We stayed at Ulcumano during our time in the high jungle region of Oxapampa, right after visiting Cusco and Machu Picchu. Despite only being 30 minutes from town, Ulcumano feels far from everything. Several small cabins comprise the entirety of the living quarters. Each is invisible from the others, providing a relaxing and solitary spot to recharge while admiring the cacophony of bird calls, flittering of butterflies, Jurassic-size ferns, and breathtakingly beautiful moonrises among the clouds that cycle through crisp air and then roll over the verdant mountains.
The cabins are basic but have a full private bathroom (with hot water!) and a balcony to best view the outdoors. They’re fully solar powered, too.
Inside our cabin
Regardless, most of our time at Ulcumano was spent outside. That’s because we were either on a hours-long trudge through the cloud forest to the mouth of a colossal cave, walking on 40-foot-tall bridges while searching for animals with the brightness of a full moon, or savoring the freshly prepared meals in the common area.
Ulcumano is an excellent example of conservation science meeting outdoor travel. The 252-acre site has been completely converted from grasslands, and the lodge is run by a family. The wife is a local from Oxapampa and the husband is a conservation professional. The food they prepare is as good as any bougie restaurant in Lima.
There is only cell phone and internet service in the common eating area, and it’s spotty. You can even find cell phone service at Machu Picchu, so Ulcumano was THE spot that forced us to experience everything around us, with no escape. It was annoying, it was freeing, and it made us feel alive.
Activities
Night time canopy walk
We did a guided tour to a cave, hiking over thick mud and an abandoned road to the entrance of “Tunqui Cueva“. Actually this is the hike in our YouTube video.
At nighttime we found the energy to climb up the stairs of the 40-foot-tall platforms and walk on the canopy bridges. We attempted to spot animals under the shine of the full moon, to no avail. But the chance to witness the tropical canopy at nighttime was worth it in itself.
Other activities at Ulcumano include birdwatching, rappelling and ziplining. Since it’s a small operation, you should contact them ahead of time if you want to do a specific activity.
What to Pack
Nighttime shot of the moon
This section of the cloud forest is higher in altitude than Oxapampa, so it gets chilly in the evening. Bring clothes for outdoor activities, and try to dress in layers since the days get warm and the nights cold. And bring waterproof clothing!!
Headlamps and flashlights are essential since there is no electricity outside of the cabins. Besides that, know that the only beings that enjoy the cloud forest more than outdoor travelers are bugs. So pack bug spray!
How to Arrive
The lodge actually picks you up from the bus terminal or your hotel in Oxapampa. You’ll see why as you approach Ulcumano; nobody without experience should attempt that rutted, bumpy, nausea-inducing drive!
Conclusion
Sunrise from our cabin. Yup, definitely a cloud forest!
This isn’t the only ecolodge in Peru, or even in Oxapampa. But since we had such an excellent time there, we had to write about it. If you have been to Ulcumano – or are thinking of going – leave a comment below!
Green hills roll on as if the Amazon created waves that were frozen in place, and clouds seem to emanate from them with the sunrise. You watch this while sipping local coffee at your Bavarian-inspired ecolodge. You thank yourself for deciding to visit Oxapampa and wonder what adventure to do today.
A hike through tropical climates that ends at a mythical cave? Walking the canopy bridges with an over-enthusiastic and incredibly entertaining group of birders? Ziplining past tree lines and over valleys?
Maybe you just decide to chill at a bar, sipping local micro-brews and admiring the springlike weather and Alpine-like geography.
Oxapampa was populated by German immigrants in the mid-1800s. Native communities such as the Tsachopen and Ashaninka have kept their presence, too. So here you’ll sip local (delicious) coffee and look out the window to spot Bavarian architectureamong tropical scenery. And your menu might be in Spanish and German.
