»BRIEF HISTORICAL REFERENCE

The jungle teems with dense green undergrowth, which is reflected in the many rivers and lakes that dot the region. Lake Yarinacocha, just minutes from Pucallpa, is an ideal spot for rest and recreation. The area features jungle lodges where visitors can practice water sports such as water skiing, swimming, rowing and sports fishing in the clear waters. The area is also inhabited by several ethnic groups who are the descendants of the legendary Pano tribe, such as the communities of San Francisco, Nuevo Destino and Santa Clara. They are hospitable folk who live in picturesque housing and offer for sale all kinds of arts crafts decorated with geometric figures. Another attraction in the area is the Chullachaqui Botanical Garden, a beautiful spot where visitors can study a large variety of plant species used in traditional medicine.



FOLKLORE

During Carnival in the Ucayali region and the Festival of San Juan, amidst trade fairs and dances, the people of Ucayali choose their beauty queens in pageants.



Restart




»MAIN ATTRACTIONS



Its northern part is very rough because of the presence of the "Cordillera Azul", that has abrupt hillsides and deep valleys. The most important one is the canyon called "Boquerón del Padre Abad", one of the Peru's most beautiful and scenic natural landscapes. There are vertical cliffs with vegetation growing over rock and numerous crystalline cascades that fall from a height of over one hundred meters. It's an impressive and unforgettable panorama, one of the better known cascades is the so-called "Velo de la Novia" (Bride's Veil) or "Manto de la Virgen" (Virgen's Robe). This cascade is located at the end of the canyon coming into the Pampa de Sacramento.

The course of the Ucayali river can be entirely navigated. The main port is Pucallpa, to which ships with a draught of up to 8 feet can arrive. The main affluents of the Ucayali river are: the Cohenga, Tahuania, Sheshea, Pachitea and Aguaytía. There are numerous lagoons suh as Yarinacocha, Unira and Chioa.

Restart

»CUISINE

The northeastern city of Iquitos hosts a variety of festivals and public events: fiestas with typical local bands where cooks dish up some of the regional cuisine, featuring tacacho (baked banana) and juanes (rice pastries), named after the patron saint, San Juan Bautista.



Restart

»TOURIST CALENDAR

San Juan


Location: Cuzco, Loreto, San Martín, Ucayali
Date: June 24

In the jungle, Saint John the Baptist has taken on a major symbolic significance because of the importance of water as a vital element in the entire Amazon region. This is why June 24 (St. John's the Baptist's day) is the most important date on the festival calendar in the entire Peruvian jungle. The northeastern city of Iquitos hosts a variety of festivals and public events: fiestas with typical local bands where cooks dish up some of the regional cuisine, featuring tacacho (baked banana) and juanes (rice pastries), named after the patron saint, San Juan Bautista. This carnival atmosphere, redolent with the warmth of the local hospitality, has given rise to the myth of a special sensuality to be found in Loreto. It is widely held that the best aphrodisiacs are concocted in Iquitos, potions blended from fruits and herbs steeped in sugarcane alcohol, with strange and suggestive names. The best-known is without a doubt the chuchuhuasi, fermented from a local root. In the highlands, the festival is also linked to the concept of fertility, but here the main theme is livestock, something that is easily associated with the image of Saint John as the pastor of souls. On this day, livestock are counted and branded, and llamas are sometimes even the object of prayer. In Cuzco, where peasant farmers used to bring their richly decorated sheep to Mass, the tradition has been shifted to June 25, yielding to Inti Raymi.


Restart