Tambopata Amazon Jungle 3-Day Lodge Tour Puerto Maldonado

Puerto Maldonado, gateway to the southern Peruvian Amazon

Puerto Maldonado is the capital of the Madre de Dios region and the starting point for almost every trip into the Tambopata rainforest. The town sits where the Tambopata River flows into the wide Madre de Dios, and it is linked by short daily flights from Lima and Cusco as well as by the Interoceanic Highway. Many travellers ask how to get to Tambopata: the easiest way is to fly into Puerto Maldonado and let the lodge team take care of the rest.

On this tour your guide waits for you at the airport or bus station with a sign bearing your name. Arrival flights must land before 13:00 so there is time to reach the lodge, and return flights on the last day should leave after 13:00. Puerto Maldonado itself has a lively market and riverside promenade, worth a short look if you arrive early or leave late.

The Madre de Dios River and its wildlife

The Madre de Dios is one of the great rivers of the Peruvian Amazon, a broad brown waterway that eventually feeds into the Amazon system through Bolivia and Brazil. On this tour the river is your road into the jungle: you travel by covered motorised boat between Puerto Maldonado and the lodge, and later along its banks to reach the trails of the reserve.

The boat rides are part of the experience rather than simple transfers. With a sharp-eyed guide on board you scan the sandy banks for caimans warming themselves in the sun, herons and kingfishers fishing in the shallows and, with luck, capybaras, the world's largest rodent, grazing at the water's edge. Sunsets over the river are often spectacular, with the forest turning dark against a pink and orange sky, so keep your camera ready on the late-afternoon crossings.

Tambopata National Reserve

The Tambopata National Reserve was created in 2000 to protect a vast area of lowland rainforest, rivers and lakes between the Andes and the Bolivian border. Scientists rank this area among the most biodiverse places on the planet, with around 600 bird species recorded, thirteen species of monkey, giant otters, jaguars, tapirs and thousands of butterflies and plants. A Tambopata tour is one of the most accessible ways to experience the Peruvian Amazon, because the reserve lies only a short boat ride from an airport.

Your stay includes guided activities in and around the reserve, with entrance fees covered. Your guide explains how the forest works, from strangler figs and medicinal plants to the role of the rivers in shaping the landscape. Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed, but small groups, early starts and an experienced guide give you the best chance of seeing the animals that live here.

Lake Sandoval

Lake Sandoval is the most famous lake of the Tambopata area and a highlight of this 3-day tour. It is an oxbow lake, a former bend of the Madre de Dios River that was cut off from the main channel, and its calm dark waters are surrounded by tall aguaje palms. You reach it by a rainforest trail of around three kilometres, which is itself a chance to spot birds, insects and monkeys moving through the canopy.

On the lake you glide quietly in a canoe looking for wildlife. Several kinds of monkey feed in the trees along the shore, hoatzins with their spiky crests sit in the low branches, and black caimans and turtles rest on fallen logs. The lake is also known for its family of endangered giant river otters, which some lucky visitors see fishing in the open water. Many travellers say Lake Sandoval is the best part of a Tambopata trip.

The clay lick and life at the jungle lodge

On the last morning you rise early to visit a clay lick, a riverbank where colourful parrots and parakeets gather to eat mineral-rich clay. Scientists believe the clay gives the birds salt that is scarce in the forest and helps them cope with toxins in the seeds they eat. When the flocks arrive, the noise and colour along the bank are unforgettable, so bring binoculars and keep your voice low.

Between activities, the jungle lodge is your base for two nights, with simple, comfortable rooms surrounded by forest and the sounds of birds and insects day and night. Breakfasts, lunches and dinners are served at the lodge, and the equipment needed for each excursion, such as boots or life jackets, is provided. After breakfast on day three you check out and take the boat back to Puerto Maldonado for your onward flight or bus.