Sunset hitting the verdant hillsides just outside town
What to Do
The Popular Options
The cultural experiences
Walking on the main plaza
La Merced coffee tours. All bias aside, this region has the BEST coffee in Peru!! If you like strong, earthy coffees, this is your place. La Merced is 2 hours from Oxapampa and buses leave regularly. Price should not be more than S/ 25 a person.
Main Plaza. Stroll around the large, shady plaza. Some of the best food is found in the restaurants and cafes here.
Pozuzo, the original German settlement. Here everything is just a little more German. Pozuzo is smaller and warmer than Oxapampa and hosts an Oktoberfest every year. It’s 2 hours from Oxapampa and buses leave regularly. The trip is S/ 25 a person.
Note: The route to Pozuzo is a swerving, curving dirt road which can be unsafe during times of rain. Consult with a local before jumping on the bus.
El Wharapo: Check out the old-fashioned way of making cane sugar and get some samples too! This is about 2 miles (3.3 km) from Oxapampa. This is close to Tunqui Cueva so you can make a half day trip of Tunqui and El Wharapo.
El Wharapo. Notice the sugar cane branches in the truck.
outdoors adventures
Searching for large mammals on the nighttime hanging bridges tour!
Hanging Bridges Tour. So good we did it twice! The 40-foot high bridges put you right in the forest canopy at Ulcumano Ecolodge. You can do this as part of your stay (one activity a day is included) or as an independent activity. If you can, go at night.
Ulcumano is a top-ranked place to stay in Oxapampa and is a local leader in ecotourism. It was a surprising highlight during our 2022 trip to Peru.
Rio Tigre waterfall:Get in some walking, work up a sweat, and soak off in the falls!! This is a good half-day option. The waterfall is over 60 feet (20 meters) tall. Any taxi or mototaxi (tuk-tuk) can take you here. Try to go first thing in the morning.
Tunqui Cueva: This cave is only 3 miles (5k) from Oxapampa. You only need about 30 minutes to explore and see rock figures such as “La Bruja” (the witch). Creepy. Bring a flashlight.
Yanachaga Chemillen National Reserve. Here you’ll be among hundreds of Cock-of-the-Rocks, who flock near the campsite around 4pm. The park guides are friendly and informative. You can do a half-day visit or camp (bring your own gear). The easiest way to arrive is to take a car from “Oxa” towards Pozuzo. Just tell the driver you are going to the park.
What to Eat
View from Cafe Heidinger
Every self-respecting “Oxapampino” knows the process for making coffee, from bean to pour!
Coffee beans!
Oxapamapa has a unique mix of culture, history and geography. Because of that you’ll find an eclectic gastronomy to enjoy!
This includes German-inspired dishes (including secret-recipe German beer!) and typical jungle dishes. My personal favorite is tacacho, made of plantain and pieces of fried pork.
Oxapampinos are most proud of the region’s coffee. You can have a great cup anywhere and buy bags of local beans to bring home. I recommend going to to the cafe at Hotel Heidinger (a 10 minute walk from the main plaza).
This is a rarity- a specialty coffee shop in the same area where the coffee is grown!
Where to Stay
Our cabin at Carolina Egg. That’s an avocado tree in front of it!
Monkey! Peeking at us from that same avocado tree.
The best eco and adventure option is Ulcumano (see Outdoors Adventures above).
Also, family-run and sustainability-minded Carolina Egg Gesthaus is $45 a night for a room (includes breakfast). We stayed here in 2019 and 2022 and loved it both times.
They have a bonfire every night, and during the day it’s warm enough to dip in the pool. The buildings are traditional log cabins set around tropical vegetation. This is the spot to stay in town.
False Bird-of-Paradise flowers in Carolina Egg’s garden.
Misty sunrise from our cabin at Ulcumano EcolodgeLater that day, sunset at Ulcumano
When to Visit Oxapampa (Including Weather)
Clucksters
The rainy season is from November through March. Try to avoid those months. Torrential rains can make transportation to Oxapampa difficult.
