Claire Dean
Claire Dean

Claire Dean

Travel in South America is a joy to behold. The rich variety of destinations, experiences, landscapes and geography fascinated me so much, that I chose to relocate here, over 20 years ago! The best thing I ever did! Allow me to share my knowledge and passion for Central and South America with you and help you plan your holiday of a lifetime!

Discover The Peruvian Rainforest

Discover The Peruvian Rainforest

3MINREAD

Written by:Claire Dean

Published: 2022-10-26

Peru's Amazon Rainforestoffers one of the best areas of the Amazon to visit. With the second-highest rainforest after Brazil, the Peruvian Amazon also boasts more clay licks than anywhere else in South America, offering opportunities to spot various bird species. Along with Ecuador, Peru's rainforest is located in western Amazonia, which provides the most wildlife due to the nearby Andean Mountains. With these things in mind, the Peruvian rainforest is an incredible place to visit. Enjoy beautiful scenery, relaxing cruises, adventure tours, and fantastic wildlife, but where do you visit in the vast Peruvian jungle?

 

Peru is home to the second-highest portion of The Amazon Rainforest after Brazil.

Amazon Tribe

 

There are two main gateways for the Peruvian Amazon. These are Iquitos as a port of the Amazon River in Peru's north and Puerto Maldonado in Madre de Dios  in the south. Puerto Maldonado provides access to the incredible Tambopata National Reserve and Manu lowlands.

The Amazon Rainfoest floods for around half of the year during rainy season. This meand that homes are builted on stilts to avoid the water entering the homes. The houses are made from fattened palm slats and roofed with palm leaves. Visit these incredible ecological homes when you visit on Iquitos Peru Amazon Tours.

Amazon Stilted Houses

 

Puerto Maldonado

The southern Peruvian Amazon offers more clay licks than anywhere in South America. This is the rainforest accessed from Peru's gateway town of Puerto Maldonado. From here, you can enjoy visiting the licks to see hundreds of colorful birds. The parrots and macaws visit these areas to eat clay. This is thought to provide essential salts and help neutralize toxins in the birds' unripe fruits and seeds diet. You can experience the clay licks from one of the many lodges. These offer guided tours to Tambopata's clay licks. And two recommendations are the Posada Amazonas and Refugio Amazonas Lodge. In addition to the clay licks, within the Peruvian Amazon, you can find beautiful lakes home to lake-living wildlife. Some of these are even home to endangered giant river otters.

 

The Peruvian Amazon, especially in the Tambopata Reserve, is characterized by Macaw clay licks. The word Collpa is a Spanish noun, derived from the Quechua word “Qolpa” and means salty land. This is where animals and birds gather to consume the clay, filled with mineral-rich salt. Learn more fascinating facts about The Amazon on your Madre de Dios tours to Tambopata.

Parrots on a Claylick

 

Iquitos

In Peru's northern territory, from Iquitos, you can enjoy fantastic cruises to enjoy the Amazon River. There are also jungle lodges for guided expeditions of the Iquitos rainforest. If you're interested in an Amazon River cruise, then Iquitos will be your choice as different high-class cruises depart from the port city of Iquitos. As the largest destination in the Amazon, the city offers a unique look at "city life" amidst the rainforest. Wander through wild markets selling exotic fruits, deadly catches, and herbal drinks claimed to deliver all sorts of effects. Dine at innovative restaurants in old colonial buildings on the water's edge, where the man-made jungle meets the untameable natural jungle. To make the most of Peru's Amazon Rainforest, you can see a list of Valencia Travels tours here.

 

Glide through the lush green Amazon rainforest, immersing yourself in the exuberant biodiversity of the jungle while navigating the mighty Amazon River. Discover remote villages, hike through the jungle, and witness exotic wildlife up close, from monkeys to colorful birds. With cruise durations ranging from 5 to 9 days days, you can enjoy the wonders of The Amazon on an Iquitos river cruise to witness the mighty jungle firsthand.

Riverboat Cruise, Iquitos

 

Wherever you decide to enter The Peruvian Amazon, you can be sure of the adventure of a lifetime with Valencia Travel's Jungle Experiences.
 

Peru is home to a rich diversity of snake species due to its varied ecosystems. The green anaconda, which is the largest non-venomous snake in the world, can be found in swamps, lakes, and marshes right through the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest. Another snake species found in Peru is the Mountain Whipsnake, which lives at elevations between 3,300 to 3,600 meters in the Manú National Park. See all the snakes you want on Manu National Park Tours from Cusco.

Emerald Boa

 

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