This is a beautiful palm forest and a great example of local people seeing the destruction of deforestation and deciding to protect their land from further destruction. The forest was recognized in 2012 as “Area de Conservación Privada” by the Peruvian government. The flora is unique due to the specific microclimate and it harbors endangered species like spectacled bears and several monkey species.

There is a small group of women who protect the area and are developing it for tourism. They have built orchid gardens and developed hiking trails for visitors. It’s quite far from everything, which makes it hard for them to get enough tourists and funding, so if you have time you should go support them!

This blog about the forest is in Spanish but has a great video so you can get a glimpse of what their forest offers.