Chazuta: Pottery, Waterfall and Cocoa

Chazuta: pottery, nature and cocoa

For a stay in Chazuta, you can focus on several specific highlights: the town’s pottery tradition, funerary urns and the Centro Cultural Wasichay, as well as the Cascada de Tununtunumba in the district and cocoa-related activities. These themes also differ in terms of planning: reaching the waterfall involves a two-hour hike, while pottery and cocoa offer different cultural and economic perspectives.

Pottery and cultural heritage

Chazuta pottery was declared National Cultural Heritage in 2012; the designation is permanent. The recognition honors the age-old production techniques and the iconography used, as well as the uninterrupted passing down of knowledge through generations. It also recognizes the pottery’s aesthetic qualities and its social significance and role in shaping the community’s identity.

At the Centro Cultural Wasichay, the first exhibition room presents an ethnographic collection of modern and traditional pottery from Chazuta. The center has four areas open to visitors. Here, “ethnographic” means that the collection places pottery in its cultural context; modern and traditional pieces offer two perspectives on the same local craft tradition.

Visitor information from 2025 mentions several funerary urns in the Plaza de Armas and the Museo In Situ, which displays funerary urns from Chazuta and is located 100 meters from the main plaza. Since exhibitions may change, check what is currently on display before your visit.

Cascada de Tununtunumba in the district

Cascada de Tununtunumba is in the district of Chazuta, on the left bank of the Río Huallaga, in an upper-jungle mountain forest ecosystem. Access is via a trail leading to a two-tiered waterfall; the hike takes two hours. Activities at the waterfall include hiking, swimming and birdwatching. The two-hour hike is a key factor in planning your time. Check the trail conditions before your visit, as they may change.

Cocoa: cultivation, practical training and processing

Chakra Pasikiwi offers agrotourism. The 4.5-hectare farm is located in the foothills of the Cordillera Azul in the district of Chazuta. Its products include cocoa and honey; other organic crops are also grown. Confirm arrangements for visits before traveling.

In Chazuta, Allima offers technical practical training in circular economy, cooperatives and organic cocoa cultivation. Confirm availability before traveling. Mishky Cacao is a group of local women producers who process cocoa into artisan products. The three cocoa-related activities have different roles: Chakra Pasikiwi focuses on agrotourism and production, Allima on technical practical training, and Mishky Cacao on processing by local women producers.

Discover more destinations: Cuñumbuque, Lamas, Moyobamba, Puerto Franco, Tarapoto, Leimebamba, La Florida.

For the regional travel overview: San Martín.