Things to see and do Amazon

This lake shaded by high palm trees, 1 hour by boat on the Maldonado river, is a sanctuary for animals such as crocodiles, otters, cranes and turtles. Fishing enthusiasts can indulge their passion. You can get there by a 3 km long path, then explore the site by pirogue (local rowers). It's the best place for birds, small monkeys, caimans and a family of otters if they deign to cross to the part of the lake open to the public (the other is reserved). Sleeping on the shore of the Sandoval allows you to explore it before or after the others.

A floating and popular district that can be reached by canoe during the rainy season from El Huequito up the Itaya River, or on foot from the center along the Malecon Tarapaca. Don't hesitate to go into the alleys, especially the Paquito passage, where you will find all sorts of medicinal plants (including the liana used to prepare ayahuasca). During the rainy season, the dry land disappears. The streets become canals and vehicles are replaced by boats that the kids row with a steady hand. This is undoubtedly the most photogenic time of the year for tourists. Belén is an active commercial center, acting at the same time as a port, a market, a living area (there is even a floating discotheque!) and a meeting point between fishermen, farmers and traders unloading their products of the forest from their dugout canoes. With its houses on stilts, Belén is the exact portrait of an Amazonian port as our western imaginations conceive it: agitated, noisy, interloped, a little ghostly, a little unreal, but always fascinating... In dry season, the place will make you feel very different: colorful and lively, but also very dirty.

To visit the lower part of the mercado, for the safety of your belongings, choose a local guide who will know how to lead you as it should be. Above all, be discreet with your camera. As for all the markets, the visit is more interesting in the morning.

Along the river, a few late 19th-century villas still bear witness to past prosperity; today, they are well deteriorated and used as warehouses and shops. But major beautification work has been carried out to restore a promenade from which there is a breathtaking view of the Itaya River, which then flows into the Amazon and the floating shanty towns of Belén. As evening falls and it gets (slightly) cooler, the place fills up with passers-by, shows and street vendors. Don't stay there too late alone.

Located 4 km from the city on the road to Yurimaguas (direction Las de Ahuashiyacu), it can be the occasion of a pleasant stroll just a few hours away. Restaurant on site. This is the end of weekends for families.

The inhabitants of Puerto Maldonado will bathe in this small lake, 11 km from the city. Full to break on weekends.

A beautiful lake, somewhat far from the city, 60 km from Puerto Maldonado, on the border with Bolivia. To reach it, count about 4 hours by motorboat. It is an ideal place for birdwatching and for families who fish around the lake or harvest the famous castañas (Brazil nuts). As it is quite far from the rest, it is only included in the longer stays (5 days minimum) in the lodges located along the Madre de Dios river. On the way, you will notice the gold diggers at work.

One hour from Puerto Maldonado by boat, this private reserve of 10,000 hectares is home to a multitude of wild animals, an intact flora, numerous aquatic species and the Reserva Amazónica lodge. By reservation, it is possible to organize a 2h30 tour on their Canopy Walkway or suspension bridges. However you will not have priority. To be arranged directly with the Puerto Maldonado office at least 24 hours before. Departure 1.45pm and return 5pm.

Small island on the Madre de Dios river, just north of the Sandoval lake in the Tambopata reserve. The only inhabitant of the island takes care of the monkeys that have taken up residence there and that it is possible to see up close. It is very interesting to make this stop before going to a lodge, because once in the selva itself, it is sometimes difficult to see them and even more to recognize them. Many agencies offer it and, as you go by boat, you have to take a tour anyway. A short excursion, but not without interest!

These pampas are large green areas along the Heath River and are almost the last Amazonian savannahs to be so well preserved. Indeed, the other spaces of this kind were altered by agriculture or breeding. However, this biotope is home to rare species such as the maned wolf or the spectacled bear! It is in the Pampas del Heath that the most intensive research has been carried out in order to list the vascular plants of the savannahs (plants with vessels through which water is drawn by the roots).

The collpas are clay cliffs where the parrots and multicolored macaws come to feed themselves with the mineral salts necessary for their nutrition. This ritual takes place every morning from 6:30 am until 10 am. Posada Amazonas has its own small parrot collpa. The most famous are those of Chuncho and even further away, of Colorado (near the Tambopata Research Center). The further away it is, the more grandiose the show is. A festival of colors and sounds that delights.

