A city in the middle of the Peruvian jungle

The jungles charm and its people are part of the well deserved success. Considering that it is considered one of the places where the people are happiest because they are lucky to be in direct contact with nature and a beauty that some people in other cities of the world could only dream of.

The rich jungle, its people and its natural wealth. Tingo María!

Small, busy, happy... this is how I remember the city of Tingo María. One of the cities that gave me a warm welcome when I visited the Central Jungle. A place that foreigners rarely travel around and the majority of its visitors are thanks to domestic tourism.

A dream...

When I think about this detail, I remember Cuzco and how the city is full of tourists to the point that you couldn't even fit one more pin. If only they knew that in Peru we have so much to offer and that they could be in contact with nature without being too far from the city, as well as being able to visit every interesting place that is in it.

My memories of the central jungle are from a trip that I took with my friend from university while we had a break from Lima. We took the bus from Javier Prado avenue, but not before visiting other cities that were along the way.

I thought that Tingo María seemed like one of the best alternatives to get to know the jungle. Here, you will find the warmth of being in a heavenly place, where nature welcomes you with open arms.

A green and wonderful city and nature

The fact that this city is crowned by mountains that are in the shape of a woman, is what makes it so famous today. Have you heard of it?I am talking about Sleeping Beauty, like in the Disney fairy tales. The mountains in Tingo María are perfectly formed in the shape of a sleeping woman. It is on these mountains where you can find many animals and a wide variety of plants. This place is Tingo María National Park.

The lagoon that was like a mirror

However, I don't want to get too far ahead of all the things that you can enjoy in Tingo Maria. For example, the hidden places, landscapes that seem to be taken from an adventure story. One of the first places I was able to visit was the lagoon of "The Miracle". With its white clouds and sky that looked like a paradise without leaving this humanities earth, which is gradually destroying what mother nature gave us for free.

Summary of places that I visited:

I can give you a general list of places that you can explore in and around Tingo María:

• Laguna el Milagro (Lagoon of Miracles)
• Tingo María National Park
• Panoramic view of 'La Bella Durmiente' (Sleeping Beauty)
• Cueva de las lechuzas (Cave of the Owls)
• The turquoise lagoon near the National Park
• Trapiche bar
• The centre of the city
• Serpentario (Animal Paradise)
• The museum of stuffed animals and the university of Tingo María.
• 'Velo de la novia' waterfall.

Here is one of the pictures of the place I mentioned, 'Laguna el Milagro'. It was one of the places that I remember most from my trip.

Not only because I could see it, but I could also feel it. For the first time in my life, I was able to swim in a lagoon, feeling the current of the cold and hot water at the same time. The tour guide who took me and my friend, told us to cover our faces in mud, to have skin like "a baby's bum" and for me, on my way to this lagoon, the main agent was its silence so that little by little, I was able to be surprised by Tingo María, the land of the charming Sleeping Beauty.

Visiting Tingo María is not only to see its lagoons, it is also to see its wide rivers with their extensive flows which then join into the most fast-flowing river in the world. I am sure that you have heard of the one I am talking about, The Amazon River, one of the natural wonders of the world.

What joy and pride, Peruvians must feel to know that it is right in our country that the Amazon River is born. It would be much more wonderful if we start to value the details that make up the nature of our jungle, to turn it into an oasis. Tingo María has everything you need to escape from the stress of your day to day life, whether you are studying or working, it is always good to take a break and what better way to do it than in the middle of nature.

You may notice that in Tingo María, there are 'cholos' or 'moto taxis' on almost every street, as a means of public transport that go anywhere you can imagine. To my own surprise, Tingo María is less than an hour and a half from the city of Huanúco which is part of the mountain range. So just like that, you can take the opportunity to visit two wonderful places in one trip. Take advantage, experience every detail, you are in a real paradise.

Being in Tingo María was one of the best experiences that I have had in my life. The climate is tropical, it can rain as if you are under the shower in your bathroom, but then it can be as hot as if you are by the oven in your kitchen.

The accommodation in this area, where the cost of living is lower than the city of Lima where I come from, is a gift. You can find different accommodation in one of its main squares from 30 soles per night.

For example, I stayed around a square which is one of the main ones in Tingo María. When I arrived, I had no problem getting information about where to go, because the girl at the reception, contacted a local guide, with whom we started our journey around the most beautiful places in this blessed land.

The jungle has its charm, it is one of the areas with the greatest biodiversity on the planet and because of this, their dishes are blessed with fruits that you can only find here, fruits that are so nutritious that if you eat them for life you will have good health, like we all want. For example, popular fruits here are aguaje and camu-camu. Not to forget the exquisite gastronomy with delicious dishes such as Juane (rice, meat, olives, egg wrapped in macaw-flower leaves) and Tacacho con cecina (roasted plantain with pork).

Here is one of the dishes that you could try in an outdoor restaurant which is facing the Laguna el Milagro. It is strong and served well, accompanied by natural juice and jungle garlic that you can only try in places like Tingo María:

Nature, if what you are looking for is adventure then you have come to the perfect place since in Tingo Maria, there are interesting points, not only in the surrounding areas but also inside the city. You should have in a list of priorities when you come here, for example one of the places where I experienced nature was in a snake sanctuary, where you might think that I would only encounter snakes, but it is not like that, I met little monkeys like the ones in the following picture:

That was on one side, and on the other side there were silent crocodiles, waiting to capture their prey. If you would like to see this kind of animal then come to Tingo María, since here, animals are everywhere and many of them are in their natural habitat.

