Chanchamayo and further east travel guide

The towns of San Ramón and La Merced, collectively known as Chanchamayo, are some 73 km east of Tarma. San Ramón is 11 km before La Merced on the banks of the Río Tarma. It is a busy, attractive town in the lower foothills of the Andes, where the temperature is noticeably higher than in Tarma. For information, visit Dircetur (Pardo 110, San Ramón, T064-331265) . The surrounding hills are covered in coffee plantations and there are many waterfalls in the area.

The main town and provincial capital, La Merced, lies in the fertile Chanchamayo Valley at 800 m, and is famous for its citrus and coffee production. For information, visit the Subgerencia de Turismo (Municipalidad Provincial de Chanchamayo, Av Zuchetti 125, Parque Integración, T064-531143, Mon-Fri 0730-1300, 1400-1615) where there are pamphlets and limited information in Spanish only. La Merced was a colonial mission settlement first founded in 1635 as San Buenaventura de Quimiri in Campa-Asháninka territory. However, the first mule track from Tarma only went through in 1847 and the current city of La Merced was founded in 1869 near the original settlement. Italian and German settlers followed. Today the only remaining Asháninka community of Chanchamayo with 25 families is at Pampa Michi, 15 km from La Merced. Campa people can usually be found around the central plaza selling bows, arrows, necklaces and trinkets. La Merced has a central market, where you can usually find Campa articles, exotic herbs and jungle medicines such as uña de gato and sangre de grado. Other vendors can be found on street corners. The hill behind the town can be climbed up to La Cruz for a wonderful view of the entire Chanchamayo Valley, or you can hire a mototaxi for US$1. There is a restaurant and small recreation area here. At holiday times prices double as the area is full of Limeños seeking tropical warmth.