NORTH – AMAZON REGION

Chiclayo
The department of Lambayeque is located on the coastal plain and combines arid zones, rich valleys, and dry forests. Chiclayo, bordered by fertile valleys and very close to the ocean, is the capital of the department and the commercial nexus among the three Peruvian regions: coast, highland, and jungle.
This territory was the cradle of the Mochicas, who lived there between the first and fourth centuries A.D., which makes Lambayeque one of the most interesting archeological destinations in the country. It was in 1987 that the famous royal tombs of Sipán were discovered, the burial remains of an important Mochican ruler. Besides the Sipán archeological site, you can visit the modern Royal Tombs of Sipán Museum that contains the most extraordinary gold pieces found in the excavations. Likewise, it is worth a visit to the Brunning Museum, located in the province of Lambayeque, and to the Sicán Museum, located in the province of Ferreñafe.
Túcume is another archeological site of unique beauty. There, you will see more than twenty adobe pyramids, all approximately forty meters high, that belong to the Lambayeque culture and which are nestled in an area full of wildlife and abundant vegetation. Another must see in Lambayeque is the Chaparrí Ecological Reserve, located in the district of Chongoyape. Here, the dry forests and the biodiversity they shelter are preserved.
Lambayeque also boasts one of the best cuisines in the country: exquisite rice with duck competes with cebiche in a competition where the gourmands are always the winners. The lovely port and beach resort of Pimentel and the tradition town of Saña with its Colonial houses and churches in ruins round out the attractions of this fascinating department.

Loreto
Loreto is the largest yet least populated department in Peru. It is covered by dense vegetation and by primary and secondary jungle with low hills and slightly rolling landscape, crisscrossed by the many rivers of the Amazon River basin, which is born at the confluence of the Marañon and Ucayali Rivers.
Iquitos, the capital of Loreto, is the main port city on the Amazon River and the largest city in the Peruvian jungle. Different indigenous people groups like the Cocama, Huitoto, and Bora first inhabited the area. Then came the Jesuit missionaries who founded the city. At the end of the nineteenth century was when Iquitos experienced its greatest economic glory due to the rubber industry. The economic bonanza meant that luxurious buildings like the art noveau Palace Hotel and the Iron House, designed by the famous French architect Gustave Eiffel, were constructed there.
In contrast to these buildings, you find the homes in the Belen neighborhood that are constructed on top of rafts and pylons to protect them from the flooding of the river. One of the best attractions in Loreto is navigating on the rivers and lakes and enjoying the beautiful beaches.
The Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve (2,080,000 hectares), the largest reserve in Peru, is located 183 kilometers from the city and is home to numerous plant and animal species, many of them in danger of extinction like the charapa river turtle, the giant river otter, the black caiman, and the river dolphin.
Likewise, the Allpahuayo-Mishana National Reserve (58,000 hectares) protects the largest concentration of white sand forests, or varillales as they are known in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest. This happens to be one of the best areas to go for bird-watching. //In addition to these national reserves, there are also numerous private reserve.