Morro de Calzada

The Morro is a lump of forested rock about seven hundred metres high standing alone out of the flat Mayo valley near the village of Calzada, visible for miles across the rice fields, and it is the standard half-day walk out of Moyobamba. The trail from the base climbs steeply through forest for an hour or so, in places on steps and fixed ropes where the ground gets awkward, and comes out on a summit area with a lookout over the whole valley: the Mayo river winding between paddy fields, Moyobamba and Rioja spread out, the Andean foothills behind. The forest on the way up is worth the walk on its own - orchids, bromeliads, plenty of birds - and the hill is protected as a regional conservation area because it is one of the few patches of standing forest left on the valley floor. It is humid and slippery, and the descent is harder than the climb.

What you actually see

• The isolated hill - about seven hundred metres of forest standing out of flat farmland.
• The summit view - the Mayo river, paddy fields and both valley towns.
• The forest trail - orchids, bromeliads and birds on a steep hour-long climb.
• The protected status - one of the last forest patches on the valley floor.

When to go

May to September is drier; the trail is treacherous after rain. Start early to avoid the heat. Three to four hours return from the base.

Honest expectations

Steep and slippery with rope-assisted sections - not a stroll. Hot and extremely humid. Cloud can close the summit view entirely. Facilities at the base are minimal.

Nearby

Moyobamba is east; Rioja and the Alto Mayo forest are west.