When you go, bring sunblock, a hat, and repellant. The average temperature in Oxapampa is in the high-60s all year (17-18 C), so bring layers for cool nights and warm afternoons.
Festivals
The Festival of San Juan on June 23rd is the biggest party in the Central Jungle.
Selvamanos is an increasingly popular music festival. Every year they have it in June or July.
Octoberfest in Pozuzo is celebrated in September or October (date varies).
How to Get There
Dirt bikes, called “motos”, are THE mode of transportation in Oxapampa
Movil Tours and Cruz del Sur provide transportation from Lima to Oxapampa. Depending on the seat and when you buy it costs S/ 40 to 85. The ride takes about 10 hours.
I recommend getting a seat that reclines at least 160 degrees on an overnight bus, so you can sleep and don’t lose a day traveling!
Conclusion
The bright full moon over Oxapampa
The central jungle’s biggest city is a cool cultural tourism spot with tons of outdoor adventure options. I fell in love with an Oxapampina, then fell in love with “Oxa”.
I cannot recommended enough going to this slightly off-the-beaten path spot, as it might be the unexpected highlight of your trip.
Oxapampa might have the best Peruvian coffee, but like the town itself, the dark roast is used to being overlooked. This region has always been a country apart. German settlers first established the town of Pozuzo in 1851, and architecture resembles 19th-century Prussia.
The pioneers became cattle ranchers and coffee farmers. For this reason you’ll spot Oxapampinos in cowboy hats and leather boots, another way the region sets itself apart. For a while, the mother country was more tightly tied to Oxapampa than was Peru. To Spanish descendents in Lima, Oxapampa was just another part of the interior, another backwater rural province.
But now Oxapampa is en vogue. The cool kids know all about the annual music festival selvamanos, and the perfect weather attracts Peruvians from all over. The history of the area is an attraction, too. There are stories of tourists arriving in “Oxa” and asking for the gringos; they come to see the white people with blue eyes and blonde hair, farming in the middle of the country.
We were going to see Janina’s family for the first time since our marriage. It was going to include a ceremony to renew our vows, a second wedding since they did not make it to the one in the USA. I was excited to meet my in-laws. But I was just as excited to go back to the Central Jungle.
The Wild West of Peru
Arriving To Oxa
Peruvians hate open windows. Our 10-hr bus ride came with a bonus hour of traffic and bickering over whether we could open one window after leaving Lima. We lost the argument and steamed like potatoes in the stale air on the overnight route.
So it was just another bus ride in Peru.
Fortunately Oxapampa has epic breakfasts. Fresh milk, tamales, cecina bacon, bread, cocona jelly, and local coffee awaited us. We ate in jeans and t-shirts inside an open-air cafeteria built from logs. Maybe it was the dry heat and wooden buildings, but “Oxa” felt like the Wild West at that moment. Clouds rolled over green hills, lazily brushed away by the morning heat.
Consuming Our Way Through The Central Jungle
It was a day of food. Janina’s grandmother prepared a traditional Pachamanca for lunch. Pachamanca is slow-cooked meat, potatoes, and tamal with Peruvian spices. The specific ingredients change according to the landscape. In Oxapampa they use pork.
And nothing beats slow-cooked pork.
Then the family showed me their homes. Years ago the gigantic estate was divided up equally among siblings. Each owns an entire transect, from the road to the top of the hill. The Hassingers were original settlers in Oxapampa. Today their descendents still harvest the fruit and coffee plants that flourish in the tropics, and most have pigs or chickens, too.
Afterwards we had a few free days. The first thing I wanted to try was the sauna. Now, rural Peru is not known for saunas. But Janina’s cousin mentioned a “sauna rustica” that only cost S/ 5, and I was hooked. That’s UNDER 2 DOLLARS.
She said it was 10 minutes away by foot. So on a whim I forced along my mother and Janina’s family to a small farm across the bridge under a slightly sweltering sun. Naturally the walk was 30 minutes long.
