Rio Marañón

Day 0: Arrive in Lima, Peru for your flight connection to Cajamarca. Once in Cajamarca you will check into the stunning Fundo San Antonio; a homey hacienda in the countryside just outside Cajamarca. If you arrive early you can spend the afternoon sampling Cajamarca’s renowned cheeses and chocolate or soak in the ancient Incan Hot Springs of Banos del Inca. In the evening we meet at 6 p.m. in the hotel lobby for a group welcome dinner.

Day 1: After breakfast we will board a private van or bus and begin our journey over the highlands. As we wind through the green, rolling hills it is hard to believe you are already 2000-3000m (6000-9000 ft.) in elevation. Passing through the town of Celendin we will see various pieces of artwork and graffiti showing the peoples’ struggle to retain their cultural identity and healthy environment, which is often at odds with the largest gold mining developments in the world, and over 20 dams proposed on the Marañón.

From Celendin it’s a short drive until we reach the top of the Marañón Valley. It is here you will get an idea of the real scale of this mighty river as it cleaves its way through the Andes. The paved road drops through several distinct zones: from cloud cloaked farmlands high on the mountain to lush green pastures and down into the dry forests that the Marañón is famous for.

Around midday we will arrive in Balsas, gateway to the Marañón. After lunch in a local restaurant, we will introduce the Marañón Experience crew who will be hosting your journey. From here, we will prepare to launch. After packing bags and fitting everyone with the right gear, we will complete a thorough safety briefing. The journey truly starts when we pass under the bridge and plunge into the Balsas rapid (III), just a taste of what is to come. A short way downstream we will complete a set of rescue drills, allowing each raft crew to become one united team, prepared for the journey ahead. As a passenger, you will be travelling in a 16’ oar assisted raft, guided by a highly trained and experienced river guide; your safety net will be made up of safety kayakers and a cataraft.

After arriving at our first camp we will go through camp orientation before settling down around the fire to enjoy drinks and a 3-course dinner. Allow the sounds of a crackling fire and the river flowing past gently lull you to sleep.

Day 2: We will wake to the shining sun, greeted by the warmth of a desert canyon. Breakfast and a side of local fruits will be served before we break camp and get on the river for our first full day.

Shortly downstream we will stop at Playa el Cura. Here you have the option of hiking up to the ancient cliff-top ruins for some of the most picturesque vistas overlooking the Marañón River. After lunch we continue downstream through scenic class III rapids before arriving at camp.

Day 3: First up after breakfast is the ‘El Choclon’ rapid (III-IV); after a technical start, the huge wave train will always leave you smiling. We will then arrive at the riverside village of Mendán about mid-morning.

It’s a short hike to town through picturesque fruit plantations – trees heavy with oranges, mangos, bananas and coconuts. Local people will give us a tour of the village, and you will see exactly why these people are fighting for their homes and a quiet, organic way of life. You will see messages painted on walls all throughout the village. “No to Chadin II” and “Marañón Sin Represas”. This village rejects dams on the Marañón. For most people it is an emotional experience seeing that such a beautiful, friendly town could be underwater within a matter of years. We will take lunch in the village, try an assortment of local fruits and then head back to the river.
From here, it is continuous class III fun until we reach camp on ‘Playa La Mushka,’ just outside the village of Tupén. Local villagers wave a friendly welcome as we pull up to camp. Our friends from Tupén may join us in the evening around the campfire to share stories of life on the river and the struggle to protect it.

Day 4: After breakfast, there is the option to rest and relax in camp, or to hike to the Tupén waterfall. We will hike along a picturesque creek and up to the Chavez family Cacao plantation. We will see how cacao is grown, picked, fermented and dried until it is finally shipped out of the steep valley on the backs of mules. Continuing through the small ‘chakras’ (sections of farmed land) of fruit and cacao we will arrive at the waterfall where you can shower and relax in an incredible location. On our way back down the valley we will share lunch at the Chavez-Rivera family home, nestled in amongst the coconuts and cacao. (Note: Hiking onwards from the Chavez-Rivera homestead is difficult and recommended for experienced hikers only.)

In the afternoon you can relax at the beach camp, swim in the river or side creek, or head into town to play soccer and volleyball with the local kids. In the evening, we will have a campfire and social night on the beach, inviting the local kids and their parents to join us under the stars.

