Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [419]
Leo’s Palace (35-3008, /fax 35-2213; Lores 108; s/d S25/45) The oldest of the better hotels and now a bit run-down, Leo’s has simple but spacious rooms with fans and a balcony overlooking the Plaza de Armas. TV is available on request and there is a restaurant serving decent cheap lunches.
Hostal El Naranjo (35-2650, 35-1560; www.hostalelnaranjo.com.pe; Arica 318; s/d S40/60; ) This clean, quiet hotel has rooms with ceiling fans and cable TV. Some more expensive rooms have air-con. Internal courtyard rooms face the tiny, pleasant pool. There’s hot water and internet access (S2 per hour), plus it has a good restaurant.
Antonio’s Hostal (35-1033; López 338; s/d S35/55) Despite the somewhat clueless staff, this smart new hostel is clearly aiming at the top end of the sleeping scene. The rooms are sizeable, light, tastefully decorated and adjoin very good bathrooms. Try to get one of the sumptuous street-corner-facing rooms with huge curved windows.
Hostal Luis Antonio (35-2065; antonio@viabcp.com; Jáuregui 407; s S50-70, d S60-100; ) Prices here vary depending on whether you want cable TV, air-con or both. All standard rooms have a fan and are well maintained. There is also a small pool.
Porta Péricos (35-3462; San Miguel 720; s/d incl breakfast from S125-155; ) On the northern outskirts, overlooking the Río Paranapura; the staff claim this hotel’s breezy location negates the necessity for air-con. Renovations in 2009 included adding 20 separate bungalows and giving the pool that essential Jacuzzi, as well as building the hotel’s own river port. Come reopening in 2010, it promises to be the gorgeous, peaceful and pricey establishment it always has been.
Eating
There are few good places to eat. Many restaurants close between meals. The hotel restaurants, especially El Naranjo, are among the best, but aren’t anything special. Market stalls along Progresso sell great cakes and other snacks.
La Prosperidad (35-2057; Progreso 107; menú S3-8; Tue-Sun) has tropical juices, burgers and chicken. It’s popular as a hangout for young families and jungle guides.
Shopping
Stores selling hammocks for river journeys are on the north side of the market.
Getting There & Around
AIR
No airline company currently serves Yurimaguas. The nearest mainline airport is at Tarapoto.
BOAT
The main port ‘La Boca’ is 13 blocks north of the center. Cargo boats from Yurimaguas follow the Río Huallaga onto the Río Marañón and Iquitos, taking between three and five days with numerous stops for loading and unloading cargo. There are usually departures daily, except Sunday. Passages cost about S100 on deck (sling your own hammock and receive basic food) or S180 for a bunk in double or quadruple cabins on the top deck, where the food is better and your gear safer. Bottled water, soft drinks and snacks are sold onboard. Bring insect repellent and a hat. Boat information is available from the Bodega Dávila store (35-2477) by the dock. The Eduardo boats (of which there are five) are considered the best, (although readers have reported graphic animal cruelty on these). The journey can be broken at Lagunas (S20 to S30, 10 to 12 hours), just before the Río Huallaga meets the Marañón.
Smaller slow boats and fast boats to Lagunas (S100, 3½ hrs) leave from the more convenient town port 200m northwest of the Plaza de Armas.
Cruise ships sometimes dock at Yurimaguas, bound for Iquitos. Ask around at ‘La Boca’ to see about scheduled departures.
BUS
The new paved road makes Yurimaguas easily accessible by Amazon standards. For Tarapoto (S15, 2½ hours), several companies leave from offices on the Tarapoto road including Trans Gilmer Tours (942-627-415; Victor Sifuentes s/n), which has departures every two hours. Likewise, there are multiple companies nearby with colectivos to Tarapoto (S25; two hours) from cuadras 5 and 6 of Sifuentes. There is nothing to choose between them: it’s just a matter of which one leaves first, which will happen only when they’ve