As Benny’s brother once said, “your coffee work in Peru is Indiana-Jones-level adventure’. This is, well, true. Every few years we try and make it possible for a small group to come and visit the coffee community of the Chilchos Valley, in Amazonas, Peru. Benny has been working with these farmers for years, with his pal Conrad at Techo Verde Coffee. They grow incredible organic coffee but live in one of the most remote places Benny’s ever been. It’s a magically wild land, the home of the real Paddington Bear (spectacled bears) where you can get lost in the mists of the cloud forest and be enchanted by the song and dance of the extraordinary cock-of-rock. Not to mention the howler monkeys, the clear-water rivers full of trout or the unexplored Inca ruins. It’s extraordinary. If you want to go off the beaten track, this is it.
Benny has put together a 12 day itinerary from Chachapoyas - Leymebamba - The Chilchos Valley. It includes some very demanding trekking both in the mountains and through the rainforest, river crossings and riding the trusty mules. You’ve got to want it, but the rewards are spectacular: a tasting tour of Jenney coffee farm and beatnik distillery; tickling for catfish in the river with Bacner (10 years old and a legendary tickler); getting woken up by passing scarlet macaws; exploring the Inca ruins under the cliffs at Las Hamackas with Ernesto; and, either joining in the community volleyball game with Magaly or the football with her brother Paul… or there’s the local bar run by Magaly’s mum. Also a good option.
This is a genuine once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to truly see where truly ethical and sustainable coffee comes from while tapping into the deepest parts of modern and ancient Andean culture. Plus, even though much of the expedition fee goes to support the community, it’s still way cheaper than the other commercial alternatives.
Exact dates approximate, but it will be around Oct ‘26.
