Things to do in Tarapoto
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Takiwasi Centre
Brujos play a pivotal role in the pueblos of the jungle. A few kilometers north of Tarapoto, in a small jungle village, you'll find the Takiwasi Centre . Started in the early 1990s by French physician Jacques Mabit, this rehabilitation and detox center combines traditional Amazonian medicines and plants, as used by brujos or curanderos (healers), with a tailored combination of psychotherapy.
This treatment is not for the fainthearted: intense 'vomit therapy' and ayahuasca (hallucinogenic brew made from jungle vines), are used as part of the healing process. Rehabilitation programs run for nine months and cost around USaround S/500, though no one is turned away for lack of…
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Los Chancas Expeditions
River running on the Río Mayo, 30km from Tarapoto, and on the lower Río Huallaga is offered from June to November. The shorter trips are mainly class II and III white water, while longer trips (up to six days, from July to October only) ride out class III and class IV rapids. Rafting trips to the class III rapids of the upper Mayo, 100km from Tarapoto, are also possible. Inflatable kayaks are available for rent for a half/full day.
Check with Los Chancas Expeditions, the local river-running specialists.
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Stonewasi Taberna
This is the place to see and be seen in Tarapoto. The whole intersection of Lamas and La Cruz transforms each evening into a cruising scene, with several good people-watching restaurants and bars. Stonewasi is the pick of the bunch and lays out streetside tables where punters and mototaxi drivers throng nightly to the sound of international rock and house music. Check out the path leading to one of the entryways – it’s made entirely of conch-shell fossils.
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La Patarashca
Regional Amazon cuisine is on tap in Patarashca’s casual 2nd-floor dining room. With street views and a tropical ambience, it’s a popular weekend place to see and be seen. Don’t miss the paiche (a freshwater fish) and salad made of chonta, thin strips of a local palm plant doused in vinaigrette, or the namesake patarashcas, heaping platters of giant shrimp or fish grilled with garlic and cilantro.
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La Collpa
You can practically taste the jungle air at this stilt restaurant, with a bamboo balcony over a river and a patch of rainforest. The menu offers up everything imaginable, from ceviche (raw seafood marinated in lime juice) to typical jungle food to grills to Chinese food to pastas. It’s best to come for lunch to appreciate the views, though candlelit dinners are also a treat.
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Café d’ Mundo
A funky establishment illuminated nightly by moody candlelight, this hip restaurant and bar has outdoor seating and snug indoor lounges. Good pizzas, pastas and other tidbits adorn a small menu and a full bar will help you pass the rest of the evening away comfortably. The continually roaring mototaxis tend to detract from the mood a little, however.
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La Alternativa
This ‘alternative’ hole-in-the-wall bar is more like a medieval pharmacy than a bar – shelves are stacked with dusty bottles containing uvachado and various homemade natural concoctions based on soaking roots, lianas etc in cane liquor. All the potent Amazonian tonics and brews are for the tasting – but not for the faint-hearted.
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El Rincón Sureño
One of the best grills in town, this swish-looking establishment has intimate wood-lined rooms as well as a bustling outdoor seating area. The grilled meats here are delicious and El Rincón Sureño boasts what must be one of the largest wine collections in all of South America.
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Museo Regional
There is not much to do in Tarapoto itself, apart from just hanging out in the Plaza de Armas (also called the Plaza Mayor) or visiting the tiny Museo Regional , but there are several local excursions. Tarapoto's geography is rugged, and waterfalls and lakes are abundant.
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Papillón
This nightclub has live salsa bands or DJ-fuelled dancing. Popular with young locals and travelers, it’s in the Morales district, by the Río Cumbaza about 3km west of the center. Mototaxis go there for under S3.
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El Brassero
Carnivores congregate at this great grill. Choose your cut; pork ribs are the specialty, funky acid-jazz tunes are a bonus. The owners love to chat – they only close when the coals die down and people leave.
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Real Grill
An institution right on the Plaza de Armas, this place has (noisy) outdoor tables and serves pastas, Chinese meals, local dishes, meat, seafood, burgers and so on. The food is middle of the road.
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Selva Mayo
Books day tours and longer excursions to local lakes and waterfalls and cultural trips to experience ayahuasca rituals and medicinal plant demonstrations.
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Quiquiriqui Tours
A full-service travel and tour agency that books flights, offers information on and arranges tours to local sites.
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Chifa Tai Pai
Modern and shiny, this chifa serves up good Chinese fare to eager locals and families.
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Banana’s Burgers
A good burger joint, this place is always open and there’s a bar on the 2nd floor.
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Supermercado la Inmaculada
This supermarket has everything you might need for self-catering.
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