Top Peru Attractions-Puerto Maldonado

Explore the Amazon in this beautiful national reserve park. Near the Madre de Dios, a large river in Puerto Maldonado, there are three conservation areas the Manu Biosphere Reserve, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987, the Tambopata - Candamo Reserve, with intact populations of several endangered species, and the Bahuaja-Sonene National Park, home to 450 different species of birds.

Several companies will provide you with the full Amazon experience in Puerto Maldonado. You must fly from Cuzco to this national reserve. From there, a company bus will pick you up and take you to the Madre de Dios. A motor-boat is then waiting to wisk you off to some jungle adventure. On each side of the river, you will discover a world of palm trees, thick greenery, and crocodiles meandering about the edge of the water.

Each company has their own facilities located on the edge of the Madre de Dios at some point on the river. During your stay, you will be housed in thatched log cabins reminiscent of Treasure Island. Expect to live like the jungle people, with no hot water and no electricity, just the eerie sounds of the jungle. You will hear parakeets of every species, mosquitos, every bug humming its own tune.

Each company provides the delicious, savory meals. Expect some tasty seasonings of the jungle dishes, such as rice cooked in palm leaves, tender meats with special sauces, and monkey bananas as sweet as candy.

During your time in the Amazon, you shall be treated to hikes deep into the jungle while experiencing plenty of mosquito bites, parakeets, monkeys, and the largest, most colorful butterflies in the world. At night, you can take a boat into Madre de Dios to search for crocodiles. Their eyes turn ruby red by your flashlight. After a long day’s hike, you can simply relax in your hammock and listen to the birds sing you to sleep. Silence in the jungle does not exist.

Package costs vary depending upon length of stay and tour company used.