Madre de Dios, a practical guide for visitors [en]

Manu National Park © Heinz Plenge Pardo / PROMPERÚ

Madre de Dios A practical guide for visitors

Manu National Park Š Heinz Plenge Pardo / PROMPERÚ

Madre de Dios is the biodiversity and culture capital of Peru thanks to its ecological richness, protected reserves and indigenous communities.

Madre de Dios Location

Amazon forest in the southeast of Peru, bordering Bolivia and Brazil

Capital

Puerto Maldonado (183 meters)

Elevation Min.: Max.:

183 meters (Puerto Maldonado 500 meters (Boca Manu)

Climate Temperature

Max.:

39 ยบC

Min.:

17 ยบC

Dec - Mar

Jul - Nov

Mar - Jun

Arriving By land

36 hr.

Lima-Nasca-Abancay-Cusco-Puerto Maldonado: 1594 km / 31 hr.

Cusco-Puerto Maldonado: 463 km / 10 hr.

Juliaca-Puerto Maldonado: 597 km / 12 hr.

Arequipa-Puerto Maldonado: 790 km / 16 hr.

Lima-Arequipa-Cusco-Puerto Maldonado: 2113 km /

Quincemil (Quispicanchi Province, Cusco)Puerto Maldonado: 237.5 km / hr.

4

By air Lima-Puerto Maldonado

1 hr. 40 min

Cusco-Puerto Maldonado

55 min

Calendar Feb / Mar (movable)

Carnivals

25-30 May

River Wolf Festival (Tambopata)

24 June

Saint John the Baptist Festival

10 July

Anniversary of Puerto Maldonado

27 Sept

Madre de Dios Tourism Week/Sine do end dari Festival (My Land Festival)

26 Dec

Anniversary of Madre de Dios (Tambopata and Puerto Maldonado)

What to eat?

The forest supplies the ingredients for the gastronomy of Madre de Dios.

Popular dishes include juane (steamed rice with chicken in a banana leaf), asado de picuro (roasted meat of the paca animal) and tacacho con cecina (a banana dough with cured pork). Exotic fruits such as aguaje and cocona are the base for its salsas (dressings) and refrescos (cool drinks). And the chestnut, whose fruit is consumed in ice creams, sauces or oils, is found here in great numbers.

What to buy?

Craftsman here use natural products such as plants, fibers, seeds and roots for their work. Typical costumes made from the bark of trees are also popular. Conservation of the Amazon forest protects the chestnut, a product with significant economic and ecological value. The coconut is used to carve souvenirs such as key chains.

Distances

From Puerto Maldonado to the cities of:

DESTINATION

DISTANCE

TIME

Mazuco (Inambari District)

168 km

4 hr.

Salvación (Manu Province) to the town of Boca Colorado

180 km

8 hr. in a light truck or minivan, or 28 hours by waterways

Iñapari (Tahuamanu Province)

223 km

4 hr. by car

Tacacho with pork © Daniel Silva / PROMPERÚ

4 ½ days (the minimum recommended stay)

Tours

1/2 day Puerto Maldonado city and surrounding areas.

1 day

Tambopata Ecotourism Corridor.

2 days Lake Sandoval and Lake Valencia.

3 days Colorado Macaw Clay Lick, Bahuaja-Sonene National Park and Tambopata National Reserve.

5 days Manu National Park.

Madre de Dios

Departmental capital Provincial capital District capital Tourist attraction

UCAYALI

Approved by RD N° 0315/RE, October 31, 2017. These limits do not prejudge about the international limits.

Alto PurĂşs National Park

Fitzcarrald

Ma

nu

Manu National Park

Riv

er

MANU

Manu

CUSCO

Amarakaeri Communal Reserve

Scale (km) 0

20

40

60

International border

Airport

Provincial border Main road Unmade road

Natural Protected Area River

BRAZIL Iñapari

TAHUAMANU

Iberia San Lorenzo

BOLIVIA

La

sP

ied

ras

Riv

er

TAMBOPATA

Planchon

Boca de Colorado

Puerto Maldonado Laberinto

Lake Chimbadas

bari R iver I n am

Tambopata National Reserve

Chuncho macaw clay lick

Huepetuhe Inambari Mazuco

Colorado macaw clay lick

To Cusco To Lima

Ma d

Lake Valencia

Bahuaja – Sonene National Park

PUNO

ios River de D re

Lake Sandoval

What to see?

