UCAYALI

Location: Jungle (Amazon) central Peru.

Extension: 102,411 km2.
Capital: Pucallpa (154 masl).
Altitude: Minimum: 135 meters above sea level (Nueva Requena).Maximum: 350
masl (Esperanza).
Distances: From the city of Pucallpa to the cities of: Atalaya (Atalaya Province) 1 hour
by air (non-scheduled flights). Aguaytía (Padre Abad Province) 161 km / 4 hours by
road land.
Esperanza (Province of Purús) 1 hour and 10 minutes by air (non-scheduled flights).

Access roads:
Land Lima-La Oroya-Cerro de Pasco-Huánuco-Tingo María Aguaytía: 840 km (20
hours by bus in the dry season).
Air Regular flights from Lima (1 hour) and from Iquitos (50 minutes) to the city of
Pucallpa.
River It can be reached by river from the city of Iquitos to Pucallpa (1021 km); the trip
lasts between 3 and 4 days in winter and between 6 and 7 days in summer due to the
low flow of the rivers.

BRIEF HISTORICAL REVIEW

The first settlers who inhabited the area that extends along the Ucayali River and its
tributaries were the Panos, from approximately 2000 BC. The Ucayali River (1,771 km
long) is the middle course of the Amazon River and the trunk of the regional water
network.
Due to the difficult access, the inhospitable climate and the indomitable vegetation, the
region was impregnable for the Incas. Later, in 1557, the Spanish explorer Juan
Salinas de Loyola discovered the Ucayali and the religious missions made up of
Franciscans and Jesuits were the first to come into contact with the indigenous people
in the mid-17th century, with the goal of evangelization. The Spanish in search of the
mythical Dorado also entered these untamed lands. With the rubber boom and its
great demand in the international market between 1883 and 1914, the presence of the
western population became stronger, but the rubber exploitation did not involve the
incorporation of the native groups to the economic, political and social structure. of
republican Peru.

The department of Ucayali was created in 1980 and, currently, its main economic
activities are the lumber industry, livestock, gas, oil, tourism and agriculture. The
region is inhabited by 14 ethnic groups descending from the Pano Arawak language
family, such as the Shipibo-Conibo, Asháninkas, Culinas and Yaminahuas. Pucallpa
derives from the Quechua puca (red) allpa (earth), due to the red color of the clay soil
in the region. The natives call Pucallpa May Ushin (red land), a name that comes from
the Arawak linguistic family.

GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE

In the Ucayali region, three natural floors can be observed: the low jungle (0 to 500
masl), which represents 86% of the surface; the high jungle (500 to 1000 masl) in the
provinces of Atalaya and Padre Abad; and the jungle ridge (above 1,000 masl),
located to the north of the region and characterized by being very rugged due to the
presence of the Cordillera Azul. It has mountains with steep slopes and boxed valleys.

The climate of the city of Pucallpa, capital of the region, is rainy and warm, with the
presence of rain in three seasons (autumn, spring and summer). The average annual
temperature is 26ºC (79ºF), with a maximum of 38ºC (100ºF) and a minimum of 21ºC
(70ºF). The rainiest season is from December to April. Generally, in June there is a
climatic phenomenon known as the "colds of San Juan", which lasts from 3 to 4 days,
with temperatures that drop and border between 12ºC (54ºF) and 16ºC (61ºF).

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
Colonel Portillo Province Main Square of the City of Pucallpa Surrounded by abundant
vegetation, it is of modern construction. In it, an obelisk with geometric lines, the
ornamental pool, the amphitheater and busts erected in memory of the founders and
pioneers of the city stand out.

city Hall

Tacna and Sucre shreds in front of the Plaza de Armas. It was built in June 2001 and
its transparent polycarbonate dome and a terrace- viewpoint with a view of the Plaza
de Armas stand out. It also has an art gallery.
House of the Sculptor Agustín Rivas Vásquez
Jr. Tarapacá 861. Visits: Mon-Sat 09:00-12:00 and 16:00-19:00. Phone (061)57-1834
Agustín Rivas was a sculptor recognized for his carvings of renaco roots (a tree that
grows on the shores of lakes, rivers, lagoons and swamps), which represent mythical
and ethnic characters and the wild flora and fauna of the region. Among his best-
known pieces is the Christ of Petroleum, currently preserved in the Vatican, Rome.

