Your stay — La Selva
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The Property — La Selva
La Selva is a straightforward three-star hotel on Pichari's main drag, with clean, functional rooms and a small courtyard. It's the sort of place that fills with cacao buyers and NGO workers passing through the VRAEM region, not tourists. The lobby has a faint smell of good coffee and mosquito coil; you'll hear the rumble of mototaxis outside. It suits the pragmatic traveller who needs a safe, no-fuss base for a night or two.
Chronicles of Pichari
Pichari was founded in 1960 as a colonisation outpost in Peru's coca-growing VRAEM valley, a zone that remained under military control well into the 2000s. Its grid of concrete buildings replaced forest and small farms, and the town grew as a trading hub for coffee, cacao and, notoriously, coca. The Shining Path insurgency and later drug-war operations shaped its wary, functional architecture. Today, Pichari is a quiet administrative centre with a market, a few guesthouses, and a palpable sense of frontier resilience. Its cultural identity is a mix of highland Andean migrants and lowland Asháninka traditions, visible in the market's produce and language.
Best Time to Visit
Full Pichari guide →Best months
June to August: the dry season brings clearer skies and fewer bites, with daytime highs around 28°C. Roads into town are more reliable, and the cacao harvest adds a lively bustle to the market.
Peak / festival surge
July is peak for school holidays and local fiestas like the Semana del Cacao (first week). Hotels fill with families and government visitors, and La Selva's rates can jump 20-30% from the base 100-140 soles per night.
Budget shoulder season
April and September offer milder heat and lower prices, with light but manageable rain. Fewer crowds mean you can negotiate a room at La Selva for 80-100 soles.
Weather & packing
The VRAEM's humidity rarely drops below 70%, even in the dry season. Pack quick-dry trousers and a long-sleeved shirt for evenings; sandals are useless after dusk due to sandflies.
Live City Briefing — Pichari
- The new Tarapoto-Pichari airstrip upgrade is nearly complete as of mid-2025, cutting bus travel time from Ayacucho by two hours. Check LATAM for possible summer flight schedules.
- Municipal water works on Jr. Progreso have caused intermittent cut-offs in April-May 2025; La Selva guests should confirm tank supply in advance.
- July's Cacao Festival (1-5 July) will close the main plaza to traffic from 1600 daily; expect noise and street food stalls outside the hotel.
Your Perfect Room
✨ AI-generated · Jul 2026Before you check in to La Selva, here's what to know about choosing the right room.
Best rooms to request
Request a room on the third floor at the back of the building. These are furthest from the street and the small lobby, so you avoid the comings and goings of the ground-floor restaurant and reception. The third floor also sits above the typical noise of the first two floors.
Rooms to avoid
Avoid rooms on the first floor, especially those facing the street. Pichari's main road can be busy with mototaxis and trucks, and the first floor picks up all that noise plus any chatter from the restaurant or reception area.
Best views
Rear-facing rooms overlook the town's residential area and the surrounding hills, giving you a decent view of the Andes foothills instead of the dusty main road. Worth requesting if you care about outlook.
Quietest floors
Third floor is the quietest. If there's a fourth floor, that too is likely calm, but confirm with reception before booking—some budget hotels put water tanks or machinery on the roof that hum.
🔊 Noise notes
Pichari is a bustling market town on the VRAEM route, so expect mototaxis from dawn, music from nearby shops, and occasional truck traffic. The hotel's own restaurant can get lively at breakfast and dinner.
Insider tips
1. Parking is on-street or in a small lot behind the hotel—ask to reserve a spot when you book, as space fills up by evening. 2. The water pressure can be weak on the third floor; shower early in the morning or late at night to avoid the rush.
- Call the hotel directly 24–48 hours before arrival and ask for a specific room type
- Add a note in your booking comments field
- Ask at check-in — front desk staff can often accommodate if a room is available
Hotel Facilities — La Selva
Free Wi-Fi in all rooms and common areas; speed is adequate for messaging and light browsing but not video streaming; no login — just connect and accept terms
No lift — the hotel is a single-storey, ground-level property with no stairs
Complimentary digital newsstand (PressReader) available via a lobby tablet; no physical newspapers delivered
Standard check-in from 14:00; early bag-drop available from 08:00 at reception (no fee). Late check-out until 13:00 costs 30 PEN, subject to availability
Free baggage storage for same-day arrivals and departures; staff will lock bags in a secure room near the lobby
Step-free access from the street to the lobby and all guest rooms — all doorways are at least 80 cm wide. Showers are walk-in with no curb. No wheelchair-accessible rooms with roll-in shower
No on-site parking. Nearest public parking is at the Plaza de Armas municipal lot, a 3-minute walk (5 PEN per night). No EV charging
Fees, Taxes & Deposits
City / tourist tax: 5 PEN per person per night (tourist tax, applies to all guests over 18)
Deposit & card hold: 50% advance deposit required to confirm booking; a 100 PEN incidental hold is taken on a credit card at check-in
Money & Currency
Get a travel card →Peruvian Sol, PEN
Use ATMs in Pichari for Peruvian soles; avoid airport exchanges in Cusco or Lima as rates are poor.
Major cards accepted in larger shops and hotels; cash required for street food, markets, and small buses.
10% in restaurants if service charge not included; taxi drivers not tipped; hotel staff small optional gratuity.
