Tambopata National Reserve

In Peru, you can find the Tambopata National Reserve, one of the last natural reserves located in the Amazon rainforest.

If you want to be in touch with beautiful ecological landscapes and be accompanied by curious animals along the routes that MACHU PICCHU PERU TRAVEL offers, the Tambopata National Reserve is a must-visit destination for travelers to Peru and nature lovers from around the world. Below, we provide information about the history, ecology, and diversity of the Reserve.

What is the Tambopata National Reserve?

The Tambopata National Reserve covers an area of 274,690 hectares (1,061 square miles) located in southern Peru. It is traversed by three rivers: the Malinowski, the Tambopata, and the Madre de Dios.

The Tambopata National Reserve is a protected and isolated area from civilization; here you will find incredible biodiversity. The Tambopata National Reserve is home to over 1,000 butterfly species, 100 mammal species, around 600 bird species, and hundreds of species of trees and plants. In fact, this reserve and the surrounding region are among the most biodiverse places on the planet.

The Tambopata National Reserve is a biodiversity hotspot, home to:

• 1,200 butterfly species
• 632 bird species
• 180 fish species
• 169 mammal species
• 103 amphibian species
• 103 reptile species
• 17 distinct forest types with unique plant associations
• 1,255 plant species

The Tambopata National Reserve is not only an impressive natural destination but also has a rich cultural heritage. Long ago, it was home to the Ese Eja people, and even today, many indigenous families continue to live in the buffer zone of the Reserve.

Within the Reserve boundaries, the only human settlements you will find are some ranger stations and our Tambopata Research Center (TRC) lodge. This lodge is located in the Reserve because it was established before the area became a National Reserve in 1996, making the TRC, in fact, the most remote lodge in South America.

How was the Tambopata National Reserve created?

Since the year 1900, the Tambopata National Reserve began gaining importance as civilization advanced. There was a passion for preserving this area because it was (and still is) one of the last and largest stretches of virgin jungle. Specifically, Tambopata is one of the few areas that contains lowland tropical rainforests and foothills, and also connects with cloud forests at higher altitudes and wet savannas.

Moreover, very few people lived in the more remote areas of Tambopata. Conservationists realized that the region could act as an important corridor between Manu National Park and the rainforests of Bolivia.

The area also hosted healthy populations of tapirs, jaguars and other felines, giant otters, harpy eagles, many types of macaws, and other animals that had disappeared from other parts of the Amazon.

Initially, the area now including the Tambopata National Reserve and the nearby Bahuaja Sonene National Park was known as the “Tambopata-Candamo Reserved Zone” as an initial form of protection. Although the “reserved zone” status offered some protection, it left the possibility of land-use changes open, so the area remained at risk.

Conservation organizations conducted further studies to help grant the area a more permanent protection status, which showed that protecting the region was crucially important for biodiversity and that it could coexist with local cultures. These studies helped build a strong case for changing the status of Tambopata from “reserved zone” to “national reserve,” a more official and permanent protection. Thus, the Tambopata National Reserve was born!

Here is an interactive Google map with the main lodges in the area, our lodges, and how far/close they are from the National Protected Areas.

• Tambopata Jungle Tour 3 Days / 2 nights
• Tambopata Jungle Tour 4 Days / 3 nights

What else should you know about traveling to Tambopata?

Now that you know more about the Tambopata National Reserve, you might be interested in learning how to get there from your country or how to include it in a longer trip around Peru. Find out how to get to Tambopata and check maps of Peru and the region.
Tambopata is a fascinating region with its own history, culture, and ecology. Read all about Tambopata here.

Tambopata is a seasonal destination with a wide variety of lodges and tours. Find our travel tips on when to go and what to see here.

Finally, Tambopata has become a top tourist destination thanks to its natural beauty and the incredible biodiversity of the jungle. Discover here some of the main wildlife species in Tambopata.

How to get to the Tambopata National Reserve

To get to the Tambopata National Reserve, you must first pass through Puerto Maldonado. Essentially, there are two ways to get to Puerto Maldonado: by air or by bus.

Getting to the Tambopata National Reserve by bus

This route is more economical, as flights are more expensive.

The bus to Puerto Maldonado from Cusco costs 92 soles per person (generally) with Cruz del Sur (I recommend booking on their website) and takes 10 hours. It is a winding and bumpy road that reaches an altitude of over 15,000 feet.

Useful tip: Cruz del Sur does something interesting where some of the seats on the second level are much cheaper. It’s true, and the seats are perfectly normal, so don’t be discouraged.

Sometimes they don’t allow you to buy them for some unknown reason, but we got my seats on the Amazon route for only 20 soles each way!

Bus seats are quite comfortable, and you will enjoy the scenery.

For the return trip, the bus station in Puerto Maldonado is surprisingly large, and keep in mind that you will need to pay a small exit fee (3.5 soles) before boarding your bus.

