tierra de las cataratas" (the land of waterfalls), on the high jungle plateau in the northern part of Peru.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
Tarapoto sits in the valley where the two rivers, the Cumbaza and Shilcayo, meet. Bordered by the cities of Morales (on the west) and Banda de Shilcayo (on the east) Tarapoto is the commercial center of the District and one of the larger metropolitan centers in the Amazon Rainforest. While Tarapoto is sometimes overlooked by tourists heading to Iquitos, visitors will find that because of its cloud forest location at an altitude over 350 meters, the temperatures won't get as hot, usually not above 95 °F (35 °C), and perhaps more importantly, the humidity is not generally as high as the low jungle.
A mototaxi looks like a rickshaw with a motorcycle welded onto the front of it and is the most common form of transportation in Tarapoto. Automobile taxis are also available in lesser numbers. Whether using a taxi or mototaxi, tourists should always negotiate the price of the trip before getting into the vehicle, or they might find themselves paying far more than necessary for the ride. Mototaxi drivers are sometimes reckless, so tourists should not hesitate to tell the driver to slow down if necessary.
Cataratas de Ahuashiyacu : Not really worth the money (the taxi, not the S/3 entrance fee). A nice waterfall but the pond is tiny and if you want to swim you have to squeeze through hordes of Peruvians. Cataratas de Huacamaillo: You can hire a mototaxi from town to the trailhead of this waterfall which dumps into fast flowing river. A guide is recommended to find the waterfalls, which requires multiple crossings of the river, bring a few extra soles to pay the approx. S/3 entrance fee at a booth located less than halfway down the trail. The trail climbs and hugs dripping eroding cliff and so is quite treacherous, not recommended if you are not surefooted.
Wayra Sacha (1h walking above Tarapoto or 15min by car then 30min walking), ☏ +51 42-52 2261, +51 42 942 90 32 57 (Stephanie Gallusser), +51 42 942 486026 (Cesar Ramírez), wayrasacha2@gmail.com. It is an organic "chacra", local term for a farm in the forest where you can go for a walk, stay overnight or longer if you want to be a volunteer. It has a large area of natural forest and borders the conservation area of the Cordillera Escalera, and it is a good place to see local wildlife by day or by night. The owners, Cesar and Stephanie are very welcoming.
1 VIDAX Restaurante, Jr. Nicolas de Pierola 135, ☏ +51 921 377 187. Nice Peruvian and vegetarian options, buffet only 10 Soles. (updated Sep 2020)
There are many discos in the Morales district. Highlights include Anaconda, Aqua and Bunker.It can be closed at the beginning of the week, but it is open and generally free from Thursday to Sunday. In the street in front of the restaurant Patarashca, about two blocks from the Plaza de Armas (in the direction of the artesanal market), they are bars with drinks and music at night. Calle Bolognesi or Calle Lamas. The musmuki bar is a good address to try some cocktails from the jungle (about one block from the Plaza de Armas, when you left on the Scotiabank side in Calle Moyobamba).
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, Tarapoto typically sees ~31°C daytime highs and 9 rainy days.
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