Yanayacu River |
Anaconda
(Eunectus marinus) |
Harpy Eagle
(Harpia harpyja) |
The Pacaya Samiria National Reserve
the largest protected area in Peru, and the 4 largest reserve in South America.
“The Jungle of the Mirrored Waters”
is named for its mirror like reflections found in the still, translucent waters
of the reserve lakes and lagoons.
Species of flora and fauna are
innumerable with many species of passion flowers alone! The are more species of
fish found in the Amazon than the Atlantic Ocean.
It’s the largest most extensive and
diverse natural in the world
DAY 01 IQUITOS / NAUTA /
PACAYA SAMIRIA NATIONAL RESERVE (L-D)
- Our personnel will meet and greet you at the airport.
- Transfer to the city.
- Along the way you will briefly sightsee Iquitos, looking at the most
important tourist sites of this representative city of the Peruvian jungle
which on the XIX Century turned from a small outpost settlement into one of
the most important river ports on the Amazon, reaching an outstanding
cosmopolitan condition during the “rubber boom” era.
- You will meet the expert naturalist guide in-charge of providing you the
exact information during your trip to the Amazon rainforest.
- Transfer by bus to the town of Nauta, some 40 miles from Iquitos, linked
by a modern highway.
- After the two-and-a-half hour ride you will reach this picturesque town on
the shores of the Marañón River. Immediately you will be on your way to the
confluence of the Marañón and Ucayali, where the Amazon River is born.
- After a 45 minute ride you will step-off the boat and climb to the top of
the modern observation tower from where you will have a spectacular view of
the formation.
- Box lunch.
- Continue up the Marañón for about two or two-and-a-half hours, when you
shall be entering the Yanayacu - Pucate River, and thus into the Pacaya
Samiria Reserve (70 miles SE from Iquitos). The trip promises to be
interesting from the start; your eyes will delight with the sights of endless
vegetation and blue skies with white puffy clouds reflecting upon the dark
water of the river. The color is a characteristic of almost all water passages
and oxbow lakes in the reserve, thus it is know as “The Jungle of the Mirrored
Waters”. Flocks of parrots, macaws and egrets flying above; up ahead a blink
of pink on the water signals the presence of a mythic river dolphin.
- You will sail on Yanayacu making a brief stop at the forest police
checkpoint in the village of 20 de Enero.
- Then you will proceed to a properly selected camp site. Complex lodging
facilities are not allowed inside the reserve, thus comfortable tents will be
installed by our crew as you move along the Yanayacu. This base camp where you
will spend the first night of your itinerary is located near the village of
Yarina, the last settlement on the Yanayacu.
- Dinner will be cooked and served by our personnel.
- Later you will enjoy a thrilling evening boat or canoe ride to search for
black or white caimans, bound to be found in this area.
- Overnight.
DAY 02 RIVER RIDE BY YANAYACU - PUCATE RIVER (B-L-D)
- After breakfast you will continue your journey into the reserve. The boat
will follow the Yanayacu course making brief stops to watch closely for
interesting sights. There is a great chance that you may see Monk Saki,
Howling, Wooly and Squirrel Monkeys. It is also possible to spot macaws,
toucans and capybara amongst others.
- You will continue to the Yarina settlement where its inhabitants have been
developing a repopulation project for the endangered river turtle (Podocnemis
unfilis). There are over 200 communities around the reserve many of them
taking part on conservation and reforestation projects.
- Lunch in the camp.
- In the afternoon you will hike on jungle trail close to the camp. Follow
endless trails of Leaf Cutter Ants along the path as the jungle gets thicker.
Look at the trees canopy above you to discover primates and other interesting
creatures which inhabit the area.
- Dinner in the camp.
- Evening hike excursion to listen to the sounds of the forest after dark
(hawks, owls, potoos, and insects).
- Overnight at camp.
DAY 03 RIVER RIDE BY YANAYACU - PUCATE RIVER (B-L-D)
- Early morning breakfast followed by a two-hour hike to Laguna Caro oxbow
lake. Following the jungle trail you are bound to find howling and woolly
monkeys, medicine plants not only employed by the local but also processed by
the pharmacy industry and sold everywhere. There are many fish species in
Laguna Caro including red piranha (Serrasalmus natteri), arahuana (Osteoglossum
bicirrhosum) and peacock bass (Chichla ocellaris) which you will
not only see swimming around the canoe but you will also have the chance to
catch them as locals do.
- Lunch on the shores of the oxbow lake.
- If fishing has been successful you may request your catch to be cooked
native style.
- Once returned to the camp, you may choose to rest surrounded by the
splendorous jungle or continue exploring on the river.
- Dinner and overnight at camp.
DAY 04 RIVER RIDE BY YANAYACU - PUCATE RIVER (B-L-D)
- Early morning breakfast to proceed with birdwatching before return trip.
It is possible to find some prey birds in the reserve such as the “caracara” (Mivalgo
chimachima), the King Vulture (Sarcorrampus papa), the Black
Collared Hawk (Buteogallus nigricollis) and the beautiful Harpy Eagle (Harpia
harpiya). The trip continues down river heading back to the Marañón with a
few stops on the route for biodiversity sighting. The river is the habitat to
other interesting species, including the Giant Otter (Ptenerura
brasiliensis), a semi-aquatic carnivorous usually found in social groups
easy to spot by its audible groans; it is also possible to find in the reserve
one of the largest snakes in the world, the famous Anaconda (Eunectes
murinus) which can reach an 18-foot length spending most of its time in
the water.
- By noon there will be a stop for lunch and then you will continue sailing
until you reach the last camp site near the mouth of the Yanayacu River. While
our personnel make the arrangements to end up the adventure you may visit one
of the neighboring settlements where most of the population do farming and
fishing activities.
- Dinner and final comments about the trip.
- Overnight at camp.
DAY 05 PACAYA SAMIRIA RESERVE / IQUITOS (B)
- Breakfast and last chance to take pictures in the Pacaya Samiria National
Reserve.
- Sail on the Marañón river to reach Nauta.
- Return to Iquitos by land.
- Transfer to your hotel or to the airport.
SEE OUR PHOTO GALLERIES:
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOUR JUNGLE TRIP:
For your trip to the Lodge and for the jungle hike we recommend that you
take a backpack or small suitcase with the bare essentials. Your equipment and
other items can be stored at our hotel office in Iquitos for your convenience.
IMPORTANT NOTES
- The program can vary depending on arrival and departure times of the
flights and also because of the weather conditions.
- For your flight to Iquitos we recommend that you take the first. For your
return flight to Lima we suggest that you take the last flight that leaves Iquitos
at night.
- Minimum 2 passengers
Tour Operator: Paseos Amazónicos
We recommend to you:
- Good binoculars |
- Camera gear (ASA 50, 100 and
200) |
- Two or three pairs of long
cotton pants |
- Four pairs of absorbent
sacks |
- Rain suit or large poncho |
- Three long-sleeved cotton
shirts |
- Three T-shirts |
- Sunscreen lotion |
- Swimsuit |
- Sunglasses |
- Insect repellent |
- A photocopy of your passport |
- A bottle or canteen to carry
water |
- One pair of shorts |
- Two pairs of sneaker or
hiking boots. |
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