Huánuco and Tingo María: adventure destinations between waterfalls and viewpoints

On the plane that took me to Huánuco, I sighed when I realized that my luggage was mostly summer clothes. I was wearing several shorts, bividis and a single long-sleeved shirt that could serve as a sweater, casual suit or gala if an occasion called for it.

However, after a forty-minute trip from Lima, I arrived at the Huánuco airport. The sun was shining, but the temperature was spring-like, mild, perfect. It is not in vain that it is claimed that this city has the best climate in the world. Clothes stopped being a concern and enjoyment began.

I arrived at noon. The journey from the airport to the city center took around 30 minutes. My itinerary for the next three days was packed. In a region with more than a hundred tourist sites to visit, every second counts.

I put on sunscreen and mosquito repellent. I left my luggage at a hotel and had fried guinea pig with tacacho for lunch at a restaurant on the banks of the Huallaga River, then I headed toward my first destination: the Cachigaga hacienda.

The Cachigaga hacienda is located a little more than thirty minutes from the center of Huánuco by car. Its name originates from two Quechua words: “cachi”, which in Spanish means “salt”, and “gaga”, whose translation is “hill”. Both refer to the name “salt hill”, since the entire surface of the hill surrounding these lands is made of saltpeter.

The property extends over thirty hectares, sixteen of which are sugar cane and five are coffee. It also includes a space for growing corn and an area for raising paso horses.

At the entrance door to the Cachigaga production center, a water wheel the size of a house rotates, powered by a jet of water, and makes the mill work. In this device, three grooved rollers press the sugar cane, whose juice is then used for various products. Among these derivatives, liquor stands out, known locally as shacta, chancaca, organic panela, nectar and cane honey.

In this place, visitors learn step by step in the preparation of each of the products. A professional guide explains each part of the process during the tour. “The farm has a physical store where the products are sold, but wholesale sales are also made and shipments can be made to all parts of Peru,” said Rocío Albornoz, production supervisor at Cachigaga.

The visit to the hacienda culminated with the preparation of some drinks made from shacta. On this occasion, Rocío prepared a drink known as “shiraco”, which she bears this name in tribute to one of the Cachigaga workers who recently died. It is soft and sweet, with a flavor of regional fruits.

In search of Chullachaqui

The second day in Huánuco began at 6:30 am It was a splendid morning. My next scheduled destination was Tingo María. The distance that separates these two provinces is 120 kilometers, which takes about 3 hours to travel. The landscapes of the first half of the path are characteristic of the mountains, and the other half is jungle.

Just over an hour from Huánuco, a mandatory stop is the Carpish viewpoint. At this point, there is a restaurant where tourists take the opportunity to have typical dishes for breakfast and enjoy the view. Photographs are also taken on the giant hands and swings that stand like monuments on the mountain.

When I arrived at Tingo María, I thanked my intuition for having placed summer clothes in my suitcase. The temperature was around 30°C. It was more necessary than ever to visit Honolulo Falls.

From Tingo María Plaza to the community of Honolulo can be reached in almost half an hour by car. Then you walk for about 20 minutes until you reach the waterfalls of the same name. The path is covered with vegetation, which makes the journey very bearable.

The waterfall, which receives around 300 people on holidays and weekends, is made up of 5 waterfalls, the last being the highest at approximately 70 meters high. Local legend says that on full moon nights, the Chuchallaqui bathes in the highest pond of this waterfall. On the first level there is also a natural pool.

That day I also visited the Puro Aroma cafeteria, a business that makes various types of drinks combining coffee with fruit juice and ice cream. I tried one of their specialties, the batifresh, prepared with strawberry juice, vanilla ice cream and coffee.

In Tingo María, these types of establishments are abundant, and coffee has emerged as an innovative local ingredient found in a wide variety of dishes.

One city, a thousand adventures

The city of Tingo María arose from a history of entrepreneurship and owes its name to the Quechua word “tincco”, which means “union”, alluding to the meeting of the Huallaga and Monzón rivers at this point, and to María, the name of a woman. who established a pension in this place to serve travelers who went from San Martín to the coast and mountains of the country, explained the tour guide, Luis Egúsquiza Huaytán, at the San Jacinto viewpoint, the first destination of my last day in Tingo Maria.

From this place, you can see a portion of the city and the confluence of the rivers that inspired the name of Tingo. Although the sun was shining, there was a pleasantly cool breeze.

Just over ten minutes from San Jacinto is the Tingo María National Park (PNTM). This space is managed by the National Service of Natural Areas Protected by the State (Sernanp) and has an area of ​​4,777 hectares.

Within this area, there are 656 species of plants, 106 species of orchids, 33 of amphibians, 29 of reptiles, 291 of birds, 76 of mammals and 320 of butterflies. Among the most representative birds are the guacharo, the cock-of-the-rock and the black-bellied tanager.

The park, which generates an annual average of S/72 million in economic income, is divided into three tourist sectors: the Cueva de las Lechuzas, Quinceañera and Tres de Mayo.

I walked less than a kilometer to reach the Cueva de las Owls. During the journey, I was accompanied by the sounds of the hundreds of cicadas that live high in the trees and the hurried fluttering of dozens of butterflies.

The name of this cave arose from a mistake. The ancient settlers of the area believed that the birds that inhabited the place were owls; However, it was later discovered that they were guacharos, a nocturnal species essential in the repopulation of the jungle vegetation.

The rock formations inside the cave are diverse. Some of them seem to represent the profile of a man, while others evoke the image of the crucified Christ and the Virgin Mary. Throughout the cave there is a wooden staircase to facilitate the movement of people.

In the first of the three rooms to which visitors have access, dozens of parrots sing and flutter on the walls. While in the next two, the owls and bats emit calm sounds in the darkness. The visit lasted around thirty minutes.

The guácharos that live in this cave have changed the lifestyle of the area. For example, the La Colpa restaurant, which is located a few minutes from the Tingo María National Park, near a source of sulfurous waters, closes its doors at 5:30 pm because at this time these birds come to bathe.

That last afternoon in Tingo María I ended my stay contemplating Sleeping Beauty from above, a mountain range that has the appearance of a woman lying on her back in the middle of an undisturbed dream. At its feet, the city said goodbye to the day, and I said goodbye to the city. Time is short and there are too many places to visit. I promised to return, I hope it will be soon.

Various offers to go to Huánuco

In Tingo María there are currently 25 tourism agencies recognized by Dircetur Huánuco. Among the main ones are Tourism on Wheels, Reencuentro, Ecology and Ticco Tours.

Packages for three days at these agencies range between S/320 and S/400 on average and include mobility, food and guide service.

Currently, Promperú, through its platform What are your plans?, has 18 offers to visit Huánuco and Tingo María on tours that start at S/250 per person and last up to 3 days and 2 nights.

It should be noted that Star Perú and ATSA Airlines are the airlines that operate direct flights from Lima to Huánuco on daily flights. Ticket prices start at US$70.

The numbers

• 24 families benefit directly from tourism in the Tingo María National Park.
• 33 is the number of bat species recorded in the Cueva de las Owls.
• The PNTM generates S/72 million in annual income.