Tarapoto coffee & chocolate itinerary
Explore farms, forests & artisan factories around Tarapoto.
Staying in comfortable Pumarinri Lodge, beside Huallaga River.
4-day itinerary includes trek to coffee plantations at Mushuk Lamas.
Overview
The Huallaga River framed by mountains.
The Tarapoto area is one of the leading producers of premium coffee and cacao - the raw material for chocolate - in South America.
This three or four-day itinerary enables you to taste their richness, meet the local producers and, simultaneously, visit the high Amazon rainforest in which they grow.
Accommodation is at Pumarinri Amazon Lodge, located on the banks of the Huallaga River, and surrounded by rainforest. It has comfortable en-suite rooms, and great amenities, including a pool.
We recommend a four-day stay, in order to enjoy Tarapoto’s coffee and cacao regions. However, if you are short on time, the three-day option can be done without the hike to Mushuk Lamas.
Tarapoto Coffee & Chocolate: 3-Day Itinerary Outline:
Day 1 Arrive Tarapoto; Chocolate Factory visit. Overnight at Pumarinri Lodge.
Day 2 Chasuta: Chocolate Jungle. Overnight at Pumarinri Lodge
Day 3 Puacayaquillo Waterfall; Transfer to Tarapoto Airport.
Tarapoto Coffee & Chocolate: 4-Day Itinerary Outline:
Day 1 Arrive Tarapoto; Chocolate Factory visit. Overnight at Pumarinri Lodge.
Day 2 Chasuta: Chocolate Jungle. Overnight at Pumarinri Lodge
Day 3 Mushuk Lamas: Coffee & Cloud Forest. Overnight at Pumarinri Lodge.
Day 4. Puacayaquillo Waterfall; Transfer to Tarapoto Airport.
Prices
Below prices are per person, based on double occupancy, with all meals, transfers & guided excursions in English.
| Itinerary | Length | Prices From |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Days | £249 / $318 | |
| Tarapoto Coffee & Cacao | 4 Days | £343 / $439 |
3-Day Itinerary
Tarapoto Coffee & Chocolate: 3-Day Detailed Itinerary:
Day 1: Tarapoto: Arrival & Chocolate Factory Visit
On arrival at Tarapoto Airport, we welcome you and if time allows, go directly to a Chocolate Factory in town.
Pumarinri Lodge’s garden goes down to the Huallaga River.
Here the chocolate-making process is explained … and tastings are encouraged!
We then drive along the Mayo and Huallaga valleys, past the village of Shapaja, to Pumarinri Lodge, located at an altitude of 230 m (755 ft).
Dinner & Overnight at Pumarinri Lodge.
Day 2: Pumarinri: Amazon Peoples & Cultures
Cacao pods & beans.
Breakfast and depart towards Chasuta, a native village on the banks of the Huallaga River, where we visit the native pottery centre, Wasichay, and a community chocolate workshop.
After that, we take a boat to visit an organic cocoa plantation on a Shilcayo River island.
We also learn about other tropical crops and sustainable use of the rainforest. Snack box en route.
Return to Pumarinri for a late lunch, followed by a free afternoon. A chance to use the lodge's pool, perhaps.
Dinner & Overnight at Pumarinri Lodge.
Day 3: Pumarinri: Rainforest, Waterfalls & Rivers
Breakfast followed by a 10-minute drive to a point where the Estero and Pucayaquillo rivers meet.
Here we start our hike through the Amazon rainforest, observing a variety of forest features from palm trees, vines, epiphytes and hardwood trees to bullet ants, morpho butterflies and poison dart frogs.
Pucayaquillo Waterfall.
After walking for about an hour, covering 1.8 km (1.1 miles) and gaining 250m (820 ft) in altitude, we reach Pucayaquillo Waterfall, where we can have a refreshing swim and enjoy the scenery.
The return walk is downhill and takes roughly half an hour.
We then drive back to Pumarinri for lunch.
Transfer to Tarapoto airport for onward travel.
End of tour.
4-Day Itinerary
Tarapoto Coffee & Chocolate: 4-Day Detailed Itinerary:
Day 1: Tarapoto: Arrival & Chocolate Factory Visit
The pool at Pumarinri Amazon Lodge.
On arrival at Tarapoto Airport, we welcome you and if time allows, go directly to a Chocolate Factory in town.
Here the chocolate-making process is explained … and tastings are encouraged!
We then drive along the Mayo and Huallaga valleys, past the village of Shapaja, to Pumarinri Lodge, located at an altitude of 230 m (755 ft).
Dinner & Overnight at Pumarinri Lodge.
Day 2: Pumarinri: Amazon Peoples & Cultures
Breakfast and depart towards Chasuta, a native village on the banks of the Huallaga River, where we visit the native pottery centre, Wasichay, and a community chocolate workshop.
After that, we take a boat to visit an organic cocoa plantation on a Shilcayo River island.
We also learn about other tropical crops and sustainable use of the rainforest. Snack box en route.
Return to Pumarinri for a late lunch, followed by a free afternoon. A chance to use the lodge's pool, perhaps.
Dinner & Overnight at Pumarinri Lodge.
Day 3: Pumarinri: Mushuk Lamas: Coffee Plantations & Cloud Forest
Today’s hike to Mushuk Lamas covers roughly 5 km (3 miles) and combines nature, scenery and living culture.
We begin trekking directly from Pumarinri, after breakfast.
As we gain altitude, we have splendid views of the Huallaga River, framed by the high jungle of the Cordillera Azul National Park and the Escalera Mountains.
Having ascended 700m (2,300 ft) in altitude, we arrive at Mushuk Lamas, where the traditional life of the villagers is simple and austere … and yet full of human warmth.
The village is surrounded by rainforest, and coffee grows in the shadow of the canopy.
The coffee harvesting season is from February to May, when the red of the berries complements the colourful clothing of the local women.
Having enjoyed the coffee plantations and native Lamas culture, we then return on foot to Pumarinri, enjoying the magnificent scenery along the way.
NB. The total hike and visit time takes about 7 hours, but for a less strenuous option, you can go to Tarapoto for a coffee tasting.
Day 4: Pumarinri: Rainforest, Waterfalls & Mighty Rivers
Breakfast followed by a 10-minute drive to a point where the Estero and Pucayaquillo rivers meet.
Here we start our hike through the Amazon rainforest, observing a variety of forest features from palm trees, vines, epiphytes and hardwood trees to bullet ants, morpho butterflies and poison dart frogs.
After walking for about an hour, covering 1.8km (1.1 miles) and gaining 250m (820 ft) in altitude, we reach Pucayaquillo Waterfall, where we can have a refreshing swim and enjoy the scenery.
The return walk is downhill and takes roughly half an hour.
We then drive back to Pumarinri for lunch.
Transfer to Tarapoto airport for onward travel.
End of tour.
Reviews
“We especially enjoyed the waterfall [Pucayaquillo] and the visit to the Cacao farm. Jorge (Coco) the owner was great, highly informative and we learnt a lot.”
“We had a good mix of activities and I most enjoyed the pottery/chocolate/honey day as we got to talk with the artisans and see their passion.”