Early this morning you will depart Refugio Amazonas for the four-hour boat ride to Tambopata Research Center.
One and a half hours into the ride, you enter the uninhabited, pristine nucleus of the Tambopata National Reserve and prime jaguar territory.
All the tours for the afternoon are "a La Carte". Some of the highlights at Tambopata Research Center include:
Jungle Night walks: Meet strange creatures of darkness. At first, you were a little nervous about the Jungle Night Walk, taking uncertain steps onto the dark trail and fidgeting with your headlamp. But soon, your eyes adjust, and a new world opens up to you. While many animals sleep, others emerge, making the Amazon their own. These weird, otherworldly creatures of the night — giant insects, frogs, snakes, and more — are ripe for discovery.
The Rainforest Master Hike: Discover all the rainforest’s diversity. After rising early in the morning, you trek into the jungle with your knowledgeable guide in tow to begin your Rain forest Master Hike. Over the next six hours, you’ll spot countless animals and plants of incredible beauty.
Amazon Birdwatching: Spy rare, beautiful jungle birds. As you trek through the marshy forest, a tiny flash of color catches your eye. Your guide motions towards it, setting up his telescope and honing in with his binoculars.
Overlook Trail: Wild trails, breathtaking views. Deep within the dense forest, the only hints that the river lies below come from its soft, flowing sound and brief glimpses of water through the trees. As the air becomes fresher and lighter on the River Overlook Trail, it seems like you’re getting near. Then, all of a sudden, you break through the trees and see it: the vast, splendid Tambopata River in all its glory.
Sunset Cruise; Revel in the beautiful Amazon at nightfall. Twilight descends early in the jungle. Under the thick tree cover of the rainforest, darkness falls quickly, when the light cannot slip through the foliage any longer. But here, in a canoe drifting gently down the Tambopata River, it’s another story. Freed from the dense jungle canopy, glistening sunlight streams down for much of the day. Now, as afternoon slips into evening, you’re about to see one of the world’s most spectacular sunsets. The Sunset Cruise floats down the wide river, countless oranges and pinks reflecting off the water in lovely patterns.
Amazon Creek Trail Hike: Explore a sparkling Amazon stream. As you and your guide start out along the Wild Creek Trail, the soft sound of flowing water surrounds you.
Colorado Macaw Clay Lick: A once-in-a-lifetime experience. You set out on the canoe as the sun begins to rise, illuminating the Tambopata River with soft light. Just a few minutes later, you arrive at the rocky shore of a nearby sandbar and start to trek over the sand with your guide. When you emerge on a lush, primordial bluff, you set up a stool and sip a much-needed coffee, scanning the treetops for movement.
Island Exploration & Pond: Your canoe lands on the rocky shore with a soft “thump,” and you disembark onto the beach. Just a few minutes from the lodge, this river island is another world. You climb a small, sandy hill, cross the long beach dotted with Cocoi Herons and Side-Necked Turtles, and enter the forest.
Monkey Search: A quest for diverse jungle primates. As you trek through the floodplain forest, the air hums with sound. Walking with your guide, these sounds are strange and unfamiliar: caws, screeches, even purrs. By the end of your Monkey Search, you’ll find many of the animals the sounds correspond to. In fact, here comes number one: a crashing brash, a wind-like roar. You’ve spotted your first Red Howler Monkey, and many more will follow.
