After either a bus trip or flight into Piura (Northern Peru) we take a 5-6 hr bus ride to Ayabaca (northeastern province). We take another car north on the Carretera Longitudinal de la Sierra to raft the Rio Calvas (Peru / Ecuador border). This river becomes the Macará then joins the Rio Chira. Near the town of El Alamor (81mi) the border turns northwest while the Chira continues southwest. At 90 miles we paddle through the Poechos Reservoir, portage around the Repressa Poechos then raft 7 miles on man-made irrigation canals to rejoin the Chira which takes us to the small beach town of Miramar. Here we'll catch a bus north to El Alto and Cabo Blanco beach where we will windpaddle (sail) 16.5 miles to El Nuro, Organos and Mancora.
KML file (Opens with Google Earth)
Duration
Difficulty
Walking Distance
Rapids Class
Raft Dist Border
Raft Dist River
Raft Dist Ocean
Raft Dist Total
Rafting Duration
River Speed
Water Quality
Bugs?
14D
3 of 5
1-3mi
1-3+
81mi
162mi
16.5mi
178.5mi
6hrs/day
6.5-13kph/4-6mph
Clean to Fair
Yes
Day 1-2 Piura - Sullana - Ayabaca - Rio Calvas
Two bus companies cover the route Piura - Sullana - Ayabaca, or we can book a private car. The trip takes from 5 to 6 hours approximately. After arriving in Ayabaca we will need to find another car whether collectivo (pooled) or private to take us north on the Carretera Longitudinal de la Sierra (3N) to the Calvas river. This area is very remote but we can still find haciendas and agricultural plots as we raft through the gentle subtropical valleys.
Day 3-5 Rio Calvas / Rio Macará border crossings - Zapotillo
The Calvas river is about 60 - 120 ft across and begins with sections of class 2-3 turns. This river is Peru and Ecuador's border so we will be either crossing the border or rafting on it for the first 82 miles. After about 15 miles it mellows out a little more with a slower rate of descent. As we reach the Ecuadorian town of Macará (30 mi) the river's name changes to the Macará until it reaches the confluence with the Ecuadorian Catamayo river to become the Rio Chira. We now raft the Chira towards the northwest which turns to the southwest through unspoiled terrain, very little agriculture or inhabitants until we reach the Peruvian town of Zapotillo (67mi) which is a very peaceful and somewhat touristic town for Peruvians. We can decide as a group whether to camp on the river or book a basic hostal which is usually about S/20 Soles ($6 US).
Day 6-10 El Alamor - Poechos Reservoir - Canal - Chira River - Miramar (Pacific Ocean)
After rafting another 15mi we reach the Ecuadorian town of El Alamor where the border turns towards the northwest but the Chira river flows to the southwest. At 91mi the river begins to widen and soon forms the Poechos Reservoir which we paddle out of and right up to the (1N) highway. We'll pack up for a car portage which will take us a total of 12 miles through the Lacones District and Huaypira then along the reservoir and past the dam where we will get off and walk 1 mile to the Chira river canal (or river). We'll raft this man-made canal (a consistent 40 ft across) for 7 miles through agricutural plots then portage a mile to again packraft the Chira. We'll float by the town of Sullana and under the Panamericana Norte highway bridge then through more farmland and agricultural terraces which have now become surrounded by desert dunes and windblown beach sand. After one last riverbend at Vichayal we can get our first sight of the Pacific Ocean just before pulling into the small beach town of Miramar. We'll stay a night here at a basic hostal.
Day 11-13 El Alto - Cabo Blanco - El Ñuro - Organos - Mancora
In the morning we'll take a bus to the north and drive along the coast for 60 miles to El Alto, a fisherman's town and in my opinion, the best ceviche and parihuela (cioppino) in Peru. Down the cliff, Cabo Blanco is a World Class surfing spot which gets barrels (waves) 2 months out of the year. Next to the break, the pier is always busy hauling in fish. Just north of the pier we'll set sail on packrafts with windpaddles which will take us north northeast (hugging the coast). See https://www.windfinder.com/#11/-4.1622/-81.0303 for updated wind direction and info. If wind in not favoring our direction we can paddle 4 miles to Ñuro and take a car the rest of the way to Mancora. Ñuro is famous for the sea turtles which come up to the pier. We will paddle to the pier and continue on another 5 miles to Organos, a sleepy mostly abandoned town with surfing, body surfing and of course packraft surfing available. There is also delicious seafood and hostals available. Another 7.5 miles north takes us to the famous beach of Mancora, a tourist hotspot with food, surfing and a variety of hostals (and hotels) available. Cabo Blanco, our beach put in location is known for Ernest Hemingway's visit to the "Cabo Blanco Fishing Club" while filming "The Old Man and the Sea" where he caught a 700 pound marlin. From this area up to Punta Sal the beaches are incredible beautiful, water can get to 80 degrees during the summer and there are areas where no one is around. Packrafting between beach towns will prove this to be very true.
Northern Peruvian Coast
Cost Estimates
Expect anywhere from $80 - $100 for a flight to Piura from Lima, or S/95 Soles ($28 US) by bus. A bus from Piura to Ayabaca is about $20/person or a taxi $130 (split between group). Any hostals we stay at are generally S/15 - S/20 Soles inland and S/30 - S/40 on the coast. Food purchased at Peruvian supermarkets (major cities) can be about $10 per day. There is no charge from our agency for any of these expeditionary trips, no guide fees and also no guarantees on return times, points of interest or the assurance of any planned activities.
Gear
In the case that you will not be providing your own rafting equipment, camping equipment or cooking equipment we can rent these items. For this trip packrafts, dry bags, breakdown paddles, tents and cooking equipment will be neccesary and can be rented for a flat $230 for up to 13 days. We can also provide meals although cooking will be shared by the group. If your group will be arriving in Piura from Ecuador, further arrangements may be needed in order to transport the gear from Cusco depending on group size.
Risks
Rafting the Peru / Ecuador border is obviously a novel idea. We will be rafting right under the noses of some checkpoints. Although neither country requires a Visa for entry, the technicalities of continuous border crossing could be a potential mess for any border agent whether Peruvian or Ecuadorian. It should be noted that checkpoints are not on or in the river, but north or south of the river on roads. This is only a risk for the first 82 miles afterwhich we no longer follow the border. This first section of the trip could be rapids class 2 - 3+ so you must have previous experience. At the ocean wave heights are generally from 2-4 ft but can get bigger so please also have some experience. We have a lot of "outs" on this trip. If something becomes too difficult, too long, too windy or any section of river is not clean there is usually a highway or town nearby. It may take a day or more to reach the nearest clinic or "Centro de Salud" for any needed medical attention. We offer no guarantees for any of these expeditions for planned activites, definite costs or for your absolute safety.
Highlights
This is a great way to see unique landscapes from the subtropical brush in remote northeastern areas to the arid coastal desert. The beach section alone merits its own trip with barren sand dunes, tropical reefs and fishing ports. The final take out point is Peru's most famous beach town "Mancora" which is known for its warm water, ceviche, shopping and late night parties. You also get the badge for breaking the border rules, whatever they may be.
