Considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world, the Amazon River is also the longest and with highest flow. Its basin covers 40% of South America, crossing 9 countries from its source in the Andes to its mouth in the Atlantic Ocean. This is one of the most biodiverse places in the world, if you are a lover of wildlife it is the right spot for you.
Why choose the Peruvian Amazon? Here is the largest National Reserve in the country, the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, considered by USA Today Magazine one of the best places in the world for wildlife (see our tours to Pacaya Samiria here).
While crossing the Amazon River you can see the range of greens that make up the jungle, not to mention the wildlife here, with these wonderful landscapes you will understand what attracts explorers since centuries.
If you already want to visit the Peruvian Amazon, you will not have any doubts knowing the different activities that you can do and that will connect you with wildlife and adventure.
Let yourself be surprised!
During your trip through the Amazon jungle you will see many animals in their natural habitat, be it birds, mammals, insects or fish. Of the fish there is one that will sound familiar, the piranha. Perhaps when you hear its name the first thing that comes to mind is the image of a fish with a sharp tooth devouring an animal. Its voracity is without doubt the most famous feature of these fish, however, what many people do not know is that this is one of the tastiest fish in the Amazon. With an artisan rod typical of the area, you can capture these exotic fish, demonstrate your skills in this fishing gear and of course, if you wish, you can enjoy a bite of your catch (all our tours include piranha fishing).
Another animal you will have the opportunity to see during our tours is the pink dolphin. It is an emblematic animal of the Amazon, the largest of the river dolphins and considered the most intelligent. They move fast, you can see them jumping in the river and then to the side of the boat since they are very curious. There are many myths about these dolphins, in some of them it becomes a man to captivate women. Beware of falling into his trap!
The most numerous animal group in the Amazon is that of birds, if you consider yourself a birdwatching lover, this place will enchant you. Thanks to the biodiversity that the Amazon forest has, you will be able to see many species, some of which you can only see here. Visualize hummingbirds, macaws, kingfishers, hoatzins, toucans and even birds as big as the king vulture.
For those people who wish to interact directly with primates, the mandatory stop is The Monkey Island (included in all our itineraries by the Amazon river), a monkey sanctuary where you can share with them very closely in their natural habitat. Do not be surprised if any of them wants to climb on you and use you as a means of transport. You can see how the different species coexist with each other, be it spider monkey, yellow tailed wooly monkey, saddle back tamarin, monk saki, among others. There are also guided trails if you want to tour the island. If you are visiting, remember not to use repellent, this will avoid damaging the monkeys you will be in contact with.
On the other hand, there are several ways to explore the virgin forest either on foot, by boat or canoe, during the day or night. All of them will give you a different vision of the jungle and how to get inside it to see the animals in their natural habitat.
If walking through the jungle during the day is an activity full of emotion, imagine during the night. The night walks in the jungle will make you feel that you are on another planet and your senses will be sharpened when you feel that everything around you is alive. Enjoy the search for snakes and alligators, an experience that you will never forget by the hand of our tours.
The best way to explore the flooded forest without breaking the harmony while enjoying the wild life and beautiful landscapes is through the canoe trips. It is a magical experience, from the canoe you can appreciate the quiet waters and the wonders of entering the Amazon rainforest.
Another way to know the Amazon is by camping in the jungle. It is one of the most incredible experiences you can live here. Perceive how the silence of the evening is transformed into a universe of sounds that surround everything around you when night falls. You will feel that the jungle at night is full of life and you will rest being part of the place. Live this experience with us in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve.
In addition to being home to thousands of animals of different sizes, the jungle harbors to several native and aboriginal communities of the Amazon that can be visited from the city of Iquitos and that still preserve their customs and traditions, which you can visit during our tours through the amazon river.
Life in the Amazon takes place at a different pace from the rest of the world. The communities on the banks of the rivers have not been touched by technology, they still maintain their traditional way of doing things, unlike the big cities of the Amazon.
When you visit them, you can watch their characteristic dances with body paint, try their marksmanship after the demonstration of blowguns, a hunting instrument. As a souvenir you can buy local crafts made with seeds and wood from the area.
In some of these communities you can still find healers and shamans who use plants with medicinal properties to cure diseases and ills. One of the rituals performed by the shamans is the ritual of Ayahuasca, a must-see experience offered by the Amazon. No doubt we have all heard about Ayahuasca, but … What is it? The Ayahuasca (Banisteriopsis caapi) is a liana or vine distributed only in the Amazon rainforest. It is precisely from the mixture of this plant with a shrub called chacruna (Psychotria viridis), that the famous brew is born which gives life to the ceremonies of Ayahuasca. Considered as a gateway to the spiritual world and its secrets, the Ayahuasca ceremonies offer the opportunity to connect with oneself, exploring their personal development through the introspective hallucinogenic nature. Undoubtedly, this is an unforgettable experience that can be worn as a souvenir of your passage through the Amazon. If you would like more information to live the ayahuasca ceremony experience, please contact us.
Visiting the Amazon will be the trip of a lifetime, there are so many incredible reasons why you should go that you do not need an excuse.
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