Upon arrival, we realized “rustica” was not an exaggeration. It was a sauna in the loosest sense of the word. Really, it was a man-sized adobe box with a hole to stick out one’s head. Steam flowed through a tube into the structure. On the other side of the tube was a pot full of herbs and water, sitting over an open fire.
I opened the tiny door, stood up, and poked my head out. Steam started to flow into the sauna. It was a bit warm, and the smoke from the fire made it uncomfortable to breathe.
“Rustica”
Nobody else volunteered after Janina and me. But we were the most exfoliated people at the church that evening.
Janina loving the sauna rústica!
The ceremony was short and sweet. The priest found it funny that we were renewing our vows after one year of marriage. Since he didn’t know us, that was pretty much all he talked about.
The last morning of the trip involved a cave, a cheese factory, and a distillery. Thankfully, the last two had free samples. Sugar cane liquor was too good to pass up, and we shared a half liter after the freebies finished. A nun, who came with a busload of chaotic children, was in front of us in line. Their chaperone, apparently.
“I’ll take a double,” she told the bartender.
Sugar cane liquor, enjoyed in Sepia tint
Preparing The Best Peruvian Coffee
After lunch, held at the abuelita’s, we prepared coffee. Janina and her aunt showed me the process. First, you pick the berries when they are ripe. Then, you process the berries through a machine that turns them into pulp and spits out the white seeds, which are the actual coffee beans. The pulp is sweet and people make jelly with it. After the seeds dry on a tin roof for some days, you roast them over fire and finish the job with a manual coffee grinder.
This machine spits the seeds out of the coffee berries
We were slowly lumbering because of the lunch and liquor. But the earthy roast of our final product jump started everyone. It was the best Peruvian coffee I’ve had.
Certainly there is no fresher coffee experience. And there was no need to go to the store for a filter, much less cream and sugar. One provides for themselves in this part of the interior. Janina’s family gave us a 10lb bag of coffee beans. I didn’t know at the time that this bag would begin my coffee obsession.
Us with Abuelita
The Struggle to Smuggle
I wanted that 10 pounds of coffee. It was the best Peruvian coffee I had tried. But I wasn’t convinced that a giant unmarked plastic bag filled with an agricultural product would pass through US customs.
So I got creative. First, I went to a cafe in Lima and asked for empty coffee bags, which would seem more legit to a customs agent. But the barista wanted to charge more than the coffee itself would have cost. Once again, the precio gringo was screwing me over.
Then I tried to find a marker and a non-transparent bag, thinking if I wrote “cafe” on the side, it would be better. But that seemed sketchier than just carrying the unmarked, see-through bag.
Soon enough I ran out of time and stuffed the giant bag into my duffel before hailing a taxi to the airport. The coffee was on my mind the entire flight to Miami. When I arrived, I was directed to a customs official since I indicated that I had an agricultural product.
“And what are you bringing from Peru?”
“Coffee”
The agent waved me by with the same expression that horses have when they wave flies away with their tails. Of course, Janina’s family never worried about the coffee not getting through customs. In Peru’s Wild West, one goes by their own rules.
Delicious German beer
Restaurants offer German inspired dishes in Oxapampa
Cool carriage outside our hotel room
Log cabin in Oxapampa
Conclusion
The view from our hotel room’s porch!
Oxapampa is one of my favorite places of all time. The weather, food, and experiences are incredibly unique and awesome.
If you’re interested in visiting Oxapampa and the Central Jungle, check out my Central Peru Adventure Guide. Or this off-the-beaten-path Peru itinerary, which includes the Central Jungle.
And if you’re too excited to wait to try the best Peruvian coffee, your best bet is organic coffee from nearby Chanchamayo. You can find this online or a local supermarket.
Leave a comment below if you love coffee or want to visit Oxapampa :)
Why should you start your itinerary for Peru right now?
