FDiH wrote:I am thinking of moving to Tarapoto. Heard/read great things about it.
I'll be visiting in the next few weeks to get a feel of the place, look for land/housing (buying), office space, etc.
- Who is living in Tarapoto currently or has lived there previously?
- What are things to look out for in Tarapoto when moving there?
- What is the best/nicest area to live?
- Where to look for office space?
- Anything else that is handy to know...
Thanks!
I lived in Tarapoto for 5 years.
Before moving there, I strongly advise you to spend their a week or so to have a look around and then make up your mind.
You'll either love it or hate it.
Tarapoto doesn't have bad areas. The city is very safe. Day and night.
There's a huge Police school and and Army Base so the city is allways full of cops and military staff.
But the city has different areas.
The city centre is very busy and full of businesses. But between noon and 4 o'clock, then it's ''refrigerio''.
Most businesses are closed on Sundays and the few that are open close at noon.
There are several mercados where you can buy food at a lower price. There are many banks.
There are 2 cinemas. The best supermarket is La Inmaculada.
Apart from Rustica, there aren't any chain eateries like McDo, Burger King, Papa Johns etc. That's why the obesity rate in Tarapoto is probably lower compared to other Peruvian cities.
Just outside Morales along the Carretera leading to Moyabamba, there are about 25 nightclubs. El Boulevard de Morales has a few upscale eateries.
Every evening, la Calle de las Piedras in the city centre starts rocking. Bars blasting music all night.
There are a lot of students in town as there are a few universities and educational facilities in Tarapoto.
The districts of La Banda de Shilcayo and Morales are more residential and quieter.
There are many recreos turisticos which have a swimming pool and are great to chilll out. But I recommend to avoid weekends as it's too busy.
There's no public transport at all. There are mototaxis but they are often hard to get during rush hour and in the long term expensive to use.
If you decide to live permanently in Tarapoto, then you must buy a motorbike. There are many shops and a driving license is easy to get.
I recommend Honda and Yamaha. Stay clear of the Chinese makes as the quality is low and the resale value is next to zero.
Food, restaurants, hotels are cheap. But I you want to fill up your home with furniture and household goods then I recommend a trip to Lima.
Moviltours can ship all your stuff to Tarapoto for a very affordable rate and with guarantee.
Housing is very expensive and decent housing is hard to find. Most houses in the city centre are made of bricks but outside the city centre, it's mostly walls made ofadobe, bamboo, wood and a roof made of corrugated steel.
Land is VERY expensive. An office won't be too hard to find.
The countryside around Tarapoto is beautiful. Ricefields and of course Palmtrees. Tarapoto is known as ''La Cuidad de las Palmeras''. There a lot of avocado, platano, coffee. cacao, and coffee farms. Tarapoto is located in a valley surrounded by high mountains.
Tarapoto has a modern airport which is only minutes located from the city centre. There are many flights to Lima and to Iquitos. Often there are flights to Pucallpa and Chiclayo.
The average weather is between 25 and 32 degrees but can reach peaks of 39 degrees. It often rains for 30 minutes or so. November through December can be hot as there's little rain. But it's hard to predict as I had Decembers where it rained daily.
There are many expats in Tarapoto. Mostly from Spain, Italy and Germany but I have met a few Dutch, Americans and Canadians as well.