Amazon Peru Holidays
Amazon — Puerto Maldonado
Holidays
One of the most biodiverse places on earth — giant river otters, jaguars, macaws and the Tambopata rainforest
Search Amazon — Puerto Maldonado Holidays
Flight Time
12–14h to Lima, then 1h to Cusco, then 30min to Puerto Maldonado
Best Time
May to October (dry season — best wildlife viewing)
Country
Peru
Suppliers
our travel partners ·
Amazon — Puerto Maldonado Holiday Guide
The Peruvian Amazon around Puerto Maldonado is one of the most biodiverse places on earth — the Tambopata National Reserve has extraordinary wildlife including giant river otters, jaguars, macaws and over 600 species of bird. A 3-4 night jungle lodge stay combines perfectly with a Cusco and Machu Picchu itinerary.
Getting there: Fly from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado (30 minutes, LATAM and Sky Airline operate the route). From Puerto Maldonado airport, lodge transfers are by boat on the Madre de Dios and Tambopata rivers (1-3 hours depending on the lodge). Most lodges include airport transfers in their packages.
The best time to visit is May to October (the dry season) — lower water levels concentrate wildlife around the rivers and oxbow lakes, making sightings easier. The wet season (November to April) has higher water levels and more mosquitoes but the forest is lush and green. The Amazon is accessible year-round.
Malaria prophylaxis is strongly recommended for the Amazon — consult your GP or a travel health clinic at least 4-6 weeks before travel. Insect repellent (DEET-based) is essential. Yellow fever vaccination is recommended.
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Popular Areas in Amazon — Puerto Maldonado
Average Temperatures
Jan
27°C
Feb
27°C
Mar
27°C
Apr
27°C
May
26°C
Jun
24°C
Jul
23°C
Aug
25°C
Sep
26°C
Oct
27°C
Nov
27°C
Dec
27°C
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Call 01282 960 460Top 8 Things To Do in Amazon — Puerto Maldonado
The extraordinary wildlife, jungle lodge experiences and biodiversity that make the Peruvian Amazon one of the most thrilling destinations on earth.
Giant River Otters — Tambopata
The Tambopata National Reserve is one of the best places in the world to see giant river otters — the world's largest otter (up to 1.8m long), critically endangered and found only in South America. Family groups of 4-8 otters are regularly seen on the oxbow lakes (cochas) of the Tambopata and Madre de Dios rivers. The otters are highly social and vocal — watching a family group fish, play and communicate is one of the most extraordinary wildlife experiences in the Amazon.
Macaw Clay Lick — Colpa Colorado
The Colpa Colorado macaw clay lick on the Tambopata River is one of the most spectacular wildlife spectacles in the Amazon — hundreds of scarlet macaws, blue-and-yellow macaws, red-and-green macaws and smaller parrots descend to the clay riverbank at dawn to eat the mineral-rich clay (which neutralises toxins in their diet). The sight and sound of hundreds of macaws swirling around the clay lick is extraordinary. Most Tambopata lodges offer early morning boat trips to the lick.
Tambopata National Reserve — Biodiversity
The Tambopata National Reserve covers 274,690 hectares of pristine Amazon rainforest in the Madre de Dios region — one of the most biodiverse areas on earth. The reserve has 632 species of bird (more than the whole of Europe), 1,234 species of butterfly (the highest density in the world), 180 species of fish, 103 species of amphibian and extraordinary mammals including jaguar, puma, ocelot, tapir, giant anteater, giant armadillo and giant river otter.
Night Jungle Safari
A night walk in the Amazon rainforest is one of the most extraordinary experiences in South America — the jungle comes alive after dark with the sounds of frogs, insects and nocturnal mammals. Guided night walks from the lodge reveal caimans in the river (their eyes glow red in torchlight), tarantulas, tree frogs, stick insects, sleeping birds and (occasionally) ocelots and kinkajous. Night canoe trips on the oxbow lakes are equally extraordinary.
Oxbow Lakes — Canoe & Wildlife
The oxbow lakes (cochas) of the Tambopata are the most productive wildlife habitats in the Amazon — former river meanders cut off from the main river, now surrounded by dense forest. Canoe trips on the oxbow lakes offer extraordinary wildlife viewing — giant river otters, black caiman, hoatzin (the 'stinkbird'), Amazon kingfisher, anhinga, jabiru stork and (at dawn and dusk) hundreds of parrots and macaws flying overhead.
Jungle Lodge Experience
Staying in an Amazon jungle lodge is the most immersive way to experience the rainforest — most lodges are accessible only by boat (1-3 hours from Puerto Maldonado) and offer guided walks, canoe trips, night safaris, clay lick visits and community visits. The best lodges in the Tambopata area include Inkaterra Reserva Amazónica, Refugio Amazonas and Tambopata Research Center (the most remote, closest to the clay lick). Stays of 3-4 nights are recommended.
Piranha Fishing & River Life
Piranha fishing on the Tambopata River is a surprisingly relaxed activity — using a simple rod, line and hook baited with raw meat, fishing for red-bellied piranhas in the shallows. The piranhas are caught and released (or occasionally eaten — they taste like any other freshwater fish). The river is also excellent for spotting river dolphins (boto), caimans, turtles and the extraordinary hoatzin (a prehistoric-looking bird with clawed wings).
Manu Biosphere Reserve — The Ultimate Amazon
The Manu Biosphere Reserve in the Cusco and Madre de Dios regions is the most biodiverse protected area on earth — a UNESCO World Heritage Site covering 1.7 million hectares from Andean cloud forest (3,800m) down to lowland Amazon rainforest (300m). Manu has over 1,000 species of bird (more than the whole of North America), 200 species of mammal and extraordinary wildlife including jaguar, giant otter, tapir and harpy eagle. Access is by light aircraft or a 2-day overland journey from Cusco.
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