Roaming South America

Oxapampa, Perú

April 8, 2024

Oxapampa, Perú, sits at an elevation of 1814 meters (5951 feet) at the center of Perú. This region is called Selva Alta, or High Jungle. The economy is supported mostly by raising cattle and growing coffee. This little town has countless tour agencies and coffee shops, which serve locally grown coffee. The Huancabamba River runs through the middle of the city, which is in a small valley.

This valley had been occupied by the indigenous people called Yánesha for ages before the first Europeans arrived. In 1635, missionaries of the Franciscan church arrived and started their evangelizing work and exploring the surrounding jungles. In 1742, the indigenous people rebelled against the newcomers, which went on for some 13 years. By the end of that time, five area missions were decimated. In 1763, more expeditions were organized and carried out and they reestablished some of the old missions. Between 1837 and 1840, José Rufino Cárdenas settled in the area. Some 16 years later, he thought about the possibility of bring settlers into the valley. He along with Esteban Bravo and Gregorio Rivera, held meetings with the local prefect, and agreed to bring Austro-German settlers into the valley. The Austro-Germans who arrived in Oxapampa perfected their cultivation techniques, the genetic crossbreeding of plants, and breeding animals, they increased the cultivation areas and started the lumber industry. In 1899, the first official map of the city of Oxapampa was drawn up. In 1925, the developing area was elevated to a district, and in 1928, the first town plan was drawn up. In 1929, the first school was built and it was for boys only. Then in 1940, the town church was built at the plaza, the church is made entirely of wood (see photos in the photo album).

The region around Oxapampa is loaded with places to visit, and the many tour agencies in town attest to that. This is a very popular tourist destination town. You won't be left in want for a place to stay even if you do not make reservations ahead of time (I never do during my travels in South America).

The climate of Oxapampa is classified as sub-tropical with warm summers and cool winters. The average daily high is 25.5° C (78° F), while the nightly average temp is 11.3° (52.3° F). The valley averages 3473mm (136.8 inches) of rain per year. The humidity is 85% - 93% which is high but with the lower temps not bad at all.

I am staying at a hostel called Refugio de Orquideas (Refuge of Orchids). It's a very nice hostel with a few rooms in one building and several cabins. The owner gives guests a walking tour of the jungle on the property and tells you about the medicinal plants, how to use them, and what to use them for; she tells you about the many different orchids on the property, and the plants and trees. She doesn't speak English but she does know how to speak Spanish slowly for foreigners. They also get visited by a pair of parrots every day and a few monkeys occasionally. About six kilometers outside of town in another valley is a tiny town, a village, called Chontabamba. It's very small and has numerous shops for handcraft-type stuff but also an ice cream shop with the best ice cream that the owner makes in Oxabamba. And, about fix kilometers from Oxapampa is an upside-down house. Yes, it's upside-down, there are pics in the photo album. And, everything in the house is mounted over head on the overhead floor. The town is definitely a place to visit if you are on a tour of Perú and passing through the center of the country.