from: Dilwyn Jenkins: The
rough guide to Peru; Rough Guides, New York, London,
Delhi; 6th edition September 2006; www.roughguides.com
General information about
the town's structure
The streets of Puerto Maldonado are laid out in rigid grid
pattern, not emanating from a central plaza as in most
Peruvian cities, but stretching out from the port and
Tambopata riverfront, towards the airport and forest edge.
These days it has (p.541)
a busy city center buzzing with motorbikes and chicha music.
The port area offers an otherwise rate glimpse of the river,
which is largely shielded from view by the ever-growing rows
of wooden houses and lumber yards. The main avenue, [Jirón]
León Velarde, combines the usual bars and restaurants with
pool halls, hammock shops and offices. The feel you get here
is of a rapidly growing, but still intimate and small city,
whose young people spend endless evenings sitting row upon
row in front of the web-connected glare of computer
monitors, in hopes of procuring lucrative careers in the
future (p.542).
The town is changing shape fast, with the population rising
from 10,000 to 60,000 (mostly colonists from the mountains)
in the last seven years and with concrete roads spreading
from the old center, all of them busy and lined with
occupied shops and properties (p.544).
Main spots and people
In town, [Jirón]
León de
Velarde, immediately establishes the town's
stage-set feel, lined with bars, hardware ships, and a
pool-room. At one end is the
Plaza de Armas, with an attractive, if
bizarre, Chinese pagoda-style clock tower at its center, and
along another side a modern Municipalidad - where, not much
more than ten years ago, a TV was sometimes set up for the
people to watch an all-important event like a soccer game.
These days there are satellite TV dishes all over town and
the youth of Puerto Maldonado are as familiar (p.547)
with computer software as they are with jungle mythology.
The streets, mostly muddy but for a few concreted main
drags, show few signs of wealth, despite the gold dust that
lures [seduces] peasants here from the Andes. If you're
considering a river trip, or just feel like crossing to the
other side for a walk, follow Jirón Billingshurst, or take
the steep steps down from the Plaza de Armas to the main
port, situated on the Río Madre de Dios - one of the town's
most active corners (p.548).
On [Jirón] Leon de Velarde, the old
market (mornings only)
has excellent juices, fresh fruit and vegetables, while the
best place for Brazil nuts is the general store at Velarde
570. Delicious (but hard to eat)
aguaje palm fruits are sold at several
street corners along [Jirón] Velarde (p.548).
Eating, drinking and
nightlife
You should have no problem finding a good restaurant in
Puerto Maldonado. Delicious river fish are always available,
even in
ceviche
form, and there's usually venison [deer] or wild pig fresh
from the forest (try
estofado
de venado [stewed deer]).
Wasai
is one of the best (though also priciest) eateries where you
can enjoy an enormous plate of food while watching life pass
by along the river.
Cabaña Quinta
restaurant with excellent three-course set-lunches, often
including fresh river fish and fried manioc.
Restaurant Califa
around the corner from Cabaña Quinta on [Jirón] Piura,
serving great lunches and specializes in fish and jungle
crops.
Pizzeria Chez Maggy
on Plaza de Armas, is very popular with travelers and
locals, and at weekends you may have to wait a while for a
table; there are no exotic toppings, but it's hard to
believe how they can produce such good pizzas in this jungle
environment.
Pollos a la Brasa La Estrella [Fried Chicken The Star]
[Jirón] Velarde 474, T. 082-573107, for grilled chicken.
El Califa
[Jirón] Piura 266, T. 082-571119, traditional jungle meals
El Hormiguero ["The Anthill"]
[Jirón] Dos de Mayo 1358, T. 082-571082, traditional jungle
meals.
Chifa Wa Seng
[Jirón] Dos de Mayo 253, serving a successful combination of
traditional Chinese and jungle food.
Natur
[Jirón] Velarde 928, vegetarian food, but their dishes are a
little uninspiring.
Cafés and Bars
Along [Jirón] León de Velarde are a number of cafés and
bars, one or two of which have walls covered in typical
selvatico-style [jungle style] paintings, developed to
represent and romanticize the dreamlike features of the
jungle - looming jaguars, brightly plumed macaws in the
treetops, and deer drinking water from a still lake. Locals
are very keen on sweet and savoury snacks (p. 548).
Tu Dulce Espera,
on the fifth block of [Jirón] Velarde, serving sweet and
savoury snacks, typical sweets.
La Tiendacita Blanca ["The White Little Shop"]
on the fifth block of [Jirón] Velarde, serving sweet and
savoury snacks
La Casa Nostra ["Our House"]
on the fifth block of [Jirón] Velarde, serving sweet and
savoury snacks, serving traditionally prepared, delicious
tropical fruit juices (including mango, passion fruit,
pineapple and carambola, a local favourite) for less than 50
cents a glass, as well as tamales, papas rellenas (stuffed
potatoes) and a range of exotic-looking cakes.
On [Jirón] Leon de Velarde, the old
market (mornings only)
has excellent juices (p.548).
Nightlife in Puerto
Maldonado: Chicha music, salsa, cumbia dance,
technocumbia, chichiperalta - activity on Friday and
Saturday
There's very little nightlife in this laid-back town,
especially during the week - most people just stroll around,
stopping occasionally to sit and chat in the Plaza de Armas
or in bars along the main street. At weekends and fiesta
times, however, it's possible to sample
chicha music (one of
the jungle's greatest delights for many people), salsa,
which has infiltrated the jungle over the last ten years,
and a more recent arrival, the Colombian rhythms of
cumbia - the latest
fads being
technocumbia
and
chichiperalta.
All are loud and easy to move to, and on Friday and Saturday
nights, you can usually pinpoint a concert just by following
the sound of an electric bass guitar.
The best club in town is
Witite,
at [Jirón] Velarde (p.548)
151 (Fri & Sa; 50 cents for men on Sat), which has a
surprisingly advanced sound system that plays the whole
range of Latino music - though spiders' webs frequently
adorn the speakers at this cool spot. There's also
Anaconda at [Jirón]
Loreto 228 and
La Numba
Disco Pub at [Jirón] Loreto 122. There are several
other music bars (weekends only) clustered around the plaza,
the
Coconut Pub
being one of the most popular (p.549).
