Just 3km from downtown Tarapoto lies this section of the Aréa de Conservación Regional Cordillera Escalera, which protects dense jungle around the upper Río Shilcayo. The zone is populated by monkeys and many bird species, and there are five rarely visited waterfalls plus a fantastic natural lookout. Some trails become unpassable when very wet.
The local community has formed a tourism cooperative and offers guides for a number of treks, ranging from short trips to the waterfalls to two-night treks finishing on the other side of the reserve at the Yurimaguas highway. They also run a simple jungle hostal (per visitor S20) in the middle of the reserve.
