Natives Program: 4 Days – 3 Nights (Tambopata)

Arrival:

Reception at the airport with transfer to our office located in the center of Puerto Maldonado. Any luggage you do not need during your stay in the rainforest can be safely stored in our storage room. This is to facilitate transportation by boat to the lodge.

We will embark on our lodge journey aboard the “Puerto de Capitanía” riverboat. It is a 40-minute navigation along the Madre de Dios River.

After arriving at Corto Maltes Amazonia Lodge, you will be greeted with snacks made from seasonal fruits. Later, your guide will provide you with the necessary information for your stay and hand over the keys to your bungalow and safety box, followed by lunch and some time to rest before the first excursion.

Walk and visit to a rubber tapper camp:

3:30 PM. Your first walk in the rainforest. You will be accompanied by your guide, who will show you tropical trees, medicinal plants, and other aspects of the lush nature within the 60-hectare Brazil nut concession at ‘Corto Maltes Amazonia.’

We will visit a rubber tapper camp, another important economic activity in the Madre de Dios region. This is a reproduction of a real camp, where you can see the rubber (better known as latex) collection process and how it is used for many products.

The duration of this walk is 2 hours.

Free time:

Upon returning to the lodge, you can relax by the pool or in the hammocks on the terrace of your bungalow, savor an exotic cocktail at the bar, enjoy a relaxing massage from our qualified staff, visit our shop for a handmade souvenir from the rainforest, or head to the riverbank to see the impressive sunset.

Caiman Safari:

7:00 PM. Before dinner, we will go on a night boat trip to observe caimans and, with some luck, other animals that populate the riverbank at night.

8:00 PM dinner at our riverside dining room.

Breakfast:

We will wake up at 5:30 am to have coffee or tea before heading to Lake Sandoval. Your guide will provide you with breakfast in bags and a snack for the excursion.

Lake Sandoval:

6:00 am: After approximately 20 minutes of boat ride along the Madre de Dios River, we arrive at the dock of Lake Sandoval. During a 3 km walk through the wild vegetation, we will enter the territory of the Tambopata National Reserve, where you will have the opportunity to admire giant trees, different snakes, monkeys (squirrel monkeys, howler monkeys, and capuchin monkeys), and various birds (particularly the Hoatzin, also known as the stinky bird, kingfishers, and snakebirds).

Once at Lake Sandoval, we will board small rowing boats in search of giant river otters. We will also have the chance to spot a good number of other reptiles, mammals, and birds in their natural habitat. When the guide finds a suitable spot where we can continue observing nature, we will have breakfast. For the return trip, make sure you have gathered your belongings, and we will return to the dock.

(Optional) Monkey Island:

This activity depends on the season and the discretion of your guide. There are occasions when, due to flooding, it is almost impossible to disembark and walk around the island. There are also times of the year for mating and breeding, and it is important to leave the wild monkeys alone without human interruption. The animals are accustomed to visitors and can come very close. Therefore, it is very important to always follow your guide’s instructions.

1:30 PM. Return to the Lodge for lunch.

A visit to an observation tower and a Brazil nut harvesting camp:

3:30 PM. We will visit one of the two observation towers at Corto Maltes Amazonia, with heights of 20 and 42 meters, designed for bird watching and observing other types of animals that live at this height in the canopy. Additionally, you will enjoy an incredible view of the sunset. (The guide will consult with guests about their preferences and adapt this excursion accordingly).

There will also be a visit to a Brazil nut harvesting camp, where collectors stay during the season. Brazil nuts (also known as castañas, as they are locally called) are one of the most important economic activities in the Madre de Dios region.

Free time:

Afterwards, you will have free time to enjoy the pool or a massage, refresh at the bar, or visit our souvenir shop.

Dinner:

8:00 PM

Breakfast:

8:00 AM

Chacra:

9:00 AM. After about 20 minutes of boat ride, we will visit a ‘chacra’, which is a plot of land cared for by a local family. Here, you will learn about and even taste different tropical fruits of the season and other native products (cocoa, plantain, cocona, breadfruit, noni, yucca, lime, etc.). This place belongs to a typical rural family in the area who carefully maintain, without the use of chemicals, some native plants that grow naturally and then take them to the main market of Puerto Maldonado for consumption. Once the visit is finished, we will return by boat and after about 20 minutes, we will reach the territory of the native Machiguenga family.

Machiguenga Native family:

12:00 PM. We will visit a Machiguenga native family, one of the many ethnic groups that exist in the Peruvian Amazon, who will show us part of the cultural value of their ancestors, their language and customs, their clothing, hunting techniques, handicrafts, and the music they play during the ayahuasca ceremony. They will teach us how they make tools, their houses, dresses, and ornaments using natural products, all of which are important for their daily life.

Lunch:

1:00 PM. Without leaving the territory of the Machiguenga ethnic family, in a typical structure, we will have an indigenous dish from the rainforest.

Free time:

2:00 PM. Return to the lodge to rest and have free time to visit the boutique, refresh in the pool, have a cocktail at the bar, or enjoy a relaxing massage.

Dinner:

8:00 PM

Clay licking parrots:

We will wake up at 5:30 AM and have coffee or tea before setting out on a 20-minute walk to the clay lick, where you will have the opportunity to observe 3 to 5 types of parrots.
Parrots come to the clay lick to ingest a particular type of clay, which is found only in certain areas of this region. The clay is vital for the birds’ metabolic regulation and is the site of a colorful, truly enchanting, and exciting event.

8:00 AM: Breakfast and free time

A visit to the local market in the city – End of the program:

After breakfast, we will return to the city of Puerto Maldonado by boat.
One of our vehicles will receive you at the port. After a brief stop at our office, we will drive to the local market where the local population gets their food and other products. During a short visit of about 20 minutes, you will be able to appreciate the different typical products of the area.
Then, we will head to the airport to check in for your respective flights.