Higher School of Artistic Training "Eduardo Meza Saravia"

Av. Las Alamedas Mz. F Lt. 15, Yarinacocha district. Visits: MF 9:00-17:00. Eduardo
Meza Saravia was one of the greatest exponents of Amazonian painting and the
school presents examples of neo-Amazonian, figurative, surrealist and shamanic
styles. There is also theater, music and a clay pottery crafts workshop, where you can
observe the processes of making utilitarian and decorative pieces

House of the Painter Pablo Amaringo Shuña - School of Neo-Amazonian Painting

"Usko Ayar" Jr. Sánchez Cerro 465. Visits: Mon-Sat 8:00-12:00 and 14:00-18:00
including holidays. Phone (061) 57-3088
Pablo Amaringo is a shaman whose pictorial sample is neo-Amazonian style, with
emphasis on landscape, shamanic and angelic aspects, where biodiversity,
cosmology, mythology and esotericism are appreciated.

Public Clock Square

Intersection of the Ucayali, Tacna, Tarapacá and December 9 shreds.
It is the first Plaza de Armas that the city of Pucallpa had, built between 1950 and
1951. Highlights include the bust of the Peruvian naval hero Miguel Grau Seminario
and a large clock that crowns a 25-meter tower, whose rotating lighthouse, in other
times, served guide to the boats that approached Pucallpa.

La Lupuna Square
Height of km 4, entering the old road to Yarinacocha, 2 km from Pucallpa (15 minutes
by car). In the square stands a gigantic lupuna about 200 years old, the only type of
timber tree in the marginal urban area of Pucallpa. In one of its branches you can see
a 60 cm metal cross, as the locals say that strange beings appeared in that area and
at night it was difficult to walk there, since elves and giant animals appeared, among
others.

Shirambari-Barboncocha Septrionic Community

Height of km 6 of the Federico Basadre highway, Yarinacocha district (20 minutes by
car from Pucallpa). In the Shirambari Septrionic community, which means "brave man"
in the Campa language, there is a lake or lagoon known as "Barboncocha", 5 m deep,
with warm and murky waters. It is surrounded by family gardens with coconut trees,
mangoes, guavas, pink pomas, orange trees and other fruits, as well as bushes and
grasses. It flows through a channel to the Shirambari creek, where canoe rides,
artisanal fishing and camping can be done.
Biodiversity Foundation Research Center
km 13 of the Federico Basadre highway, Yarinacocha district (30 minutes by bus from
Pucallpa). Wooded area of about 3 ha, where ecological crops are developed by
systems of collarines, sardineles, pilancos and nests. It has 10 ponds-fish farms with
fish from the area (shiruís, shuyos, boquichicos) and you can carry out fishing
activities in fish farms, walks through the jungle, observe medicinal plants, wild fruits,
timber trees and butterflies.

Natural Park and Regional Museum of Pucallpa

Located at Km. 4 of the Federico Basadre highway (10 minutes by car). Visits: Mon
8:00-17:00. Phone (061) 59-0173 / 57-1303
Created to protect and conserve various species of wild flora and fauna such as
monkeys, lizards, otorongos, deer, collared peccary, otters, taricayas, herons,
toucans, parrots and other species in danger of extinction or at risk.

You can see timber, medicinal, wild bush, palm and fruit trees. There is also a small
pond where you can ride in boats and observe Amazonian fish and aquatic plants
such as lotuses and huamas.

In the park is the Regional Museum of Pucallpa, which preserves some

representative species of Amazonian fauna and a large collection of fossil remains
found in the Ucayali, Pachitea, Aguaytía and Urubamba rivers. One of the most
attractive pieces is the jaw of a large lizard or megatherium that lived in the Amazon
about 10 million years ago. In another room, various cultural samples of the ethnic
groups of the region are exhibited, such as traditional clothing and pieces of
Shipibo-Conibo ceramics from different eras.

