Papanoel Trekero: 16 years of smiles, hope, and meaningful encounters

Story

It started with a request. In December 2009, our first clients arrived in Peru and asked us to help them do more than sightsee. They wanted to leave something behind for the place they were visiting. Our purpose was clear from the first minute: to share the best of Peru with the world and to give something back. And here were our very first clients, wanting the same. So, with a good friend and the support of Tierra de Niños, we spent a day in Ica planting trees, painting a school, and playing games with the children there. It meant so much to all of us that we promised to do it again the next year, and the year after, each time in a different, harder-to-reach place. When we later carried the celebration up to Tupe, a village you can only reach on foot, the name found us: Papanoel Trekero, the Santa who hikes in.

Sixteen years on, the walk has taken us from the Sacred Valley to the shores of Lake Titicaca, from the highlands of Amazonas to the foothills of Huascarán. Along the way we have met extraordinary people and built friendships that outlast any single trip. What started as one good day has become a tradition that says a great deal about who we are as a company.

Purpose and mission

Purpose. To give back to the communities that welcome us on our journeys, creating moments of joy today and openings for a better tomorrow.

Mission. To bring joy, hope, and real connection to children in Peru’s most remote communities, through a yearly Christmas celebration and the lasting projects that grow out of it.

Papanoel Trekero is small by design. For the children we visit, it is often the only time all year that help arrives in person. For our team, and for the travelers who come along, it is a reminder of why we do this work at all. You do not need any experience to join. You need a good pair of boots and the willingness to walk.