Pucallpa travel guide

Pucallpa, Peru

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Pucallpa

Introduction

Pucallpa sits on the banks of the Ucayali River, a major tributary of the Amazon, in eastern Peru. It serves as the capital of the Ucayali region, the Coronel Portillo Province and the Calleria District, and it is the largest populated centre in the region. Within the Peruvian Amazon it is second only to Iquitos.

Before you go

Pucallpa is reached mainly by river, along the Ucayali, and it ranks as one of the Amazon's key river ports. By land, the Federico Basadrees highway is the main transport artery, linking the northwest of the city with Captain Rolden International Airport.

Plan your overland travel with care. The road between Tingo María and Pucallpa has a reputation for robberies, and buses are especially exposed: thieves sometimes board as paying passengers, then stop the bus so others can get on and take passengers' valuables. If you must use this road, consider arranging a taxi or lorry from Huanuco instead. Avoid travelling when special events are on in Pucallpa, and around Christmastime in particular, when robbers are more active and the city itself is more dangerous, with many robberies in December and police corruption at its worst. Never travel this road at night. The situation has reportedly improved since the route was mostly paved.

Getting there

Pucallpa is reached mainly through FAP Captain David Abensur Rengifo International Airport (PCL), served by LATAM and by smaller Peruvian national airlines, a category where carriers come and go. Note that LATAM offers sharply different fares for Peruvian residents, and you cannot get the reduced fares without a Peruvian DNI.

Getting around

< p>Mototaxis — motor-tricycle taxis — are the standard way to get around Pucallpa, and they cover short and medium distances cheaply. Fares run roughly S/2 within downtown, around S/3 from the outskirts, and up to S/6 from a suburb; some longer suburban runs mean switching mototaxis partway. A trip to Yarinacocha costs about S/4. Agree the fare in soles before you board, and carry small cash, since mototaxis and terminal vendors may not take cards. Colectivos — ordinary passenger cars running set routes like buses — are the cheaper choice, especially if you are travelling alone, at around S/1 per person, or about S/1.50 on the Pucallpa–Yarinacocha route. They can get crowded: expect two people in the front seat and four across the back.

< p>Downtown Pucallpa is small enough to reach many places on foot, but if you ask for directions the answer may not be correct — people tend to give an informative answer whether or not they know the way, so cross-check with a map or ask more than one person. Taxis are the better option for airport runs, when you have luggage, or when arriving at night, and you should agree the fare in soles before boarding. Ride-hailing is not dependable here. There is no passenger rail, metro, tram, or train network, and no rail link to Lima, the airport, or Iquitos; references to a Pucallpa "train station" can be ignored. Combis and colectivos serve some corridors but are not standardized everywhere, and from the airport they are possible but unreliable, so don't count on them. For long-distance departures, confirm the exact company terminal, as terminal names and operator stops vary.

Where to stay

Most of the cheapest places to sleep cluster around the Plaza de Armas, where you'll find plenty of budget hostels. Expect basic, no-frills rooms in this area; some are distinctly dark and worn, so it's worth looking at a room before you commit.

If you'd rather base yourself by the water, Yarinacocha has its own options. Hostal Delfines sits in a garden setting in a concrete building, with large but slightly broken rooms and private bathrooms; rooms come with or without a TV. Hotel Los Gavilanes, on Jr. Ipuatia, has Wi-Fi and a pool.

Food & drink

In Pucallpa proper, Portal Chicken specialises in pollo a la braza, the roast chicken that is a Peruvian staple; a quarter chicken with french fries makes a solid meal, and the frozen lemonade is worth ordering alongside it. For delivery, the restaurant will bring your order to you for roughly the cost of a motocarro round trip from the plaza. Mijanos, a seafood place about two kilometres from the airport on Calle Alamedas, opens only for lunch and serves imaginative dishes built on seafood as fresh as you will find in the city; the chef trained in Lima, and it shows. Expect it to be pricey by local standards. Restaurante Vegetariano, on the Plaza de Armas, serves clean set meals and breakfast, and sells muesli and other vegetarian products to take away. Chez Maggy is the spot for wood-oven pizza, and Tropitop, also on the Plaza de Armas, is a friendly place for a fruit juice, breakfast or real coffee. Across at Yarinacocha, Restaurant Anaconda floats on the lagoon and serves a variety of local fish; some consider it the best seafood restaurant in the Amazonas. A block off the plaza, Parilladas Orlandos offers a wide selection of barbecued meats at excellent quality and price.

What to see and do

Pucallpa's sights are mostly on the water. The city sits on the shores of the Ucayali River, and nearby Lake Yarinacocha makes an easy day trip, with La Isla de Amor sitting in the middle of the lake. On the lake itself there are two beaches, both with muddy sand and basic food and drink stalls; reach one on a half-hour walk east from Yarinacocha, the other by a short boat ride. For a relaxing day out, head to the recreation center roughly 25 km from the city, where you'll find a restaurant, a pool and several waterslides, plus an ice cream stand that comes into its own when the weather is warm, as it often is. Pucallpa's zoo, the Parque Natural, is worth a visit, though don't expect North American-style enclosures: animals are kept in small cages, and in many cases you can get quite close to the big cats with only a fence between you. You can pet or feed some of the animals (fruit only) and see creatures you won't spot in the jungle; make sure you also see the historical part of the zoo. Tour operators will try to bundle the zoo with a Lake Yarinacocha trip, but that isn't necessary — any motocarro driver will take you, or you can catch the bus from near the Plaza de Armas. Across the river, another animal park offers the chance to have your photo taken with an anaconda, a giant swing, hand-feeding toucans, and crocodile to eat.

When to go

Pucallpa has a tropical monsoon climate, so you can expect warm conditions throughout the year. Rain is concentrated from October through December, and March brings the heaviest monthly rainfall of the year. If you want to avoid the wettest conditions, plan around the drier month of August, when rainfall is at its lowest. Even then, it stays warm, and ultraviolet levels can reach 10+, so protection from the sun matters whenever you visit.

Three days in Pucallpa

Day one: Land at FAP Captain David Abensur Rengifo International Airport (PCL), served by LATAM and other Peruvian carriers, and settle into Pucallpa, the capital of Coronel Portillo Province in the Calleria District. Note that if you hold a Peruvian DNI you may pay a lower departure tax than foreign visitors. Pucallpa sits on the Ucayali River in the Peruvian Amazon, and mototaxis are the easiest way to get around town; agree on fares before you ride. Spend the afternoon along the waterfront watching river traffic, then eat a simple Amazonian meal in town.

Day two: Head out to Yarinacocha, the lagoon district near Pucallpa, for boat trips on the water and a look at riverside communities. This is the calmest way to see the Ucayali without committing to a long river journey. If you want to go further, boats run toward Atalaya and beyond, but for a three-day trip the lagoon is enough. Return to Pucallpa in the evening.

Day three: Use your last day for the river itself. The Ucayali flows north to join the Amazon, and Pucallpa is one of the main Peruvian ports on it, with boats linking the city to Iquitos. If you are continuing overland instead, buses run from Lima via Transmar and Movil Tours, and the road toward Tingo María and Huanuco, the Federico Basadrees highway, is the route out. Avoid Christmastime, when travel is busiest. Never leave without confirming your onward transport, whether by air from PCL or by river.

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