Puerto Maldonado: the gateway to the Amazon

Puerto Maldonado is a small town located in the Amazonian plain, near the border with Bolivia and Brazil. Not long ago, an asphalted road (called the “transoceanic”) began linking Peru to Brazil, stopping by Puerto Maldonado. However, the easiest way to reach Puerto Maldonado remains by air, from Cusco or Lima.

The city of Puerto Maldonado has little appeal in itself, but it is the ideal starting point for a trip into the Amazonian forest. Another option on the Peruvian side is the city of Iquitos, in the north East of the country. The advantage of Puerto Maldonado as opposed to Iquitos, is that it is relatively close to Cusco, which makes it easier to integrate the Amazonian stay into your tour without stopping by Lima. This essentially saves you time as well as money on an extra flight.

What is there to do around Puerto Maldonado?

Many lodges are located less than an hour’s boat ride away from Puerto Maldonado, and offer stays including accommodation, full board and excursions into the jungle. Do keep in mind that a 3 day/2 night stay in fact only includes one full-day on-site, since the first and last day are shortened due to traveling. Therefore, we would recommend a 4-day/3-night stay in order to have as much time in the jungle as possible.

Apart from the relaxing aspect of being completely immersed in the jungle, far away from the noise and stress of civilization, staying in a lodge will allow you to discover many different aspect of the Amazon, including of course the flora and fauna. The most frequently-seen animals are caimans, turtles, sea otters, different species of monkeys and of course a great number of birds, such as multicolored parrots, toucans and many others.

Each lodge has a different program, but all include some walking through the jungle and various excursions along the Madre de Dios River, or some pirogue rides across different lakes. We also offer an encounter with a native community of the Amazon. Sometimes it is also possible to take part in the Ayahuasca shamanic ritual.

We work first and foremost with the Corto Maltes lodge, but its availability cannot be guaranteed. Our alternatives are the Eco Amazonia and Bello Horizonte lodges. However, please don’t hesitate to let us know if you would rather stay at a different one.