The Central Highlands Sights

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1. Chanchamayo

Tarma sits at more than 3,000 meters (10,000 feet), but it's just a stone's throw from the ceja de selva , where many of Peru's citrus plantations lie. For around S/60, you can organize a day trip from town to visit Chanchamayo's magnificent waterfalls, butterfly-filled forests, and local indigenous groups. These tours take you to the major attractions in the area and typically include a refreshing dip in the 30-meter (98-foot) Tirol Falls, a jungle lunch of cecina (cured pork) or doncella (river fish), a visit to the local Ashaninka tribe at Pampa Michi, and a tasting of local coffees and other artisanal products. If you can't otherwise make it to the Amazon during your time in Peru, this is an inexpensive way to experience the pleasures of jungle living (as well as a welcome escape from the cool highland air). Peru Latino Tarma offers daily tours. It's also possible to take a bus directly to La Merced, the main town in Chanchamayo. There are simple hotels and restaurants surrounding the small plaza, and from there you can undertake excursions that go deeper into the central jungle to the fascinating German-Austrian colony of Oxapampa or the coffee plantations near Villarica.