Catarata de Ahuashiyacu

All around La Catarata de Ahuashiyacu is amazing beauty. 2006.05.13

Jeffrey Maxwell

Catarata de Ahuashiyacu (Laughing Waters Waterfall) is a lovely trip up the side of a mountain.  A local woman in Tarapoto said that when she was teenager 30 years ago, they had to hold onto a cable that ran up the side of the mountain as they climbed over giant rocks and forged steep downhill streams in order to get to the waterfall.  Nowadays, there is a nice trail that is maintained by the District of San Martin, and for a small fee, visitors help to finance the maintenence of the park.  No more climbing over giant rocks here, now stairs have been cut into the stone on the side of the mountain, and several bridges lead the trail across the stream and makes the climb fairly easy for anyone in reasonably healthy condition.  However, this is not recommended for folks with a heart condition or asthma -- it is a bit of a climb, but well worth the small effort.

A trail leads to a ledge at the back of the waterfall, so visitors can actually get close enough to it to get as wet as they want.  Be careful though, because those wet rocks are slippery, and that ledge can be somewhat trecherous if one doesn't watch his footing very closely.  While some kids have jumped in, it is necessary to be very cautious about this, because the pool below the waterfall is only 2.5 meters, as once indicated by the sign that is no longer there.  There is a place near the top of the trail where you can change from your hiking gear into your swim trunks.  But be warned, it is a mountain river that feeds this waterfall, so it is rather cold, and doesn't seem to get easier the longer you stay in it.