Ahuashiyacu Falls

Ahuashiyacu drops in a broad white sheet into a shallow green pool inside the Cordillera Escalera conservation area, and it is the easiest waterfall to reach anywhere near Tarapoto: the road passes within a few hundred metres and a paved path with steps covers the rest. That accessibility is the whole story, good and bad. You can swim in the pool, which is cold, shallow at the rim and deeper towards the fall, and the spray reaches the viewing area. The surrounding forest is humid and loud with insects and birds, and the road up from Tarapoto climbs through cloud forest with several viewpoints back over the valley.

What you actually see

• The main drop - a wide sheet of water landing in a green pool you can swim in.
• The pool and rocks - shallow at the edge, deeper under the fall, cold at any time of year.
• The road viewpoints - stops on the climb from Tarapoto looking back over the valley.
• Cordillera Escalera forest - the humid ridge forest that the falls and the road cut through.

When to go

Water runs strong all year in this climate, and the wetter months from October to April push more of it over the lip. Weekday mornings are quiet, weekends and holidays are not. Rain is possible any day and usually arrives in the afternoon. Go early if you want the pool to yourself; the light in the gorge stays flat until mid-morning.

Honest expectations

It is a roadside attraction with a car park, ticket booth and food stalls, so do not expect solitude; on Sundays the pool fills with families and music carries. The path is short but the steps are slippery with spray. The water is cold and the rocks are sharp underfoot. Litter is a recurring problem at busy times.

Nearby

The Laguna Azul at Sauce and the Tarapoto viewpoints are both within a couple of hours.