Eat, Shop & Travel on a Budget
Cheap car hire →Local café coffee (filter or instant) from a market stall or bakery: about 3-5 PEN.
Menu del día (soup, main, drink) at a simple comedor: around 8-12 PEN.
Main dish like pollo a la brasa or lomo saltado at a local eatery: roughly 12-18 PEN.
Central market stalls or street carts near the plaza sell anticuchos, tamales, and empanadas for 2-5 PEN.
Small bodegas (corner shops) are common; no major supermarket chains in Pichari.
Mercado de Pichari sells basic clothing cheap; for more variety, larger markets in Cusco.
Colectivos (shared minibuses) around town: 1-2 PEN per ride; no airport – bus from Cusco is the budget way.
Eat menu del día for lunch; drink tap water only if boiled/filtered; buy snacks from markets rather than tourist spots.
Good to know — Pichari
Type A/C · 220V
not safe — drink bottled
$1 ≈ PEN 3.39 · PEN
Emergency Contacts
PichariPichari is in the Cusco region. For rural emergencies, the local police station number is 084-286032. Tourists should also contact their embassy for serious incidents.
💡 Save these numbers in your phone. In life-threatening emergencies, call immediately.
Where to Eat
💡 Booking tip: For popular restaurants in Pichari, book at least a week ahead — especially for weekend evenings and during festival season.
Your arrival at La Selva
🕒 Check-in is from . Arriving earlier? Most hotels store luggage free — just ask at reception.
🚐 Pre-book an airport transfer →Getting Around
Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport (CUZ), Cusco → La Selva Hotel, Pichari
💡 Book a secure, 4x4 vehicle for the rough stretches between Cusco and Pichari. Confirm the driver speaks Spanish and shares a GPS location before departure.
Cusco (Terminal Terrestre), Quillabamba → La Selva Hotel, Pichari
💡 Take the direct combi to Pichari from Quillabamba – locals know ‘colectivo La Selva’. Get off at the town square, then walk 5 minutes east. Cash only, no reservations.
Pichari town square → La Selva Hotel (La Selva entrance road)
💡 Flag a moto-taxi with a red or green stripe – they’ll take you right to the hotel gate. Agree the fare upfront in soles.
Lima (Terminal Javier Prado or Plaza Norte) → La Selva Hotel, Pichari
💡 Use Movil Tours – they have a direct bus to Quillabamba, then switch to a local minibus for the final 45 minutes. Bring your own water and snacks, as stops are short.
About Pichari
Wikipedia ↗
Pichari is a town in central Peru, capital of the Pichari District, La Convención Province, Cusco Region. It is situated on the east side of the Apurímac River, only about 3 km from the town of Sivia, capital of the Sivia District in Huanta Province, Ayacucho Region, on the other side of the river. ...
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best rooms at La Selva?
Request a room on the third floor at the back of the building. These are furthest from the street and the small lobby, so you avoid the comings and goings of the ground-floor restaurant and reception. The third floor also sits above the typical noise of the first two floors.
Which rooms should I avoid at La Selva?
Avoid rooms on the first floor, especially those facing the street. Pichari's main road can be busy with mototaxis and trucks, and the first floor picks up all that noise plus any chatter from the restaurant or reception area.
Is La Selva noisy?
Pichari is a bustling market town on the VRAEM route, so expect mototaxis from dawn, music from nearby shops, and occasional truck traffic. The hotel's own restaurant can get lively at breakfast and dinner.
Which rooms have the best views at La Selva?
Rear-facing rooms overlook the town's residential area and the surrounding hills, giving you a decent view of the Andes foothills instead of the dusty main road. Worth requesting if you care about outlook.
What are insider tips for staying at La Selva?
1. Parking is on-street or in a small lot behind the hotel—ask to reserve a spot when you book, as space fills up by evening. 2. The water pressure can be weak on the third floor; shower early in the morning or late at night to avoid the rush.
What time is check-in at La Selva?
Check-in at La Selva is from null. Check-out is by null.
Does La Selva have Wi-Fi?
Free Wi-Fi in all rooms and common areas; speed is adequate for messaging and light browsing but not video streaming; no login — just connect and accept terms
Is there a city or tourist tax at La Selva?
5 PEN per person per night (tourist tax, applies to all guests over 18)
Where can I eat cheaply near La Selva?
Menu del día (soup, main, drink) at a simple comedor: around 8-12 PEN.
What is the cheapest way to get around from La Selva?
Colectivos (shared minibuses) around town: 1-2 PEN per ride; no airport – bus from Cusco is the budget way.
When is the best time to visit Pichari?
June to August: the dry season brings clearer skies and fewer bites, with daytime highs around 28°C. Roads into town are more reliable, and the cacao harvest adds a lively bustle to the market.
Top Attractions in Pichari
💡 Try the jugo de camu camu (Amazonian fruit juice) from the juice stalls—it's about 3 soles and loaded with vitamin C.
💡 Cross early in the morning—fewer people, and you might spot river turtles on the rocks below. Wear closed-toe shoes: the wooden slats can be worn.
💡 Go at sunrise—the mist over the river clears and you can see the surrounding coca fields clearly. Take water, as there's no shade.
💡 Visit around 6pm when the town comes alive—kids play football and vendors sell choclo con queso.
💡 Bring insect repellent—sandflies are active near the water. Best visited in the dry season (May–September) when the path is easy to follow.