Peruvian Adventure - Puerto Maldonado
The flight into
Puerto Maldonado takes a mere 30 minutes from Cuzco, The same trip by road takes
24 hours.
Puerto Maldonado lies at the confluence of the Madre de Dios River and the
Tambopata River in south-eastern Peru. It is the last town on the road that
comes down through the Andes from Cuzco. From this point all traffic is
waterborne, except for a road that leads into Brazil a ferry boat ride across the Madre De Dios.
Puerto Maldonado is the gateway to the Tambopata Research Center, The Tambopata
National Reserve, The Parque Nacional Bahauja Soneme. This area is home to
Parrots, Monkey's, Caiman and Piranha. The park has
registered more than 2,000 vascular plant species, 1,200 butterfly species,
1,000 different birds, more than 100 species of mammals and unknown species of
reptiles, amphibians, fishes and insects.150 species of dragonfly live in the park
We stayed at the Wasai Lodge on the rivers edge the first two nights after we arrived. May to October is the dry season, So try to plan your trip during these months, as once the rainy season arrives, believe me.......It RAINS! After careful planning we decided to travel into the Amazon with Corto Maltes Amazonia for a jungle trip. We traveled in by outboard, and stayed at the Corto Maltes camp on the Madre de Dios. from there we hiked the jungle, and went piranha fishing in Lago Sandavol. We also went on a photographic monkey hunt, and visited a parrot lick deep in the jungle.
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This Sloth was climbing up our porch at Wasi the day of our arrival.
Kerry Piranha Fishing on Lago Sandavol
Below is a photo of traders coming in to Puerto Maldonado
with fresh fruit from the jungle.
Myself and our guide Erick Arguedas walking out of the
jungle at night during a rainstorm. we had a 12 kilometer
walk out from Lago Sandoval to the Madre de Dios River,
Where we met a boat for the ride upriver back to Corto Maltes.
When caught in the jungle at night, walk softly and carry a big stick!
Erick can be contacted at 084-571187 in Puerto Maldonado if you should
travel to the area alone, and decide you need a guide. bring your own fishing
equipment!