Its 186 hectares are distributed around a lake in the center of which there is an island of monkeys and wide alleys that lead to the different spaces of the animals. In this zoo, many captured animals are now boarders. There is an otorongo, deer, wild boars, crocodiles, otters, turtles and many birds.

The Museo Antropológico y de Historia Natural is in the same place. There are ethnographic pieces, ceramics and animal fossils.

Embark from the port of Boca del río Huascayacu (about 40 minutes by cab from Moyobamba) for the adventure: 1 hour of navigation then you turn right and enter a much narrower arm, the río Avisado. A few minutes more and you will see appear in the distance, a spectacular tree house: it is the entrance to the universe of Tingana. Here, Juan Isuiza and his troops watch over their reserve with care. They have built two rustic family bungalows (each with 5 beds on 2 floors) and also offer a family kitchen. It's worth spending some time there to enjoy the place more and share a real experience at the hands of the community. As this is a flooded jungle, everything depends on the water, but most of the time the excursions are done by dugout between the roots. We see more fauna during the rainy months (from January to May). Some walks are also possible in dry season. As it is a preserved case, here took refuge many animals and to be able to observe them in silence is a true privilege. The experience is great, we leave with a lot of memories and we support this 100% ecotourism project. An alternative for those who are in a hurry, the neighboring community of Santa Elena is more accessible. It is from now on privileged by the agencies, but we do not hide you that the charm of places is not completely the same. This option remains however nice, for those who miss time.

It is a birdwatcher's paradise in the early morning. Here lives the perlita of Iquitos(Polioptila clementsi), a bird of the passerine family discovered recently, but also herons. 4 circuits have been designed, dedicated to medicinal plants, fruits, areas along the river and aguajales (small lagoons), count between 30 min and 3 hours on foot. Every morning at 8am, guided tours in Spanish. This reserve is the richest of the sites near Iquitos. Unfortunately, you have to look for information yourself, the management is public, consult the Sernanp.

These two localities, located on the road leading to the airport (respectively 12 km and 16 km from the center) are two centers of production of traditional crafts. They are worth a visit during the dry season (between May and November), when beautiful white sand beaches are formed all along the Rio Nanay. Uni Suni or Santa Rita, from Santa Clara, are the most quiet. A road connects the two villages. You can get there by taxi.

This center was originally created to receive baby manatees orphaned by hunting. Total success! Some have returned to the wild and visits are now numerous to see the youngest playing in their pool or receiving a bottle. The project has developed and now welcomes other species such as turtles, monkeys, sloths and other victims of animal trafficking in the region. A beautiful project to support.

The Cueva de Palestina is a new attraction. At 30 minutes from Rioja, in the outskirts of the village of Nueva Cajamarca, a small community revives a cave of millions of years. It has been plundered for years, and the fossil zone is visiting today with local guides. It is not Lascaux but it has 11 rooms with stalactites, stalagmites, gorges, hoses and legends. French speleologists are involved in this area, and a more developed adventure road should emerge. For the time being, the tower includes the tour of the cave and the natural pools of the torrent that borders (approx. 1 hour 30) and a small butterfly farm. We advise you to stay for lunch with local families. A dive under the land combined with a moment of sharing a very different day.

Here, people come to take mud baths. This black mud is composed of 32 different mineral elements and is known for its benefits for the skin. So, you put on your bathing suit and spread it from top to bottom before rinsing off and getting a soft skin. On site, there are also small pebble pools and a pretty little lagoon bordered by green jungle: a place to enjoy a real moment of relaxation.

Located at an altitude of 945 m, these baths are appreciated for their medicinal properties. The colourless, odourless water, at a temperature of between 32 and 40°C, is said to be ideal for the treatment of arthritis, rheumatism, muscular pains and stress. There are also two swimming pools, a restaurant and a children's playground. Quieter during the week. From here continue to Waqanki Orchid Garden or Fundo Alegria for lunch.

Located in the Protección del Alto Mayo forest, at the foot of Cerro Oromina, these sulphur baths (cold, naturally sulphurous water) are known for the many therapeutic properties of their waters. Nearby, you can visit the Cueva del amor (Cave of Love) and the Asnacyacu waterfall, which is characterized by its natural pool of cool, crystalline water. The complex has been renovated and is a great half-day excursion.