Location: Departments of Madre de Dios, and Puno,
provinces of Tambopata, Carabaya and Sandia.
Area:
1´400,000 hectares
Date of Creation: January 1990.
Area for the protection of the fauna and flora of the tropical sub humid
forests, constitute one of the richest ecosystems in the world, it possesses a
great diversity of wild life that captures many scientists and tourists from all
parts of the world.
The scientific investigations of the last 20 years have registered until the
present time 20,000 species of plants, 1,234 species of butterflies, 900 of
birds (biggest quantity that all the species that inhabit the territories of
U.S. and 1/5 of all the existing species of the world), 152 of dragon flies, 135
of ants, 127 of reptiles that live in land and water, 103 of mammals, 94 of
fish, 74 of reptiles, and many others that are not yet discovered and
identified.
Ornithologists working in the 5,500 hectare TRZ since 1976 have recorded 595 different bird species, the highest count on earth , equivalent to 1/6 of all bird species known to occur on the
South American continent. Parrots, parakeets, motmots, trogons, jacamars,
kingfishers, hummingbirds, tanagers, antbirds, woodcreepers and flycatchers are all common, along with the more sought after large macaws, toucans, harpy eagle, guans, trumpeters, screamers, tinamoous and hoatzins. In fact, several species of macaws, toucans, and both
spix's and piping guans can be seen easily without even leaving the porch in front of your
room.
A bonus for the nature lover are the great abundance of different insect species, which include an ample variety and again the world?s highest recorded numbers of butterfly species with 1200+ spp and dragonfly species with 149
spp.
Its territory embraces from the Andean oriental area in the province of
Sandia, to the low jungle in the province of Tambopata, furrowed by the river
Tambopata and its affluent. Inside the reserve inhabits the tribe of the
Huarayos. Because of its unique features, in 1977 this area was set aside as a Reserved Zone by the Peruvian Government prohibiting any hunting and lumber cutting. In 1990 the 1,478,943 hectare Tambopata-Candamo Reserved Zone
was created which encompasses the Bahuaja-Sonene National Park created in 1996.
For the lovers of ecological tourism, its exuberant vegetation, beautiful
"cochas" (lagoons) and biological wealth have also transformed it into
one of the preferred destinations in America.
There are three lodges in its interior that offer lodging and guided
excursions for the tourists, as well as housing facilities and work for
investigators and scientific.
To arrive to this reserve, you should arrive from Lima or Cusco by air to Puerto Maldonado, and from there carry out
a boat trip that lasts approximately 4 hours.
The entrance of tourists to this Reserve is restricted to certain areas,
those that should be coordinated previously with the tourist operators.