Tambopata River is famous for its macaw clay licks and lush rainforest
Tambopata Amazon Rainforest ToursNote: Shown below is a 3-day extension, however extended itineraries are available. This is a good economical option for visiting the Amazon from Cuzco.
DAY 1: PUERTO MALDONADO - POSADA AMAZONAS Upon arrival from Lima or Cuzco flights, reception and transfer to the Tambopata river port in Puerto Maldonado, situated at the confluence of the mighty Madre de Dios and Tambopata Rivers.
After a brief survey of the frontier town you will depart on the 2 hour boat trip by motorized canoe to Posada Amazonas. Depending on the arrival time of the plane you will have a boxed lunch aboard the boat or have lunch upon arrival at Posada Amazonas. During the voyage you may see bird species typical of the river or forest edge such as: Black Skimmer, Pied Lapwing, Capped Heron, Jabiru Stork, Roadside Hawk, and several species of kingfishers, swallows and flycatchers.
The Posada Amazonas is a comfortable yet unobtrusive 30 room (with private baths) lodge. You will receive a short orientation and a complete briefing on the lodge and the local Ecotourism Project before the afternoon activity, the canopy tower. The 35 meter scaffolding tower that is 15 minutes walking from the lodge and is built so that you can safely climb using the internal staircase with verandas on each side, and rest in platforms every 2 meters. From the top you not only get spectacular views of the river and the surrounding forest but also excellent opportunities to observe birds from the canopy including parrots, toucans and macaws. A video about the forest of Tambopata will be shown after dinner. (L,D)
DAY 2: POSADA AMAZONAS You will be up at dawn for a visit to the Tres Chimbadas oxbow lake. After an early breakfast you depart for the fifteen minutes by boat and a 30 minute walk to the lake’s shore. Then you have a guided canoe ride around it, to look for the giant river otters, turtles, hoatzin, and wading birds. The giant river otters that are seen in Tres Chimbadas belong to a resident family of nine.
Afterwards, you return to the lodge's trails in time for a visit to a small parakeet clay lick. Dozens and sometimes hundreds of Blue Headed Parrots, Orange-Cheeked Parrots, Cobalt-winged parakeets, and sometimes even the rare Rock Parakeet congregate here on clear days to ingest clay. This congregation creates a riotous and colorful wildlife spectacle where the greens, oranges, reds and blues of the parrots dance around the bank as each individual parrot competes for their choice beak full of clay. At times, this spectacle lasts for hours. Then you return to the lodge for lunch before embarking on an afternoon outing. In the afternoon, you visit the community's ethnobotanical center. From this little shop, the community has been registering the uses of medicinal plants from elders and planting, producing and distributing them for over ten years. You will hike the trails around the center with one of the residents who will explain to us the everyday uses of forest resources in medicine, construction, food and fiber. After enjoying our popular happy hour and refurbishing your spirits with ours, you may be up for an optional night walk to look for amphibians and insects.(B,L,D)
DAY 3: POSADA AMAZONAS - PUERTO MALDONADO After an early breakfast we will return up the river to Puerto Maldonado for your afternoon flight back to Lima or Cusco. (B) END
TAMBOPATA
The Tambopata National Reserve and adjacent Bahuaja-Sonene National Park in the Peruvian Amazon protect the biological diversity of the entire watersheds of the Tavara and the Candamo Rivers and most of the watershed of the Tambopata River. The declaration and the design of the protected areas includes an underlying philosophy of sustainable development and conservation of forest resources. The parks protect habitats ranging from the Andean highlands around the rivers' headwaters through some of the last remaining intact cloud forests to the lowland rainforests of the Amazon basin. Over 1,300 bird species (including 32 parrot species - 10% of the world's total), 200 mammal species, 90 frog species, 1,200 butterfly species and 10,000 species of higher plants are protected within this reserve. The world's largest known mineral clay lick, where hundreds of parrots and macaws of up to 15 species congregate daily to ingest the detoxifying clay, is also within the reserve, less than 500m from Tambopata Research Centre.
Adjacent the northwestern corner of the reserve is the Ese'eja Native Community, adding its 10,000 hectares of communally-owned and managed Amazon rainforest to those of the Tambopata National Reserve. Within this territory is Posada Amazonas, a community-owned lodge and tourism operation which is an excellent base from which to explore the jungle and the endangered wildlife species within (including giant river otters). Return to the top of this webpage :)
After a brief survey of the frontier town you will depart on the 2 hour boat trip by motorized canoe to Posada Amazonas. Depending on the arrival time of the plane you will have a boxed lunch aboard the boat or have lunch upon arrival at Posada Amazonas. During the voyage you may see bird species typical of the river or forest edge such as: Black Skimmer, Pied Lapwing, Capped Heron, Jabiru Stork, Roadside Hawk, and several species of kingfishers, swallows and flycatchers. 
The Posada Amazonas is a comfortable yet unobtrusive 30 room (with private baths) lodge. You will receive a short orientation and a complete briefing on the lodge and the local Ecotourism Project before the afternoon activity, the canopy tower. The 35 meter scaffolding tower that is 15 minutes walking from the lodge and is built so that you can safely climb using the internal staircase with verandas on each side, and rest in platforms every 2 meters. From the top you not only get spectacular views of the river and the surrounding forest but also excellent opportunities to observe birds from the canopy including parrots, toucans and macaws. A video about the forest of Tambopata will be shown after dinner. (L,D)
Afterwards, you return to the lodge's trails in time for a visit to a small parakeet clay lick. Dozens and sometimes hundreds of Blue Headed Parrots, Orange-Cheeked Parrots, Cobalt-winged parakeets, and sometimes even the rare Rock Parakeet congregate here on clear days to ingest clay. This congregation creates a riotous and colorful wildlife spectacle where the greens, oranges, reds and blues of the parrots dance around the bank as each individual parrot competes for their choice beak full of clay. At times, this spectacle lasts for hours. Then you return to the lodge for lunch before embarking on an afternoon outing.
The Tambopata National Reserve and adjacent Bahuaja-Sonene National Park in the Peruvian Amazon protect the biological diversity of the entire watersheds of the Tavara and the Candamo Rivers and most of the watershed of the Tambopata River. The declaration and the design of the protected areas includes an underlying philosophy of sustainable development and conservation of forest resources. The parks protect habitats ranging from the Andean highlands around the rivers' headwaters through some of the last remaining intact cloud forests to the lowland rainforests of the Amazon basin.
Adjacent the northwestern corner of the reserve is the Ese'eja Native Community, adding its 10,000 hectares of communally-owned and managed Amazon rainforest to those of the Tambopata National Reserve. Within this territory is Posada Amazonas, a community-owned lodge and tourism operation which is an excellent base from which to explore the jungle and the endangered wildlife species within (including giant river otters).