Day 5: After waving good-bye to our friends in Tupén, we will embark on a day full of class III-IV rapids, action packed fun until we reach the proposed Chadin II dam site. We will take some time here to photograph and imagine what this canyon could become if the dam goes ahead.

Today we arrive into the most remote stretches of this section of the Marañón. It is possible that we may not see any other people until the final day of our trip; this also means we are coming into the heart of the whitewater on this section of river. Today we navigate the imposing ‘Playa el Inca’ and ‘Magdalena’ rapids, with numerous other grade II-III rapids in between an optional hike in the afternoon and camp on a remote, pristine beach in the heart of the canyon.

Day 6: We float through a stunning deep canyon, admiring the scenery as vegetation and rock subtly changes. Soon we arrive at LinLin, the largest rapid we will encounter on this section of the river. Everyone has the option to scout, take photos and walk this rapid if they do not feel comfortable.

After the adrenalin of LinLin, we will bounce through several more rapids, with the option to hike up a side canyon before arriving at the Cascadas Camp. Here we can relax at camp early and enjoy sunset over the valley.

Day 7: After breakfast we explore the incredible ‘Cascadas,’ a geological phenomenon occurring as a creek drops off the plateau above, forming a series of waterfalls, each ending in a pool perfect for swimming and relaxing. There is nothing better than soaking in the pools while you take in the view of the Marañón flowing timelessly past.

After lunch we put back on the river and navigate through arguably one of the most scenic sections of the entire Marañón River. Red walled sandstone and lush green shrubs clinging to the walls give an unmistakable prehistoric feel; as the birds notice our quiet approach, they take flight shrieking from the trees. We soon arrive to explore the acoustic Amazon Cave before continuing down to camp. This will be our final night camping on the river, and we give thanks for the kind people and stunning locations that we have gotten to know along the way.

Day 8: After navigating the last rapids of our journey, we will arrive at Puerto Malleta for a final celebratory lunch with the whole team. We will then drive to Jaén, where we will stay at Gotas de Agua private conservation area enjoying the multitudes of bird sounds, and have one last night in the Dry Forests of the Marañón. We will have a farewell dinner this evening.

Day 0: Departure from Jaén, you can fly directly back to Lima, take an overnight bus to Lima or continue traveling in the north of Peru.

Onward Travel:

There are dozens of incredible places to visit in Northern Peru, and the best part is that you will not have to compete with the same kind of crowds that you would around Cusco.

Some suggested areas of interest are:

• Visit the mountainous town of Chachapoyas.
• Hike or horseback to the stunning Gocta Waterfall – one of the tallest in the world
• Explore the pre-Incan mountain top fortress of Kuelap.
• A tour of the jungle sections of the Marañón. Visit traditional Awajún villages; ride in ‘peky-peky’ fishing boats to experience the river as it grows enormously in size and character to become a true jungle giant. While incredibly beautiful, it can be overwhelming to see this area with the knowledge of the constant oil spills and planned hydroelectric developments.

**The MAY trip includes Kuelap and Gocta Waterfall
Kuelap was the capital of the pre-Incan Chachapoyas culture (People of the Clouds). The city is built on top of a mountain (9,840 feet), surrounded by cloud forest and ancient block walls up to 65 feet high. While walking over the site and admiring the ancient architecture, you will also be surrounded by the nature of the highlands. The archeologists have cleaned and repaired many of the buildings, to give you a better idea of what this city must have looked like, but many of the 500 rustic walls, structures and buildings are still covered with lush vegetation, including bromeliads and orchids (especially in May).

The Gocta Waterfall day starts with healthy breakfast at the hotel with distant view of Gocta waterfall (2,530 ft feet). After breakfast we depart for the hike to Gocta Waterfall. This waterfall is a recent discovery. On March 11, 2006 a team of specialists measured for the first time this hidden waterfall and discovered that it has height of 2,530 feet! This makes it one of the highest waterfall in the world. To reach this waterfall you will walk along a beautiful dirt trail of about 3 miles (~ 2 hours). Walking through the cloud forest towards and away from the waterfall you will see a great variety of plants and flowers and have a chance to see toucans, humming birds and maybe even some monkeys. Afternoon relax at the affinity pool overlooking one of the most beautiful waterfalls and canyons in Peru.