Tarapoto, which is typical for cities from South American countries, is only a shortcut of the city’s full name which is Santa Cruz de los Motilones de Tarapoto. The city is located on Peru, on the edge of the Amazonia jungle, in the valley made by two rivers: Cumbaza and Shilcayo. It is referred to as the city of palm trees.
While staying in Tarapato, it is worth to take advantage of its location and plan one day for a trip outside the city. San Martin is called the green region, in which you can rest from the noise of the city – to do so, go for instance to La Laguna Azul. You can swim there in a lake, which temperature of water reaches around 22 Celsius degrees or rent a boat and go through the whole lagoon. In the heart of the city there is situated Plaza de Armas – the main square – with lots of shops, banks, cafes and museums.
Tarapato is also referred to as the city of waterfalls. In the neighbourhood there are a few of them – among them Ahuashiyacu, which is the biggest in the whole region and surrounded by amazing Amazonia nature. Go also a bit further to a small village San Pedro de Cumbaza, where you can see the waterfall Huacamaillo, which provides exceptional ambience.
Are you interested in local tastes? Th most popular dish is juane, composed of rice, eggs, oil and chicken wrapped up in leaves. A hit among locals are also dishes from smoked pork – for instance sausage chorizo. Speaking of food, if you wonder where to go to eat outside – we are here to answer. Travelers recommend a lot of places, among them a restaurant La Patarashca at Jr. Lamas 261, specializing in Peruvian cuisine. For Peruvian dishes, you can go also to Dona Zully at Jr. San Pablo de la Cruz No 244. If you fancy some Mediterranean cuisine or Italian one – you can taste it in Cafe d'Mundo at Jr. Alegria Arias de Morey 157.
