3 Days 2 Nights on Amazon Lodge

Morning pickup from your accommodation or the airport in a private car or mini-van (depending on group size) to arrive at the port town of Nanay-Bellavista. On our way there you will get a brief description of Iquitos city and some of its main attractions.

Departure by boat from Nanay port, making a stop to see the conjunction of Nanay river and Amazon river. Continue down the river for 1 hour 30 minutes enjoying the beautiful landscapes and the possibility to see river dolphins (gray and pink), herons (like the snowy egrett), kingfisher, yellow-billed tern, turtles, and many other species along with spectacular flora. During the navigation, you will also see passing villages, like Barrio Florido, and rural jungle towns before reaching the rustic-style lodge.

Before lunch we’ll go on a brief botanic walk in the surroundings of the lodge.

Lunch at the lodge made with local products, including fresh fruit juice. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options are available per request (when booking).

Boat expedition to the real Monkey Island (La isla de los monos) where you will get to know and play with macaws, amazonian parrots, sloths, and a wide variety of monkeys: Woolly monkey (mono choro), Titi monkey (mono tocon), Spider monkey (mono araña or maquisapa), Tamarins (mono pichico), Howler monkey (mono aullador), Marmoset (mono leoncito), among others. The Monkey Island is a family-owned rescue center, with all its permits up to date, dedicated to rescue, rehabilitate and release monkeys that are victims of pet trade. They have freed more than 200 monkeys since 1997.

After Monkey Island we set up to navigate back to the lodge and look for some sweetwater dolphins like the gray and pink dolphin. Now it’s chill time. This is your chance to jump into the river and relax while swimming in the longest river on Earth. We will enjoy a peaceful dawn at the Amazon river.

Dinner at lodge.

Nocturnal hike looking for spiders (like tarantulas), snakes, lizards, frogs, or rodents, hearing the different sounds of nocturnal animals.

Overnight at lodge (private room with private bathroom).

We get up very early and hop on our boat to see the sunrise and start looking for dolphins while navigating the Amazon river. This is the best time to see them playing along in the river while admiring the sunrise. Delight with the sounds of nature.

Fresh breakfast with local fruit juice.

Navigation in the Amazon river to reach Yanayacu. 30 minutes approx.

Yanayacu exploration. In Yanayacu we will explore by boat, canoe and hiking. We’ll be on the lookout for sloths, monkeys (pichico, negro), and some rare birds, from egrets to the famous yellow-rumped cacique (locally known as Paucar), or the elusive black-collared hawk, if we are lucky. You will also explore the jungle paddling if you want to do so.

In Yanayacu we’ll also take you to spots where the famous Victoria regia (or Victoria Amazonica) plant grows. This plant species is the largest lily pad in the world.

Lunch at the lodge.

We will prepare for our trip to Santa Maria de Fatima community, a small 200 people village by the Amazon river. They have developed an ecotourism project and built a 15 meters wooden tower in the middle of the jungle to enjoy the landscape, and the different bird species, of the heronry (called El Garzal).

Navigation in the Amazon river to Santa Maria de Fatima. 30 minutes approx.

Once we arrive at the community we’ll start a jungle walk for approx. 40 minutes. There is a chance to see monkeys here like the squirrel monkey (mono ardilla), saddle back tamarin (mono pichico pardo or cervecerita, its local name), and others. See if you can recognize them!

Canoeing our way to the heronry. Go up the 3-floor 15 meters wooden watchtower to enjoy the landscape and look for animals and birds. Animal spotting and bird watching while slowly navigating through the heronry dense vegetation. Here we can find Hoatzin (Shansho), a prehistoric Amazonian bird, and different species of herons (depending on the season) like the snowy egrett (garza blanca), white and brown boat-billed herons (huapapa blanca y huapapa marron), and others.

During the day we will have some fruits to keep us energized.

Nocturnal hiking looking for wildlife like smoky jungle frogs (sapo hualo), lizards, snakes, and others. We can also find many medicinal plants that grow in the area and drink water from a water vine (called cat’s claw or uncaria tormentosa). The guide will give us his wisdom in how they use them. Before coming back to the lodge we will go on a canoe expedition looking out for white caimans.

Navigation back to the Amazon lodge.

Dinner at lodge.

Overnight at lodge.

We get up very early and start our morning birdwatching and animal spotting expedition. This is the best time to see wildlife in his own habitat by the riverbank and inside the jungle.

Ethnobotanical walk through the jungle to see and learn about Amazonian plants and their relationship with the people that inhabit this place. We will learn about Amazonian medicinal plants on our way to find the Lupuna (Ceiba pentandra), one of the giant trees of the Amazon. Great spot for taking pictures.

Fresh breakfast with local fruit juice.

Visit to share with some members of one of the oldest indigenous groups in the Amazon, the Yahua tribe. You will get to know some of their songs and dances, practice your aim with the “cerbatana” (blow gun) and get the chance to contribute to their preservation by buying their hand-made handicrafts if you decide to do so.

Then we will take you by boat to try some artisanal piranha fishing, the way locals do it. The guide will instruct you, help you and provide you with all the equipment needed. You can also choose to do an alternative activity.

Lunch at lodge with typical food.

Return by boat to Nanay port and private transfer to your accommodation or the airport.