Yarinacocha Lagoon
7 km northeast of Pucallpa (15 minutes by car).
With warm and calm waters, it is an old meander of the Ucayali River, created by the
change in its course. In the rainy season, the lagoon joins the Ucayali River through
channels or "spouts", a dynamic that gives it a great wealth of fish, allowing its waters
to be periodically renewed. In the lagoon you can fish, water ski, swim, paddle and
watch freshwater dolphins. In Puerto Callao, the lagoon's craft pier, boats can be
hired to go to different mestizo and native communities of the Shipibo-Conibo ethnic
group. The native communities of San Francisco and Nuevo Destino and the Caserío
11 de Agosto or “Caserío de Cesteros” stand out, so called because many women
dedicate themselves to crafts made with vegetable fibers that are collected in natural
forests. With the heart of caña brava, bombonaje and banana bark they weave by
hand baskets, purses, fans, hats, bread baskets and a great variety of utilitarian
articles.

San Francisco Native Community

14 km from Puerto Callao in Yarinacocha, on the left bank of the lagoon (1 hour by
motor boat or peke peke from the port or 30 minutes by car from Pucallpa). It is the
oldest and most numerous populated center among the native communities of the
Shipibo-Conibo ethnic group in the area. They live by hunting, gathering and farming
and preserve their customs and culture through crafts, language, rituals, dances,
music, clothing, gastronomy, use of medicinal plants and materials from the area to
build their homes. In the surroundings you can go hiking, camping and observe the
wild flora and fauna. "Shamanic sessions" are also organized, with rituals and the
taking of ayahuasca, a hallucinogen used by shamans to enter a trance and gain
access to wisdom and supernatural Powers
Imiria Lagoon
200 km southwest of Pucallpa, Masisea district (4 hours by motor boat on the Ucayali
and Tamaya rivers). It owes its name to the imiría, a small floating plant with a
reddish-yellow flower that, with lotuses and putuputos, covers a large part of its banks
in times of flooding. It is of tectonic origin, where aquatic plants form floating islands
that are displaced by the wind, instantly changing the beautiful landscapes. Ideal for
fishing and canoe and boat rides. Its water mirror is 38.14 km2, it has numerous
entrances to land called "resacas", in addition to some 15 islets covered with
vegetation. Various mestizo and native communities of the Shipibo- Conibo ethnic
group have settled on its riverbanks; the most interesting are Junín Pablo and
Caimito.

The Devil's Shower

Anchovy of Padre Abad – Cordillera Azul
He averages 100m in height from a single jump. Its cold and crystal clear waters
bathe a large rock, where nature has carved a kind of face similar to a diabolical
being. The fall forms a pool of about 10 m2 and there is a nearby viewpoint from
where you can see the Yuracyacu River.

Watchtower Province
Plaza de Armas or Plaza Juan Santos Atahualpa
Square of modern construction in which the statue to Juan Santos Atahualpa
stands. The San Antonio de Padua Cathedral is located near the square.

Chapel of the Convent of the Franciscan Mothers

Near Plaza 29 de Mayo It was the first church in the town, where the parish house of
the first nuns of the Franciscan order is still located, They came from Italy to
evangelize this area. Plaza 29 de Mayo, on the other hand, was the first to be built in
Villa Atalaya in 1928.
Malecon of Villa Atalaya
The boardwalk offers a panoramic view of the Tambo River before its confluence with
the Urubamba to form the Ucayali.
Aeríja Native Communities and Unini Mission and Blue Diamond Hamlet

Located south of Villa Atalaya

They belong to the Campa-Asháninka ethnic group. These communities preserve their
ancestral customs, as well as their gastronomy.

Aeríja and Quipachari Ravines

The Aeríja and Quipachari streams are located near Aeríja and present the formation
of natural pools surrounded by abundant vegetation. Aerija is an Arawak word that
means “bees”, and it is reached from Villa Atalaya (15 minutes by car); Quipachari is
the name of the seeds that women use to adorn their skirts in Arawak.
Canuja Ravine 8
km. from Villa Atalaya (water and land route) The water springs from a spring that is
located between huge rocks, it has a sinuous course and flows into the Tambo River.
Nearby are a small hydroelectric plant and the "Canuja" stone monoliths, with
engravings that resemble the shape of river snails, stars, suns and lakes.

