The Manu National Park, located in southeastern Peru (between the regions of Cusco and Madre de Dios) is one of the largest tropical parks in South America. The park extends from the mountains to the jungle. It covers two million hectares (4.5 million acres), and the territory is rich in flora and fauna with a wide variety of habitats, including the high Andes, rain forests, and rain forests of plains. In 1977, the Manu National Park was designated as a World Biological Reserve, home to otters, caimans, jaguars, approximately 13 species of primates and about 1000 species of birds, as well as 10% of the vascular plant species in the world, including several species of figs and palms, and innumerable species of medicinal plants, which are being cataloged by scientists. A single hectare of Manu forest can have up to 220 species of trees, while a hectare of temperate forest in Europe or North America can be up to twenty species of trees. The Manu National Park can be considered the park with the greatest biological diversity and the most protected on the planet.
Departure from the city of Cusco very early in the morning in one of our specially equipped vehicles for the route. We will cross interesting inter-Andean valleys and picturesque rural communities. We will pass through Paucartambo, a typical colonial town of great importance at that time and that still retains its colonial style, we will have our lunch on the route and continue the journey through the Cloud Forest, Bears Eyeglasses area, Gallito de las Rocas, orchids, bromeliads, ferns, etc, we will arrive at the town of Pilcopata and we will go to the port of Atalaya on the banks of the Alto Madre de Dios River, where we will take our motor boat to descend by the river. During this trip, we will observe the great variety of bird species that exist in the area: herons, vultures, cormorants, etc; until we reach the Private Reserve "Erika", we will walk in the jungle with the guidance of our guide where we can observe the flora and fauna of the area. At night, we can also walk around the lodge to observe amphibians and insects.
Early in the morning, we will board our motor boat bound for the Collpa, a wall of the river where diversity of parrots, parrots and possibly even macaws come to extract and lick the clay from the wall every morning, this because of allegedly Clay contains minerals that are necessary in your diet. After the activity, we will return to the lodge to look for our things and we will take our boat to make a tour of approximately an hour and a half in the Alto Madre de Dios River, until we reach the pools of Aguas Calientes in the jungle. After taking a refreshing swim, we will have lunch and go to the town of Boca Manu. During the tour we will appreciate a variety of birds and other species of animal life.
As soon as it dawns, we will go to the Limonal Surveillance Post, to proceed to register our entry to the Reserved Zone. We will travel for about 4 hours through the Manu River, moving us further away from the civilization and into the heart of the jungle, surrounded by numerous species of birds and animals of the area. Our destination will be Cocha Salvador, where we will spend the next 2 nights in the safari camp. In the course of the afternoon, we can explore the area near the camp with our guide.
We will wake up with the sound of nature and make a morning walk to look for animals that are beginning their daily routine in search of food. On our catamaran, we will meet Cocha Salvador, we will look for giant otters that are mostly in the river swimming, playing or eating; other species such as the black caiman and the beautiful fauna that surrounds us. Also, we will visit the observation tower of Cocha Otorongo, located about 15 meters high, we will enjoy the landscape and the animals of the jungle. Upon returning, we can take a short night walk to find amphibians and interesting types of insects.
This day, we will also start activities very early, we will walk and explore the camp and Cocha Salvador, we will enjoy nature, giant ceibas and different types of monkeys. After breakfast, we collect our things and take our boat on the Manu River, to return downstream to Boca Manu. We will arrive at the hostel and we will spend our fourth night.
On this sixth day, we will cross the Alto Madre de Dios river, against the current, surrounded by the beautiful jungle landscape and the great diversity of birds. At the end of the afternoon, we will arrive at the Private Reserve of Erika, where we will rest and spend our last night.
Early in the morning, we continue our way back on the river to the Atalaya Port, where we will be waiting for the transport that will take us to Cusco. We will have lunch on the route and we will be arriving in Cusco at night.
Prices for person in US Dollars
