It’s an exciting time of the year during the peak harvest season in northern Peru. ElevaFinca is prepared to host clients interested in exploring new and existing relationships with the alliance of cooperatives, along with visits to the newly built Café Selva Norte dry mill near Jaén.
As many have experienced in the past few months, travel delays and flight cancelations are common, which can easily disrupt organized itineraries. One of the most significant changes this year for visiting Jaén is the temporary closure of the airport due to maintenance. Although plans for resuming flights to Jaén are expected to return within the next few months, there remains no official date for scheduled flights to Jaén.
With several of these travel challenges, we have a list of tips and opportunities for your travel to Peru this year.
Lima airport at night. Photo by Andina.
Getting to Jaén
Arrival to Lima airport is the most common starting point for most international travelers. There are basically two viable options for arrival to Jaén from Lima at this time.
Flight & Taxi
Lima to Chiclayo (1 hour flight), Bus/Taxi from Chiclayo to Jaén (5-6hr drive)
Bus or Taxi from Lima to Jaén
Taking a bus to Jaén is the most affordable mode of transportation, but unfortunately, it takes an average of 20-22 hours. The bus fare is around $50-$70 roundtrip. Hiring a taxi will cost significantly more, and likely reduce your drive time by only 1-2 hours.
Staying in Jaén
There are many local options for staying in Jaén with travelers on different budgets. The three most frequently booked by our clients and guests are the following;
Urqu Hotel & Boutique
Urqu is likely the most popular hotel chosen by new and returning clients. The hotel is located on the outskirts of town, yet close enough to the city center to make the commute rather quickly. The rooms and overall facility are well kept, along with spacious dining areas both inside and outside for meetings with clients. Due to its location, it is rather quiet compared to the hotels located in the city center. URQU is one of the more expensive options in Jaén.
Hotel Business Class
As the name reflects, this hotel is focused on travelers that desire a clean and simple place to stay at an affordable price. Some of the rooms come with air conditioning, so make sure to request this option if desired. The hotel is located off the central park square, which comes with the vibe of a busy downtown city area. Although there is limited room for meeting clients, there are plenty of restaurant options within a block radius, along with a few cafes and pharmacies. Hotel Business Class has affordable rates and continues to be on our short list of suggested accomodations.
Hotel Casa del Sol
Hotel Casa del Sol is centrally located a half a block off central park square. There is a wide selection of luxury options and room sizes at affordable rates. As it is slightly off the main square, the rooms tend to be buffered from traffic outside. The city center generally settles down after midnight, but this will mainly depend on the day of the week or local festivities.
Food / Beverage
La Cabaña is a block away from both Hotel Casa del Sol and Hotel Business Class. Across the street from La Cabana is a modern-style coffee shop named Picorana, where you will find traditional third-wave-inspired coffee culture in the center of Jaén.
For more options, you can venture out to La Casita del Cuy, El Parral, or La Hacienda. All restaurants listed will have plenty of great selections to choose from off the menu, including some of the best-prepared cuy and chicha morada served in the country! If you are staying at URQU, the restaurant at the hotel allows guests for an easy rest after a long day of visits to the field. URUQU accommodates open spaces for meetings, dinner, and drinks by the pool.
Arrange a Taxi from Chiclayo to Jaén
Finding a bus ride to Jaén is rather easy and affordable, yet often takes much longer than a taxi. If you would like more information on how to arrange for a taxi, please do not hesitate to reach out to our team for further assistance.
Visit Kuélap
“There is more to Peru than Machu Picchu”, seems to be a common sentiment by many who call northern Peru their home. Kuélap is one of those amazing sites. As many coffee professionals venture to the northern regions, they often do not have the extra time (or budget) to travel south to visit Cuzco and the Sacred Valley. Kuélap is a walled settlement built by the Chachapoyas culture in the 6th century A.D., positioned on the top of a majestic mountaintop overlooking the Utcubamba Valley. The ride up the mountain in the cable cars are worth it alone. From Jaén, plan for a very full day of travel, as it takes roughly 4 hours from Jaén to Kuélap one way, along with possible lines at the cable car station.
Overlooking the Utcubamba Valley at Kuélap
Plan your Trip with ElevaFinca
ElevaFinca offers clients and visitors suggestions for arranging international and domestic flights, along with arranging taxi services, hotel bookings, cooperative visits, farmer field visits, the Café Selva Norte dry mill, and micro-lot cupping sessions that can be catered to the client’s requests.
ElevaFinca has a team in Jaén to help coordinate your visit. We invite clients and potential buyers to tour with our team to discover and learn more about the work ElevaFinca is doing to assist in logistics, contract terms, communication, quality control, and supporting sustainably focused coffee projects.
Lia Montalvo International Logistics responsible & Luis Revilla Traffic Manager from the ElevaFinca Team
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