Private Conservation Area Chaparrí, Conservation area in Lambayeque department, Peru

Private Conservation Area Chaparrí is a large reserve in northern Peru's mountains that combines dry forest and highland terrain. It protects a range of animals and plants adapted to this arid mountain environment.

The Santa Catalina de Chongoyape community created this reserve in 2001 as Peru's first privately managed protected area. This achievement opened a new path for local groups to protect nature in their own regions.

The name Chaparrí comes from the 1,342-metre Cerro Chaparrí, which dominates the surrounding land and was venerated by the Mochica culture. Shamans of the region still regard the hill as sacred. The reserve belongs to the Muchik Santa Catalina de Chongoyape farming community, which administers it.

Getting there involves roughly 90 minutes of driving from Chiclayo to Chongoyape, then a rough road into the reserve itself. Plan for challenging terrain and come prepared with sturdy footwear and water.

The white-winged guan (Penelope albipennis) is one of the reserve's flagship endangered birds, and part of the spectacled bear population lives in semi-captivity. Around 140 bird species have been recorded, including the endemic Tumbes tyrant and the Peruvian pygmy-owl.