Flora & Fauna

Cacao in Northern Peru ... and where to see it ... and eat it.

Cacao in Northern Peru ... and where to see it ... and eat it.
  • Cacao, the raw ingredient of chocolate, increasingly important cash crop in Peru.

  • Details of cacao plant, its history & use.

  • Description of chocolate-making process.

  • Where to see the plant & the process in Tarapoto.

Van Eeden & Duijnhouwer Testimonial - Gran Vilaya & Tambopata

Van Eeden & Duijnhouwer Testimonial - Gran Vilaya & Tambopata
  • Read the thoughts of an Anglo-US-Dutch couple who travelled to Peru in 2018.

Here is what they say:

Schamhart x 2 - Chachapoyas & Vichayito Review

Schamhart x 2 - Chachapoyas & Vichayito Review

PeruNorth arranged a 10-day itinerary for Canadian mother & daughter, Irene & Marie-Ann in Jan 2018.

  • Staying at Gocta Lodge, they explored Chachapoya ruins of Kuelap & Revash.

  • Also hiked to Gocta Falls, visited Yerbebuena market & mummies at Leymebamba Museum.

  • Ended the trip with 5 nights staying in a Bedouin-style tent beside the beach at Vichayito.

Here is what they say:

‘We had a great time and really appreciate all the help you provided in booking our vacation …

Pitts & Rollo - Chile & Argentina Testimonial

Pitts & Rollo - Chile & Argentina Testimonial

The itinerary was very well designed and we had a fabulous time. We were blown away by Patagonia and want to return there.

Overall summary – wonderful holiday. 10 out of 10! Thank you!

11 Best Amazon Experiences

11 Best Amazon Experiences

Here at PeruNorth, we have had the very good fortune to have visited the Amazon region a number of times, and at a number of different points. With this background, we have put together the experiences that have stood out in the memory, and make us want to go back for more. 

10 Facts about Spectacled Bears

10 Facts about Spectacled Bears

The Spectacled - or Andean - Bear (Tremarctos ornatus) holds a special place in PeruNorth's heart, being the emblematic large mammal of northern Peru's dry forest and cloud forest.

It is fitting, therefore, that we should give this attractive and endangered species some blog time!

Lagunas - The 'Other' Gateway to Pacaya-Samiria

Lagunas - The 'Other' Gateway to Pacaya-Samiria

Like Iquitos, Santiago de Lagunas (to give the full name) is a jungle town founded by missionaries, in the Amazonian province of Loreto; and like Iquitos, it is a jumping-off point for visiting the surrounding rainforest, especially the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve.

But, even though Lagunas is nearly 100 years older than Iquitos, having been founded in 1670 by a priest, Juan Lorenzo Lucero, it has a fraction of the population and receives a fraction of the visitors.

Totora Reed - a Unique Resource

Totora Reed - a Unique Resource

Totora reed (Schoenoplectus californicus), grows in swampy areas throughout the Andes, in Central America, and much of the southern United States, where it is known as the California bulrush. In Peru, it continues to serve a number of important, traditional functions. 

Viringos - Peru's Hairless Dog

Viringos - Peru's Hairless Dog

Except for a tuft between their ears and on the end of their tail, these medium-sized, dark Peruvian dogs are completely hairless. In spite of their unorthodox looks - or perhaps because of them - viringo dogs were prized by the Moche, Chimu and Virus cultures, who included them as sacrifices in many important burials, and depicted them on painted pottery.