USING OUR BUSINESS AS A FORCE FOR GOOD

We are committed to protecting both nature and the local communities — in every decision we make regarding our operations — we take into consideration both the environmental and social impact.

Part of our revenue is directed to our continuous Responsibility efforts.

Even with +18 years of experience in the industry, we are not perfect yet — we are continuously aiming to improve the way we work.

Hello! My name is May — happy to meet you!

I was born in the jungle, in a small Amazonian village with 150 inhabitants.

Thus, I can safely say that I know the rainforest by heart. I have a deep respect for it — and a true desire to ensure it survives. Also, I know how limited the development opportunities are for local communities living in the Amazonian area.

I believe that tourism — when done in the right way — can improve both the livelihood of the Amazonian people, but also the protection of the rainforest. It can create positive incentives for local people to safeguard the forest, instead of joining the illegal logging and mining.

Allpayacu Adventures collaborates with local villagers to provide unforgettable experiences for our guests. Also, we regularly make donations to the communities living in the Amazon. Read more about our efforts below.

If you want to experience the Amazon in an authentic way, we are more than happy to help you.

— May Jony Arriaga Chavez

Founder & CEO of Allpayacu Adventures,

Professional Guide

Our Name

ALLPAYACU

Where Earth and Water Become Adventure

ALLPAYACU is born from the heart of the Amazon. Our name comes from the language of our ancestors: ALLPA, meaning earth or ground, and YACU, meaning water or river. Together, they represent the sacred connection that gives life to the rainforest.

We are a family dedicated to eco-adventure and sustainable tourism, designing meaningful experiences for travelers who seek more than just a trip—those who want to feel, explore, and respect the Amazon.

Rooted in the Land — ALLPA

ALLPA symbolizes fertile soil, ancestral knowledge, and deep cultural roots. Our experiences are grounded in respect for local communities, traditional wisdom, and the natural balance of the rainforest. Every journey honors the land and the people who have protected it for generations.

Guided by the Water — YACU

YACU represents the rivers that shape Amazonian life. From mighty waterways to hidden cochas (lakes), water guides every expedition—revealing wildlife, movement, and discovery along the way.

Our Philosophy

The union of land and water defines the Amazon—and our philosophy. Each journey is carefully crafted to flow naturally through jungle trails, rivers, and villages, creating authentic, responsible, and transformative adventures.

At ALLPAYACU, Earth and Water are not just elements—they are the path, the story, and the spirit of every experience.

Our Responsibility

Context to our Responsibility efforts

Building dreams and creating opportunities

At Allpayacu Adventures, we believe that education is the best enabler to protect the Amazon rainforest, the lungs of the world.

In order to enable education in the local region, the people's basic needs must be covered — including proper health care. Additionally, in this era of mobile devices (which have arrived in the Amazonian villages too, influencing the youth rapidly) — it's important to get people excited about the opportunities that exist around them — and activate them to take action.

Our main target group regarding our Responsibility efforts are the local Amazonian villagers, especially children and youth. We believe that real change can happen once these newer generations will learn about the importance of protecting the wild, get excited about it — and aim for jobs that safeguard the environment but also create a sustainable source of income. We aim to do our part to enable this, here in the local regions close to Iquitos, Peru.

LONG-TERM OBJECTIVE

O: Educate & enable the new generations to protect the Amazon rainforest

Key Result: 100% of local Amazonian villagers find economically sustainable jobs outside the most environmentally harmful industries (like logging & mining)
Key Result: 100% of local villages and tour operators establish a proper garbage management

With this long-term objective, we aim to

Empower the local people to find permanent sources of livelihood which don't harm the environment
Contribute to ensuring that The Global Warming does not pass the 1.5 ºC target set by the International Panel of Climate Change, IPCC
Contribute to stopping the biodiversity loss resulting e.g. from deforestation and water contamination

How we take action right now? (Updated 11/2025)

1. Scholarships for education

We are pleased to announce that our students Yarita and Leider, whom we had the privilege of supporting in their professional training in Nursing, have successfully completed their studies and graduated.

We extend our sincere congratulations and wish them a future filled with achievement and service. This important milestone was made possible through the collective efforts of our team, the trust of our guests, and the generous support of our friends, who helped make the dream of these two young people a reality.

We reaffirm our commitment to continue supporting and providing educational opportunities to young people from remote communities in the Peruvian Amazon, firmly believing that education is a fundamental pillar for social development and community well-being.