Well, if you want it, Peru probably has it. World class hikes, of all types of length and adventure? Check. Indigenous traditions and ancient cultures? Yup. Awe-inspiring nature and outdoor activities? You bet.
And to keep you energized throughout all that, it’s even aglobally-recognized food destination.
So Peru is an excellent destination for adventure. It’s also perfect for appreciating nature and different cultures. Many visitors describe parts of their trips as spiritual for these reasons.
Plus,I’d say it’s the best country to cure anxiety and self-doubt that arise from boring office jobs.
If you’re interested in ever visiting Peru, this website will help plan your trip. First, this article will go over background and basic need-to-know travel information.
Afterwards, I recommend selecting a region to start with. That’s because Peru is so large, you might only have time to visit one area. For this reason I’ve written adventure guides for each: The North, Central, and Southern Peru.
Here is all you need to break the boring routine of daily life and start your itinerary for Peru:
Why You Need An Itinerary for Peru
Peru has been climbing in status for adventure travel (and for checking off bucket lists) since relative stability entered the country in the early 2000’s. The great majority of tourism is funneled to the southern region of the country.
Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Manu, Lake Titicaca, the Nazca Lines, and Arequipa are all in the southern region. So is the more-recently “discovered” backpacker haven of Huacachina and the Instagram-famous Rainbow Mountain.
The country has been earning accolades and superlatives at an astonishing pace. National Geographic considers several of the treks there among the very best in the world. The jungle of Manu has the highest level of biodiversity ever recorded. There are more tropical galciers in Peru than any other country.
The country is also recognized as the South American food capital, and Lima now competes with New York City and Paris for the most number of restaurants in the top 10 world rankings. And this isn’t even a complete list!
When I first arrived to Peru, it was my first time out of the United States. Peace Corps sent me to a small village on the top of the mountain in the Andes of Lima, and my life was never the same. Now I can’t imagine my life without knowing Peru; it opened my eyes to new perspectives and adventures that other parts of the world can’t offer.
To decide which destinations to visit, focus on one region of Peru at a time; the south, central, or north. Start out by knowing how limited you are timewise. Time will likely be the most limiting factor for any itinerary for Peru.
For example, don’t visit more than two regions if you only have a week (and even that is tight). Otherwise you’ll find yourself spending a lot more money on plane tickets or much more time in buses than you may like (Peru is the size of 3 Californias!). So I recommend figuring out what you absolutely have to see, and work from there.
If you definitely want to start with the big-ticket destinations like Cuzco, Machu Picchu, and Sacred Valley in the South, here’s an overview on Southern Peru.
Other Excellent Destinations
For a long-overlooked region that deserves consideration for any Peru itinerary, check out Central Peru. This is home to old German colonies in the jungle, rural communities holding on to traditional ways of life in the Andes, and beaches and hikes just a day’s trip from Lima.
The Andes and jungle of this region have been recognized for holding onto their ancient customs a bit longer. Here you’ll be off the beaten path where only a few intrepid backpackers, Peruvian and international, venture. It’s a great place to reset your perspective and take in unbelievable landscapes and cultural experiences.
And last, but definitely not least, Northern Peru, including its beaches, has been gaining in popularity over the past few years, yet is far from being overrun by tourists. The cultures of Northern Peru left behind pyramids on the coast and fortresses in the clouds, and all are worthy of consideration.
The North also has the country’s tallest waterfalls and large lakes for hiking opportunities. Peruvians from other regions often admit the North has the best food, too (a hard thing to admit!).
