Regional travel in Peru – Travel program PTW-TAM005-en

Refugio Amazonas

Refugio Amazonas is located about 3 hours by bus and boat from Puerto Maldonado upriver on the Tambopata in the buffer zone of the Tambopata National Reserve.

Program 1

3 days / 2 nights – Start: daily

Day 1: from Puerto Maldonado to Refugio Amazonas

• Reception at the airport in Puerto Maldonado and short stop at the city office.

• In order to only have the most important luggage with you on the journey, the remaining luggage can be safely stored in the office until you return.

• Transfer to the port of the village of Infierno, where an approximately 2½-hour boat trip to the Lodge Refugio Amazonas, located in the buffer zone of the Tambopata National Reserve, begins. Wild animals, especially birds, can be observed here during the journey.

• After dinner, night trip to look for caimans.

Day 2: Refugio Amazonas

• Half hour hike to a 25 m high lookout tower (Canopy Tower) early in the morning. Since it was also built on a hill, it offers a great view over the surrounding original jungle in the Tambopata National Reserve.

• Breakfast at the lodge.

• Very close to the lodge we visit a camp of brazil nut collectors. Explanation of the process from collecting the Brazil nuts to drying them.

• Short hike (40 minutes) to Lake Condenado. During the boat trip on the lake, the animals that live here can be observed, including hoatzin, caiman, macaws (guacamayos).

• After dinner possibility for a night hike. During this time, many mammals are active, but difficult to spot. The outlines and sounds of the frogs are easier to hear, as bizarre as the stories about them.

Day 3: Refugio Amazonas to Puerto Maldonado

• After breakfast transfer to Puerto Maldondo Airport.

Program 2

4 days / 3 nights – Start: daily

Day 1: from Puerto Maldonado to Refugio Amazonas

• As program 1.

Day 2: Refugio Amazonas

• Two hour hike to Lake Sachavacayoc. Catamaran crossing the lake to see the resident wildlife including hoatzin, caiman, giant river otter (sighted by approximately 30% of visitors). If you want to save yourself this long walk, you can also visit Lake Condenado, half an hour from the lodge.

• Just 5 minutes downstream is the country estate of the charismatic Don Miguel in the neighboring municipality of Condenado. A large number of popular and also little-known plants from the Amazon region grow here. Every plant and every tree can be used in some way. Many of the regional medicinal plants can also be found in an ethnobotanical garden.

• Very close to the lodge we visit a camp of brazil nut collectors. Explanation of the process from collecting the Brazil nuts to drying them.

Day 3: Refugio Amazonas

• A 15 minute boat ride and an hour of hiking will bring us to a parakeet lick. From a hiding place the parakeets can be observed when they come here on a clear day.

• In the late morning, 20 minutes from the lodge, packs of 5 to 20 wild boar gather to feed on the soil at this site. Other animals can also be observed here.

• Half-hour hike to a 25 m high observation tower (canopy tower). Since it was also built on a hill, it offers a great view over the surrounding original jungle in the Tambopata National Reserve.

• After dinner opportunity to talk to the staff of Refugio Amazonas about the conservation efforts and the possibilities and projects of the Tambopata National Reserve.

Day 4: Refugio Amazonas to Puerto Maldonado

• After breakfast transfer to Puerto Maldondo Airport.

Note: In order to adapt the various activities to the specific circumstances, as well as for climatic or organizational reasons, changes in the schedule can be made.