Yarita and Leider

2. School supplies to enable education

We are continuously gathering funds & supplies to enable education in remote villages. In practice, we bring notebooks, pencils, erasers, rulers, etc. for young students from low-income families.

3. Medical supplies to improve health care

We are making regular medical supply donations for remote villages, as they are located far from pharmacies and hospitals.

We aim to donate for example medicine for tropical illnesses (pills and injections).

4. Education on Climate Change and Biodiversity loss

We are visiting local schools to speak about climate change and biodiversity loss. We show the students videos about the causes and consequences — and teach them why and how to preserve our nature. We talk about the importance of proper garbage management and teach them how to recycle different materials like plastics.

To encourage the children to protect the forest, we launched a "PLANT A TREE, SAVE OUR WORLD" campaign, which encourages kids in remote villages to plant a timber or fruit tree in the village and care for it to grow — we then give presents for the best results at the end of each year.

5. Christmas celebration (traditional Chocolatada Navideña) for low-income families

Every year, we select a couple of local villages to where we bring a little joy for Christmas. We started this activity back in 2016 and have continued ever since.

We organize traditional peruvian Chocolatada Navideña (hot chocolate and sweet bread with pieces of fruits inside) for all the villagers to enjoy. As small Christmas presents, we donate clothing to children.

Why Clothing Instead of Plastic Toys?

Traditionally, around the world, plastic toys are given as gifts—many of which eventually end up polluting rivers, forests, and oceans.
We chose a different path.

We offer something simple, useful, and meaningful: clothing.
A conscious choice that reduces waste and creates a positive impact.

Through this decision, we not only help protect the environment, but also teach children to care for our home:
the Amazon.

Actions we are planning to take in future:

Provide accommodation in Iquitos — for students coming from remote villages

Today, many students can't afford to stay in Iquitos to continue their studies after high school. We are planning to buy a piece of land from Iquitos, and build there a guest house for tourists — but with extra rooms to host the students from remote areas.

Actions we have taken in the recent past:

Organizing a football tournament & sponsoring team shirts

To preserve the community feeling and traditions of the Amazonian cultures, we wanted to offer something else to the local youth than the games found across mobile devices. We wanted to bring the kids together and get them activated through team sports.

In collaboration with our customers, Allpayacu Adventures sponsored multiple football teams proper shirts and organized a football tournament.

This effort improved the integration between the youth living in remote villages.

Green future cup

Due to the severe high-water season experienced in 2025 in the Peruvian Amazon, many village schools were forced to close, leaving children confined to their homes for nearly four months. In response to this situation—and to the urgent need to preserve the Amazon rainforest—we have organized the Green Future Cup.

This event aims to support the physical and emotional well-being of children from at least ten affected schools, while promoting friendship, healthy competition, and long-term protection of the Amazon.

We believe that preserving the Amazon must be a priority for its inhabitants. Unfortunately, local communities often contribute to its degradation due to a lack of environmental education. To address this challenge, each participating school is required to collect 30 kg of recycled plastic from their villages and nearby rivers. In addition, we present educational videos on climate change and waste management.

Each year, a new environmental topic will be introduced to raise awareness, responsibility, and long-term commitment to protecting the Amazon.

How can I help?

As we are using part of our revenue to enable these efforts, already by booking your Amazon adventures with us, you are joining these efforts.

We are continuously looking for voluntary donations.

The monetary donations we are using to enable all the things mentioned above, but also, we are planning for certain specific purchases: e.g. a video projector for showing educational materials to children and youth.

In addition, we are looking for the following goods:

School supplies (notebooks, pencils, erasers, rulers, color pens, etc.)
Clothing, shoes & accessories (can be used, as we will wash them — the kids are grateful for clothing)
Goods (or services) that can be used as presents (we use these to motivate young villagers to join the efforts like the "Plant a tree, save the world" campaign)
Reliable information & materials regarding Climate Change & Biodiversity loss to educate the local villagers — including practical equipment to enable proper garbage management
Medicine for tropical illnesses
Football uniforms — jerseys, shorts, socks, footballs

If you have some extra space in your luggage while coming to Iquitos, do consider packing some of the things mentioned above — as these donations can make a huge difference for the local villagers.

We want to thank all our customers and donators for building dreams and creating opportunities for the local villagers — while helping us taking grassroots action to fight climate change and biodiversity loss.

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