Top Experiences by Region
Here are the top activities in each region of Peru to help you figure out what to consider for your itinerary:
If you’re looking for something less populated with Gringos, there are several great Inca trail alternatives that get you to Machu Picchu with similar sights and experiences, such as the Lares, Salkantay, and Extreme Inca hikes
The mountain made famous by Instagram, Rainbow Mountain in Cuzco
Hiking in Arequipa, such as the El Misti volcano or Colca Canyon to see the condors in action
Sandboarding Cerro Blanco (near Nazca) or dune buggying in Huacachina
Staying in an ecolodge in the Amazon jungle
Getting mesmerized by the world’s highest freshwater lake and the fascinating night sky at Lake Titicaca
Exploring world-class treks and glaciers in Huaraz
Enjoying the ever-more popular sites of Chachapoyas: the ancient fortress of Kuelap, the waterfalls of Gocta and Yumbilla (2 of the highest in the world!), mysterious sarcophagi overlooking hikers, and various multi day hikes to archaeological sites and lakes
Visiting Iquitos, the largest non-road accessible city in the world, by boat
Surfing or just chilling in the coast of Northern Peru
Checking out ancient Moche pyramids and the giant Chimu city of Chan Chan
Visiting the top-10 globally ranked museum of Sipan
The peak season for Peru is from June through August. This coincides with the dry season in the Andes and much of the jungle. You may find good deals in the shoulder season during the months of April, May, or October.
Lima is grey and dry all year except from late November through March, when it is warm and sunny. The rest of the coast is sunny year-round.
Budgeting
No matter your budget, you can make an itinerary for Peru. You can find a hostel for S/ 10-15 per night. Or end up paying US-style rates to be spoiled by the big chains and expensive hotels.
Day-to-day costs are intermediate but considerably lower than in the US, UK, and Canada.
Prices in peru
The Peruvian Nuevo Sol tends to be worth about 1/3 of a US dollar.
Food & drink
Set price lunches at menus can cost S/ 10 or less and include an appetizer and juice.
A liter of Cusquena beer can go from S/ 5 at a store to over S/ 10 at some restaurants.
Freshly squeezed juice goes for S/ 1 at city markets and sidewalks
transportation
Uber and Easy Taxi operate in Lima and can be cheaper (and safer) than haggling on the street. A taxi from the airport to most touristy areas of Lima goes from S/ 40-70 depending on the time of day. Cross-city costs up to S/ 15, also depending on traffic. The intracity buses are very complicated but charge up to S/ 5. I prefer the Metropolitano, a series of efficient buses that costs S/ 2.50 per trip. This goes through the neighborhoods of Barranco, Miraflores, San Isidro, and the center of the city (Lima Centro).
Minibuses for intracity trips in cities outside of Lima charge up to S/ 3, depending on length of travel. Taxis are also cheaper outside of Lima. Many towns have mototaxis which are more rickety but cheaper, at maximum 2-3 soles per person. They are best for shorter trips.
Intercity bus rides of 6+ hours have different levels of service. You can find tickets for basic seats and service for as little as S/ 30. But a fully 180 degree reclining seat can go for S/ 100+ for overnight journeys. These prices depend greatly on the destination.
Note: Prices for everything spike during Holy Week, Independence Day (July 28th), and the last half of December.
Currency
The Peruvian Nuevo Sol is symbolized as S/. It is normally worth about one-third of a US dollar.
Languages
Peru has several official languages, the most common of which are Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara. Spanish is spoken widely throughout the country. Quechua is common in the Andes and Aymara is almost exclusively spoken in the region of Puno around and in Lake Titicaca.
All visitors should have routine vaccinations up to date
All visitors should have their measles and yellow fever vaccinations
They also recommend visitors to get the vaccinations for typhoid, hepatitis A and hepatitis B
If going to the jungle, talk to a doctor about preventing malaria
Travelers should consider a rabies shot if they are doing adventure travel, caving, will be working with animals, or are going to remote areas
Let’s Start Your Itinerary for Peru Now
Are you already picturing your trip? First, let’s decide on where to visit in Peru: Check out what to do in the South, North or Central.
I developed these adventure guides to help you get the most out of your time traveling, and to save you from hours of time spent researching and planning.
Comment below: What’s your inspiration for travel? When do you want to visit Peru?
