Journey to the Heart of Amazon

Day 2: Apu Victor Lake - Monkey Island

The birds of paradise will sing to wake you up feeling refreshed. A hearty breakfast will provide you with the energy you need for a morning full of new experiences.

Upon arrival in Puerto Maldonado, the Biodiversity Capital of Peru, we will welcome you at the airport. We will then begin our program with a bus tour of the city. Afterwards, we will head to Puerto Capitanía, where our boat will be waiting to take us down the Bajo Madre de Dios River (Serpenteante River) to our lodge, located thirty kilometers from the city of Puerto Maldonado.

On the way, you will see rural properties used for agriculture and livestock farming near the city. If the weather is favorable, you will see colorful plants such as giant heliconias and possibly animals such as ronsocos, caimans, aquatic turtles, herons, cormorants, scavenger birds, and birds of prey.

Upon arrival at our lodge, you will be welcomed with a delicious nectar made from tropical Amazonian fruits and escorted to your comfortable room (bungalow), reserved for the occasion. Once settled in, a hearty lunch will await you in our cozy, rustic-style dining room.

Apu Victor Lake

After breakfast, we will begin a hike into the deep forest along well-maintained, signposted trails.

Along the way, we will cross the riverside forest and head towards higher elevations. Then, we will descend into floodplain forests and climb back up to hill forests. During the hike, we will witness a wide variety of wild flora and fauna.

You will identify species of fruit trees, forest trees, and medicinal trees that sustain the animal and human populations in the Amazonian forests. These include aguaje, mahogany, cashew, caoba, cedar, cedro, copal, and shihuahuaco. If you are lucky and remain silent, you may spot large mammals such as the sachavaca and huangana, rodents such as giant otters, ronsocos, majaz, and armadillos; and primates such as cotos, or howler monkeys, the leoncillo, the frailecillo, the black martin, and the capuchin; reptiles such as the iguana and the jergón; amphibians include toads, and birds include the mountain turkey, partridge, golden  parakeet, and blue, yellow, and red macaws.

In the rainforest, you will see insects such as butterflies (Lepidoptera) and beetles (Coleoptera), crickets, cicadas, ants, centipedes, and millipedes of various species. We will arrive at majestic Lake Apu Victor, which is surrounded by immense swamps and gigantic trees.

From the Amazonian viewpoint, a huge observation platform, you will enjoy a panoramic view of the lake and observe parrots, macaws, toucans, camungos, shanshos, herons, and other animals, such as caimans and turtles, can also be seen here.

During the rainy season, varieties of fish enter Lake Apu Víctor with the floods (rising). There are also other species of fauna associated with the lake, such as the motelo, matamata, charapita, the fraile, the chozna, the red deer, the añuje, and the giant otters of the Amazon rainforest.

Back at the lodge, a refreshing lunch will be waiting for you.

Money Island

In the afternoon, we will visit Monkey Island with our specialized guide. Monkey Island is located just a few minutes from the lodge, in the heart of the Madre de Dios River. This island boasts an enormous variety of lush flora and is home to numerous primate species, such as the squirrel monkey capuchins, frailecillos, and leoncillos. Other species of small mammals include the coati (Nasua), squirrels, and a wide array of colorful birds. Finally, we will end our visit by enjoying an impressive sunset in the jungle impressive sunset in the jungle.

Day 3: Cocha Perdida (Lost Lake)

The magic begins with the songs of birds from the Amazonian paradise, as you wake up to the howling of monkeys. A hearty breakfast will provide you with the energy you need for a morning full of new experiences.

Lost Lake

After breakfast, we will begin an adventure through the virgin jungle, accompanied by our local guide, we will hike into the deep forest, following well-maintained trails on our interpretive circuit. Along the way, we will cross temporary waterways called caños via bridges in very good condition and witness the widest range of flora and fauna in the wild. We will see a wide variety of ornamental plants of incomparable beauty.

On the way to Cocha Perdida, we will identify species of fruit, forest, and medicinal trees that sustain the animal populations in the Amazonian forests.

With luck, we may spot larger mammals such as jaguars, sachavacas, and lahuanganas; rodents such as giant otters, ronsocos, majaz, and armadillos; primates such as elcoto or howler monkeys and frailecillos; reptiles such as iguanas and jergons; amphibians such as toads; and birds such as mountain turkeys, partridge, golden parakeet, and red, blue, and yellow macaws. The rivers leave behind wetland systems, lakes, cochas, and meanders, such as the spectacular Cocha Perdida. Wetlands play an extremely important ecological role, as they represent a substantial biological focus with endemic species. They are a refuge for mammals. These aguajales make up 70% of the area that Eco Amazonía Lodge protects and restores. The presence of the aguaje palm is very important for Amazonian ethnic groups. It is a plant shrouded in mystery. The aguaje is the mother of the forest or tree of life. The aguajal is home to jealous guardians such as the jaguar, considered the son of the aguajal, the anaconda, the largest snake in the world, the owl that sees everything from its perch high in the canopy and brings relief to all ills, and the black caiman, guardian of the female aguajes, who punishes anyone who dares to cut them down. Once in the Lost Lake, we will ascend to a huge observation platform. From this vantage point, you will see the enormous area covered by this magical place, where you can see two types of aguajales: dense and mixed. Then we will take a pleasant walk around the Cocha Perdida and, if luck is on your side, you may spot the “giant otter” Pteronurabrasiliensis, the largest of its kind and one of the most impressive animals in the Amazon.

Back at the lodge, you can enjoy a delicious lunch.

In the afternoon, you are free to take photographs around the lodge, and you also have the option of visiting the botanical garden to see our medicinal and fruit plants. In the evening, you can enjoy our delicious dinner. If you feel up to it, you can enjoy a fun night in our bar and games room.

Day 4: Transfer to the airport

After a restful night's sleep, the powerful voice of the howler monkey will wake you up and remind you that you are still in its domain and that it is time to leave. A delicious breakfast awaits you in our dining room before we begin the return trip to Puerto Maldonado.
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