Stone Tiger or Cast Bull

20 minutes from Villa Atalaya by waterway or 1 hour walk from the banks of the
Tambo River.
Monolith of 6 tons, 5 m long and 3 m high, surrounded by abundant forest. The
engravings have not yet been deciphered.

Enchanted Lagoon
20 km from Villa Atalaya by car. 8 hours from Villa Atalaya on foot and 5 hours from
the Native Community of Unión Canuja, located on the banks of the Tambo River.
It is a mountainous area of the chain of hills that form the slope of the Unini River. Its
waters are habitat for ornamental fish, lizards and wild ducks.

Puru Province
Main Square
Of modern construction, the circular roundabout, the row of flags and the pool stand
out.

Cocha El Anguillal
This cocha is ideal for fishing and its name derives from the abundant existence of
eels, an elongated, dark-colored aquatic animal that has an electrical charge.

Native Communities Golden Ball - Pankirentsi - Three Balls

From Puerto Esperanza, sailing along the left bank of the Purús River (downstream),
is the Bola de Oro native community, of the Shandinahua ethnic group, dedicated to
agriculture, fishing and hunting animals. Following the route are the Asháninka
Pankirentsi community, an agricultural community that preserves its ancestral
customs, and the Tres Bolas community, of the Mastanahua ethnic group, whose
inhabitants make handicrafts (basketry). The area is surrounded by abundant
vegetation and bird species

Native Communities San José - Conta - Pinkiniki Native - Cantagallo - San

Martín
From Puerto Esperanza, you navigate the Purús River (upstream).
They are communities of the Cashinahua ethnic group, whose inhabitants are mainly
dedicated to agriculture, hunting and fishing and have managed to preserve their
customs, traditions and language. You can buy local handicrafts such as crowns of
bird feathers, jewelry and cotton fabrics (cushmas, amahacas, bags).

Zapote Native Communities - San Marcos - Nueva Esperanza - Miguel Grau -

Cocha “Cocha Soup”
From Puerto Esperanza, navigating the Purús River (upstream).
These are diverse communities of the Culina, Sharanahua and Cashinahua ethnic
groups, whose inhabitants preserve their customs, their language and their traditions.
They are mainly dedicated to fishing, agriculture and hunting. In the area you can fish,
swim, canoe, observe the diversity of flora and fauna and take walks.

FOLKLORE
Among the mestizo dances, the following stand out: Sitaracuy, Pandilla, Cajada,
Changanacuy, Chimaychi and Tanguiño. The most popular indigenous dances are
ceremonial, ritual and welcome dances, with songs in the native language, to the beat
of wind instruments such as the flute, the paca ati and the yupana, as well as the drum
and other ancestral instruments.

CRAFT
Woodwork (carvings), jewelry (seeds and mostacilla), embroidery and painting of
fabrics with natural dyes (huito and clay), ornaments with bird feathers and paiche
scales and hats, as well as other articles made with buds of wild cane and tamishi
(fabrics), burilados of tutumo or huingo and clay pottery. The works of the Shipibo-
Conibos stand out, which are characterized by their geometric lines.

GASTRONOMY
Among the typical dishes of the region include:

Patarashca: fish wrapped in bijao leaves and grilled over charcoal. Inchicapi: chicken
soup with peanuts, coriander and yucca.
Juane: rice with chicken wrapped in bijao leaves and cooked.
Picadillo de paiche: dry and salty frayed paiche, with onion, tomato and chili.

Tacacho with cecina: roasted green plantain with pork rinds. It is served with smoked
pork.

Traditional drinks are based on regional fruits and crops:

Masato: cooked and fermented cassava drink.
Aguajina: crushed, strained and sweetened aguaje (regional fruit). Chapo: Ripe
banana, cooked and shaken, served cold.

Typical alcoholic beverages:

They are prepared based on pure cane liquor, macerated in roots, bark and tropical
fruits (seven roots, huitochado, chuchuasi, para para, leva, clavahuasca), among
others.

