Peru: Two great places to enjoy nature near Chiclayo

Due to its characteristic sunshine and wide range of historical, cultural and culinary offerings, travel to Lambayeque is always an enjoyable and unique experience. It is one of those regions in which you always find something new to be discovered. This time, we are diving into Chaparrí (two hours from Chiclayo), where there is an ecp-lodge from which you can take a walk to appreciate a wide variety of birds and a number of endemic animals, most notably the spectacled bear, fox and white-winged turkey. Another point of our journey was to visit Los Horcones, which is located just a few meters from the towering pyramids of Tucume, which was the bastion of the Sicán culture between 1000 and 1370 AD Chapparí: A lodge with natural charm To reach Chaparrí from Chiclayo, take the road to Chongoyape and turn left at Km. 65 (no road signs). From this point, follow a dirt road to ascend to the lodge, from which you can appreciate the full extent of the impressive Chaparrí mountain, which was considered sacred by the Mochica and continues to be considered as such by local shamans. The reserve, considered the first private conservation area in Peru, has protected 34,000 hectares of dry forest, where you will find the lodg, composed of twelve cabins (each named after an endemic species) and built in the Moche tradition, with adobe bricks and stone. The manager of this important project was the renowned photographer Heinz Plenge, who, along with the rural community of Santa Catalina, decided to maintain the natural character of the area and promote ecotourism starting in 2001. Thanks to the work of Plenge, Chaparrí now features on the map of the favorite destinations of the world’s birdwatchers, who come to spot their favorite birds, and the site has been published in prestigious international journals such as "National Geographic". Chaparrí offers tours with specialized guides for those who want the adventure of spotting the popular spectacled bears, coastal foxes, Andean condors, Peruvian thick-knees, peccaries and 46 species of endemic birds, all in their native habitat. During this tour, you will also have opportunity to visit Cuto, a charismatic spectacled bear held in captivity after being rescued from a circus, and their colleagues Cholita and Pierre, who are soon to be released into the wild. In the reptile center, you will meet a variety of poisonous snakes like the coral snake and sancarranca, as well as some amphibians and reptiles that inhabit the area. Along the way, you will also have opportunity to learn about the properties of the dry forest trees, such as the chaquirón, whose seeds are used to make earrings and necklaces, the sapodilla, which is used to manufacture crafts, or palo verde, which produces rubber. The route also includes a stop at a replica of a shaman's house, where all of the characteristic ritual objects are displayed. To maintain equilibrium with the environment, the lodge is supplied with power via solar panels, and has an artisanal water purification system using reeds. For the convenience of guests, the lodge features a swimming pool, and there are hammocks on each of the terraces, as well as rooms with jacuzzis. Los Horcones de Túcume is a rural hotel that maintains the essence of the ancient civilizations that dominated the northern Lambayeque Valley, with a construction made of adobe and carob. Los Horcones de Túcume (Omar Carbajal/PromPerú) While the site offers comfortable rooms, swimming pool, horseback riding and the possibility of homemade bread fresh from clay ovens, the great appeal of the hotel is to be the neighbor of one of the largest architectural complex of America: the pyramids of Túcume.

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