And like I was saying, the snake sanctuary in Tingo María is a place where the protagonists are the snakes themselves, which many of us may be afraid of. However coming here helped me understand the role that these animals play in nature since even their venom can be used as a medicine.

Here you will find a lot of snakes, in all sizes and colours and if you are more advanced, you can pay the guide a few coins and take them out of their cage for a photo and feel like me. This cold temperature on your skin would make you tremble but you have to experience it anyway, make the most of it! If you do, don't be afraid, the snakes won't hurt you, it is like you are doing an extreme sport.

And to go back to the topic of food, one of the things that I loved the most was the breakfast. Look at this power breakfast, as we would say, that I had in Tingo María, the city of la bella durmiente (Sleeping Beauty). It was just perfect to work up anyones appetite and give you energy for the rest of the day.

On the other hand, I know that in terms of food, I have given you clear information that in Tingo María, you will eat wonders, but what about drinks. For example, they say that there are exotic drinks in the jungle that would make ore than one person fall in love and set others in search of happiness.

As well as having funny names like "viejo verde" (dirty old man) or "rompe calzón" (Bust your britches). The creativity of the people from Tingo María is surprising.

One of the spots that I wanted tot recommend was the bar, Trapiche, which is in Tingo María square. For example I only went here once since my friend didn't want to go out and stayed in the accommodation. I sat down at the bar and asked for different cocktails, four in total. I told the girl who was serving me at at the bar that this was my first time coming here and that I wanted to taste all of the drinks that she thought were good for my first experience there.

Flavours that went beyond mint, there were other fruits from the jungle were included in these drinks more, and they gave each one a special flavour:

I also remember that just at that moment, it started to rain as if the sky was falling down and after having almost three or four cocktails, I was practically already tipsy (not to say drunk). It was time to go back to the accommodation and rest since I was going to visit the Owl Caves the next day. Now that I stop to think about it, this was the last time that I was drunk in my life. I am not exaggerating this is the honest truth. I have not got drunk again like I did that time. I remember that I was so drunk that I took my camera and videoed myself running through the rain and laughing like the naked madman because for me, Tingo María's blessed rain was refreshing.

I think that it was a good way to make the alcohol wear off and now it has been almost one and a half years since I last drank alcohol. Now I remember these moment, I am happy that my send off was in the charming Peruvian jungle, in the green Tingo María.

As I was already telling you, after spending my drunken night with the delicious cocktails, it was time to continue discovering more about the nature of Tingo Maria. Therefore, my friend and I went with the guide in his his mototaxi, to the Caves of the Owls, where, to your surprise, are no owls, but other animals! These animals are called Guácharos (Oil birds) and the cave is really big and dark so you can't see them as much as you can hear them.

It is complicated to access but children can do it without any problem, if you decide to bring one with you. When you are inside the Cave of the Owls, you will be able to admire all of the rock formations that you could imagine, from saints and characters to animals. It is a good chance to let your imagination go wild and allow yourself to be carried away by all that the Cave of the Owls have to offer.

I have to mention that the Cave of the Owls is located in Tingo María National Park which is enormous and thanks to its status, it is now protected by the Peruvian state. What a gift of nature this park is.

If you think that I finished my adventure in the jungle You were wrong! :S Dear friends, there is even more. As soon as I left the park in Tingo María, I found somewhere to buy some souvenirs of my trip to the jungle, such as key rings and decorations for the house, among other things.

On the outskirts of the park, a couple of meters from the entrance we found a restaurant where I ordered delicious main dish. I had fish with fried plantain which I was more than happy to eat in the jungle where you eat well and for a very low price.

When I thought that I had seen everything, I was completely wrong because a few more metres from where we went to eat, there was an oasis of turquoise waters. The guide offered to bring us here and it was then that, without thinking, we were venturing to get to know a new place in Tingo María, how funny! It is magical how only the place can know.

It emanates natural waters that give, above all, a completely relaxing experience, as well as it being considered medicinal, although I don't believe in this. The entry fee to this area costs just one sol and you can stay as long as you want :) I made the most of my evening here! Relaxing and being one with nature at the same time.

From the viewpoint which is in the centre of the city, I could walk around with my friends in part of the nature that is here and marvel at the nature of the city and the magic of this place. Without a doubt, the Sleeping Beauty is the decoration like the queen of the city. Here is one of the pictures that I have from the viewpoint which is found without leaving the city.

Thinking that along these green mountains, there is a great variety of flora and fauna, is something that we should all experience at least once in our lives. I can guarantee you will have fun and that you will recharge your energy, as much as I did while being there breathing fresh air. I couldn't leave this place and I am more than sure that I will go back and continue to find new things that will continue to surprise me.

An economical, paradisiacal and wonderful destination What more could you ask for! Everything is well served at the table, with its delicious food and its warm and friendly people. Do not doubt to come here, dear friends :)

I hope that you liked it! This journey that you too, will soon get to experience, this destination of the Peruvian jungle. A place with a lot of green and nature, as we have through some of the pictures that I have shared with you, so that you will soon be encouraged to visit this part of the jungle. You just want to take your hat off to it, it is a gift from our mother nature.

Conclusion of the trip: there are no words that could sum it up, but I would say it is unique and amazing!