The city of the Palm Trees :)
Tarapoto is known as the City of the Palm Trees. It's located in the Rainforest and rises in the middle of the jungle. The people are very friendly and are always smiling. Just be prepared for hot weather and enjoy the nature.
I went to Tarapoto just for fun, but I didn't have time to know the city very much, although it's small. My mom had to go there because of business and she asked me if I wanted to join her. I had a couple of free days, so I accepted, hehe. Just the idea of leaving Lima for a couple of days sounded sooooooooo good. It was july, so it was pretty cool and cloudy in Lima - so depressing. And the rainforest is always warm, so it was a perfect change.
I packed light clothes and sandals and left Lima. When we arrived to the airport, it was incredible how different the weather was.
There was gonna be a ceremony the next day and my mom had to help with its organization. But she was ready by noon, so we and 2 other people went to Laguna Venecia. This is a lagoon located near Tarapoto. You can not only taste local food there, but also enjoy of the nature, a beautiful lagoon, local fauna and flora. The colors of the flowers are so great! It looked like a paradise. We tried the local TACACHO & CECINA, made of mashed bananas and sausage.
The next day was the ceremony. All the authorities of the town were invited. I was just standing in a corner, when the master of ceremonies called me. He wanted me to join the authorities at the main table, hahaha. It was so fun, hahaha. After that we went to Lamas, another town that is at the top of the mountain. It had been almost completely destroyed some years ago by an earthquake. Now they were showing us the new square, streets and houses :) We drove back to Tarapoto and had lunch.
Our flight was delayed, so we had some extra hours to enjoy the city. We bought some souveniers and went for a traditional ice-cream, made with the regional fruits. There were fruits I haven't ever heard about! We asked for recommendations and they suggested us to go to one place nearby the main square. It was delicious! Finally it was time to go back to cloudy Lima...
anyway, I'd be back :)
We were driven there by a local friend. Shame on me, I don't remember the name of the restaurant, but it was the biggest and only one right in front of the lagoon.
This restaurant is outdoors with great views of the lagoon and vegetation. The whole landscape is amazing. Being outside it's great, since is so hot and humid here.
They cook traditional food of the area. The most famous dish is: "Tacacho con cecina". Tacacho is similar to other dishes in the Caribbean and other places, made with plantains mashed w/ pieces of meat, usually pork. And the cecina tastes like bakon. To drink ask for Camu Camu - a regional fruit which is sour and tasty. And they have a chili called: charapita. Spicy and tasty!
This is a familiar restaurant. You can swim and play. They also have a small zoo of local animals. Not only children will enjoy it.
The staff is friendly and helpful. They will suggest you the dishes you should try. I know this is not close to the city, but the landscapes and tasty food are worth.
Laguna Venecia (Venecia Lagoon) is a small pond located only about 5 km outside of Tarapoto, which makes it one of the easiest places to visit. It's a quite lake with many palms and other trees and higher plants that will help you feel you are in a tropical paradise - perfect for starting your journey through Tarapoto or at least taste something of it, if you don't have much time (this was our case).
The way to go there is by Moto Taxi, take one in the city. It costs about US$ 2. Other thing you would have to pay is a gate fee, which is US$1 per person.
Once you are inside you can just relax and enjoy the nature. There are paddleboats for rent at US$2.5 for 15 min. A small swimming area is blocked off but you can swim in the whole lake, it’s not that large. You can also buy some bananas to feed the monkeys that are around. There's a minizoo where you can see some local fauna.
And after spending a great time here, you can taste some local food in the restaurant located just in front of it.
My mom and me went to this hotel during a business trip of her. We were told by our local contact, this one was of the best to stay in the city.
We shared a room, which wasn't big, but there was enough space for both of us. It has a small table with a chair, tv, all the basic stuff. The bad thing was that they don't have a/c, but they have a fan hanging from the ceiling, which was quite charming.
A complimentary breakfast is included in the daily rate. They have a small snack bar where you can find sandwiches, juices, sodas and beer. Not much variety, but they're located just a few blocks from the main square, so you can go out and explore the city. There are many restaurants nearby. They have 1 computer with internet access but it's slow.
The room and the bathroom were clean and tidy. Weren't brand new or modern, but well maintained.
The staff is friendly, when we just arrived they gave us a coconut with coco water. Nice gesture!
This airport is small, not very modern and without a/c... It's not very crowded by people, although there are quite several flights, but cargo ones.
It's really easy and simple going through security and claiming your bags. There's just 1 baggage lane, so no way to loose it.
The way to go to and from the airport is by taxi, which is cheap. Flying to Tarapoto is less expensive than to Iquitos.
Inside you will find a couple of shops / stands where you can buy the local liquors and food.
Ah! and don't forget you have to pay an airport fee before the departure.
By the way, Muyuna is a regional word referred to the eddies in the rainforest.
They make regional ice-creams. I mean they use fruits from the region. These are just delicious local ice-creams made from local fruit. They have really good flavors like: aguaje, camu camu, local grape - which you can find just there. They also offer lucuma, guanabana and passion fruit - also Peruvian but at least you can find them easily in other cities. And of course they have the typical: strawberry, chocolate and also peanut!
This ice cream place has locals in
1.- Iquitos: Próspero 621
2.- Tarapoto: Ramón Castilla 261
3.- Pucallpa: Inmaculada 599
Definitely a place to visit to try the most delicious and exotic ice creams from the rainforest.
Here you can find the tipical food as the juane (with rice and chicken), cecina (like a sausage) con tacacho (made of bananas) or the Patarashca. But have created their own tasteful dishes made of paiche (a fish of the area) with a grape sauce, a doncella (another fish) stuffed with shrimps in a cocona sauce (cocona is another local fruit), etc. But if you want something heavier you can taste a tender majaz (a small roedor from rainforest) with a local dressing. They mix the traditional regional cuisine, with the modern one.
The Patarashca is a dish made with Doncella (a fish), tomatoes, onion, sweet chilly, salt & pepper, all baked inside bijao leaves.
You also have to try the chonta - a palm - and the shrimps.
After a meal here, you'd probably need to lay in a hammock. :)