HOLIDAYS
Ucayalino Carnival Festival / February – March
Coronel Portillo Province, Callería and Yarinacocha districts.
Typical dance contests around the humisha or Cortamonte.
During the festival, the queen of the carnival is chosen and parades are held with
traditional troupes and allegorical float parades.

Feast of San Juan / June

whole region
Craft and agro-industrial fair with parades, street parades, craft and painting
exhibitions, nautical competitions, dance and gastronomy contests, parachuting
exhibitions, burning of shuntos, rodeo and presentations by regional, national and
international artists.
On the 24th it is traditional to go to the spas, because of the belief that the
waters are blessed by Saint John the Baptist. Juanes and corn chicha are consumed.
Indigenous Dance Festival / June
Province of Atalaya Festival held on the occasion of the Anniversary of the Province of
Padre Abad (June 1), which integrates the various ethnic groups of the province,
allowing us to know and value our cultures.

Regional Festival for World Folklore Day / August, 20 to 22

Districts of Yarinacocha and Pucallpa
During these days contests of knowledge in regional culture, gastronomy, indigenous
and mestizo dances and clothing and crafts are held; in addition, Miss Folklore is
crowned.

Tourist Week of the Ucayali Region / September, 23 to 30 Craft, tourist and

agricultural product fairs, radio and television talks, presentation of regional artistic
casts, folk parade and various contests are held.Likewise, the tourism companies that
stood out the most in the year are presented.

Anniversary of Pucallpa, the Districts of Yarinacocha and Masisea and the

Native Community of San Francisco / October 4 to 20
The population participates in various activities of a gastronomic nature, dances, crafts
and painting, among others.

Pastoreadas Navideñas / December, 23 to 30

Various troupes participate in the pastoreadas, each made up of 25 or more people;
the comparsas represent religious images alluding to Christmas as well as typical
characters from Ucayali.

DIRECTORY AIRPORT
International Airport Cap. FAP David Armando Abensur Rengifo. Federico Basadre
highway km 5.5. Tel. (061) 57-2767 / Fax. 57-
5457.
GROUND TRANSPORTATION
There are no terminals. However, most companies are located in: Jr. 7 de Junio cdras.
7-9; Jr. Raymondi cdras. 6 and 8 and Jr. Tacna cdra. 6.

HEALTH CENTERS
Pucallpa Regional Hospital.
Jr. Agustín Cauper 285. Tel. (061) 57-5209 / Fax. 57-5696.
Attention: 24 hours.
Amazon Hospital – Yarinacocha.
Jr. Aguaytía 605-Yarinacocha. Phone (061) 59-6188 / 59-7053 / 59-6408 /
59-6303
Attention: 24 hours.

POLICE DELEGATIONS
National Police of Peru - VI DIRTEPOL - Ucayali. Av. San Martín 466. Tel. (061) 57-
5257.
National Police of Peru, Pucallpa Police Station.
Jr. Independencia 356. Tel. (061) 59-1433. Attention: 24 hours. National Police of
Peru, Yarinacocha Police Station.
Main Square. Phone (061) 59-6417. Attention: 24 hours.

CRAFT SHOPS
Craft stores are located at: Jr. Mariscal Cáceres Cdra. 5.
Jr. Tarapacá cdra. 8. Jr. Tacna cdra. 6.
Jr. Sucre cdra. 3. Mayer Cohen Passage.

REGIONAL GOVERNMENT OF UCAYALI

www.regionucayali.gob.pe

REGIONAL DIRECTORATE OF FOREIGN TRADE AND TOURISM – DIRCETUR

Jr. 2 de Mayo 111. Tel. (061) 57-1303 / 57-5110. Attention: MF 8:00-
13:00 and 14:00-16:45

TOURIST INFORMATION
In the Tourist Information and Assistance Service called iperú, you can request
objective and impartial tourist information, as well as assistance in the event that the
tourist services received were not provided according to what was contracted.
Contact the service 24 hours a day nationwide: Tel: (01) 574-8000. E-mail:
iperu@promperu.gob.pe