Welcome to Puerto Maldonado

Meet our local team upon arrival in Puerto Maldonado. Your guide will introduce the program and coordinate the transfer to your selected jungle accommodation. After lunch and time to settle in, prepare for your first excursion along the Tambopata River.

Tambopata River Exploration

Board a motorboat and follow the river past forested banks, sandy shores and overhanging vegetation. Your guide scans the riverside trees where sloths may rest among the branches and watches open shorelines where capybaras sometimes graze. Herons, kingfishers, hoatzins and other riverside birds may also appear along the route. The experience is as much about the river itself as the animals encountered. Observe how the forest meets the water, how different birds use the shoreline and how the landscape changes as the afternoon progresses.

Sunset & Caiman Search

As daylight fades, enjoy the colors and reflections over the Tambopata River. After sunset, your guide may search suitable shoreline areas for caimans using flashlights, depending on weather and river conditions. Return to your accommodation for dinner.

Before Dawn on the Tambopata River

Leave early for the journey toward Chuncho Macaw Clay Lick. Road and river transfers are coordinated according to the confirmed departure route. As the first light reaches the rainforest, travel upstream through the quiet river landscape, watching the banks for mammals, birds and other wildlife that may be active at this hour. The journey offers a memorable introduction to the upper Tambopata River, with changing scenery, forest sounds and the gradual transition from darkness to daylight. Breakfast arrangements and snacks are provided for the early departure.

Macaws & Parrots at Chuncho

Chuncho is one of the best-known macaw clay licks in the Tambopata region. During suitable mornings, macaws, parrots and parakeets may gather in the surrounding trees, calling and interacting before approaching the exposed clay bank. Scarlet, red-and-green and blue-and-yellow macaws are among the large species that may visit the area. Smaller macaws, parrots and parakeets can also be present. Your guide helps identify the birds, interpret their behavior and explain the role of clay consumption in their natural ecology. The number of birds, species present and level of activity vary according to weather, season and natural conditions. Shared Vortex observation equipment allows you to appreciate the activity from an appropriate distance.

Return & Guided Night Walk

Return from Chuncho for lunch and some rest. After dark, join your guide for a walk along suitable rainforest trails. Listen for frogs and other nocturnal sounds, observe insects and spiders, and look for reptiles and other animals that may become active at night. Nighttime encounters are unpredictable, but the change in sounds and activity offers a different way to experience the forest.

Sunrise at Yacumama

Begin the final morning before sunrise and travel to Yacumama Lake. Paddle through quiet waterways as the first daylight reaches the flooded palm forest and the birds begin their morning activity.

Exploring the Aguajal

Yacumama's aguaje palms (Mauritia flexuosa) form an important wetland habitat. Your guide explains how these palms provide food and shelter for wildlife, including red-bellied macaws that use cavities in dead palm trunks for nesting.

Traditional Fishing & Departure

When local conditions allow, try traditional piranha fishing using techniques demonstrated by your guide. After the excursion, return for breakfast, collect your belongings and continue to Puerto Maldonado or the airport according to your confirmed travel arrangements.