Wild Macaw Clay Licks

Seeing these beautiful birds is the perfect reward when you visit the rainforest.
Every morning, hundreds of scarlet, blue, and red/green macaws gather on the orange clay cliffs of the Amazon River in this region to add sodium and other vital minerals to their diet.

If you are interested in seeing parrots of the Tambopata National Reserve, this is the place to do it.

Jaguars, Tapirs, Howler Monkeys, Spider Monkeys, Capybaras.

In the Tambopata National Reserve, these are the most elusive mammals you will have the chance to observe in the jungle. The longer you stay and the deeper you go into the forest, the more likely you are to see them.

A great variety of tropical birds, from toucans to peacocks

I was impressed by the diverse avifauna of the jungle. Each day we saw many new colorful birds.

A diverse insect and plant life.

It might not be the most exciting attraction, BUT it is interesting! You will see most of the insects during your night walks through the jungle.

Sandoval Lake in Tambopata National Reserve

Sandoval Lake is located several hours upriver in the opposite direction to the macaw clay licks. Both cannot be done together. The main attraction of this lake is the opportunity to see giant river otters. However, you won’t see the parrots. Otherwise, the wildlife is basically the same.

When to travel to the Tambopata National Reserve?

The climate of the Tambopata National Reserve is somewhat seasonal, although it is nothing like the temperate zone. Although it may rain frequently, Tambopata is drier from April to November when the rains stop and start, respectively. The rainiest months are January and February.
If you travel during the rainy season, your activities may be canceled if the rain is too heavy.

The advantages of visiting during the rainy season are that the macaws are more active at the clay licks and during nesting. If you like macaws, come between December and February when the nesting season is in full swing.

Who lives in the Tambopata National Reserve?

The native Ese Eja people (which means “people”) have lived for centuries in the surrounding areas of the National Reserve. Approximately 200 families are found in the town of Infierno, about 20 families in the Sonene area, and about 50 families in the Palma Real village.
Traditionally, they are farmers, fishermen, and hunters, but in recent years, tourism and Brazil nut harvesting have become their main sources of income. Their customs and traditions are part of the experience that visitors can enjoy during their stay in Tambopata, Peru.

What to Do in Tambopata National Reserve?

This is an important question: no one goes to the Amazon just to stay inside the lodge. Most lodges and tour operators include activities in the price of your stay. In Tambopata, you don’t pick a path to follow (that’s for Paris), nor do you sit around doing nothing (that’s for Cancun), nor do you follow a single trail to reach a destination (that’s the Inca Trail!). Every day in Tambopata, your operator will offer you a variety of activities to choose from, and most of them should be included in your rate.

There are many activities to do, but you should stay at least three nights to be able to:

• Boat or canoe on meander-shaped lakes in the Tambopata National Reserve.
• Explore canopy towers or hanging bridges in the Tambopata Natural Reserve.
• Visit clay licks in the Tambopata Conservation Area.
• Kayak through the Tambopata National Park.
• Take walks in the Tambopata Sanctuary.

Biodiversity of Tambopata National Reserve

The lowland forests and tropical savannas of the Tambopata Ecological Reserve are some of the most biodiverse areas in the world.

Birds: 670 bird species have been identified, including the harpy eagle, a large and rare raptor that preys on monkeys and sloths, the strange Hoatzin, and eight species of macaws (six of which can be seen at the Tambopata Research Center clay lick in the Tambopata Protected Area).

Mammals: 200 species, including healthy populations of jaguars, giant anteaters, and Amazonian tapirs.

Reptiles and Amphibians: 210 species, including several species of tree frogs, the colorful Tambopata poison frog, and the beautiful rainbow boa.

Insects and Other Arthropods: There are thousands of insect and spider species in Tambopata’s rainforests, many of which are expected to be unknown to science.

Trees and Plants: Over 10,000 plant species have been identified in the Tambopata Ecosystem, Peru, making it one of the most plant-diverse areas on the planet. Notable plants include the Brazil nut, the giant ceiba tree, and fast-growing balsa trees.

Tambopata Lodges and Tours

In the Tambopata Conservation Zone, all lodges come with a tour operator. This means lodges have boats to transport you, guides to accompany your activities, and take care of everything from airport pick-up to your return. However, some tour operators don’t have lodges. Here, we’ll focus only on accommodations.

To determine if a lodge is good, check if it’s clean, if the food is good, if transportation is punctual, and if the staff is friendly. Visitors who have stayed there before can provide insights. For service-related queries, TripAdvisor is very useful.

You probably know that TripAdvisor (www.tripadvisor.com) is the world’s largest travel review site. Look up your destination and check the top-rated hotels and tour operators. Remember, TripAdvisor users, not experts, define destinations. So a destination might appear under different names, such as Puerto Maldonado or Tambopata Natural Region for lodges near the Tambopata National Reserve.

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