Tambopata Province Puerto Maldonado Main Square

Puerto Maldonado, the departmental capital, is also known as the Biodiversity Capital of Peru and is an important economic center in the Amazon. The plans for this city and its main square were prepared by the prefect Carlos León Velarde in 1923. The bandstand is a legacy of the Japanese community of the beginning of the 20th century.

Miguel Grau Plaza and Lookout One block from the Main Square.

This site is notable for its excellent view of the confluence of the Madre de Dios and Tambopata rivers and for being an excellent place to watch an Amazon sunset.

The Billinghurst Bridge

City center (one block from the Main Square).

This suspension bridge over the Madre de Dios River forms part of the Southern Inter-Oceanic Highway that connects The Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Measuring 723 meters, it is the country’s longest bridge.

The Tropifauna Serpentarium

At the two kilometer mark of the Triunfo Sector (3 min. by car or mototaxi).

Opening hours: Mon-Sun 8:00 am - 6:00 pm Tel. (51) 956-382-618. Ticket entry.

Different species of snake raised here include the green vine snake, the anaconda, the boa and the cobra. There are also some amphibians, such as frogs and toads.

Handicraft Tourist Center

Jr. Billinhurst Nº480. Opening hours: Mon-Sun 9:00 am - 9:00 pm

This center has stands from local handicrafts and native communities: Palma Real (Ese-eja), Monte Salvado (Yine), Tres Islas (Shipibo), Amarakaeri Communal Reserve (harakbut). Also, a showroom, furniture and rustic accessories and delicatessen stands where they offer a variety of Amazonian products. Catamaran rides (meals on board) are also available.

The Ministry of Culture Exhibition Hall of Archeology, Paleontology and Typical Costumes of the Amazon Jr. Gonzáles Prada 222 (3 min. walk from the city center).

Tel. (51-82) 572-135. Opening hours: Mon-Sun 8:30 am - 1:00 pm / 2:00 - 5:00 pm

Archeological and paleontological items from different parts of Madre de Dios are on display in this hall. The region has eleven sites which have been declared Cultural Heritage of Peru. Native costumes of indigenous communities are also exhibited.

The Model Market

The intersection of Avenida Ernesto Rivero and Avenida Fitzcarrald (10 min. walk from the center of the city).

This is the ideal place to purchase handicrafts, as well as for trying the area’s farm products, chestnuts, exotic fruits and its gastronomy.

Macaw clay lick in the Manu National Park © Daniel Silva / PROMPERÚ

The Biodiversity Lookout

The intersection of Avenida Fitzcarrald and Avenida Madre de Dios (5 min. by car or mototaxi). Opening hours, Thur - Tue: 8:00 am - 9:00 pm / Wed: 8:00 am - 2:40 pm.

Ticket entry.

The lookout provides an opportunity to view the city from above (47 meters).

The meeting of the Tambopata and Madre de Dios rivers can be seen, as well as the surrounding verdant countryside.

The Mariposario Bu erfly House

Avenue Elmer Fauce km 7, to the west of the center of the city of Puerto Maldonado, close to the airport (10 min. by car or mototaxi). Ticket entry. Opening hours, Mon - Sun: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm. Tel. (51) 982-353-117.

This large garden exhibits a great variety of bu erflies in their natural habitat.

Visits on sunny days and before midday are recommended, so as to enjoy the view of the bu erflies in flight.

The Tambopata Ecotourism Corridor

7 km west of the center of Puerto Maldonado (15 min. by car or mototaxi). Opening hours: Mon-Sun: 8:00 am - 6:00 pm. Each activity has its own entrance fee.

The corridor lies in the buffer zone of the Tambopata National Reserve. The local families have adapted their land to provide quality services amidst beautiful natural landscapes. Visitors can appreciate typical flora and fauna from the comfort of their accommodation and can undertake activities such as paintball, camping, night walks, study of medicinal plants, sport fishing, boating, while savoring delicious Amazon dishes.

Lake Sandoval

10 km to the east of the center of the city of Puerto Maldonado (25 min. by motor boat) and 3 km from the bank of the Madre de Dios River to the lake (45 min. on foot). Visits are undertaken with registered travel agencies.

A large variety of fish, o ers and lizards inhabit the warm waters of this lake.

The countryside consists of the aguaje palm, orchids, heliconias and mahogany trees. In the surroundings you can watch birds such as cormorants, toucans, macaws, herons and even a colorful wild hen known as the shansho.

There are also tapirs and turtles.

Lake Valencia

60 km east of the center of Puerto Maldonado (4 hr. by motor boat).

This lake is 15 km long and 800 meters wide. Species such as the doncella, catfish, piranhas and paiche abound in its waters. The Ese Eja and other se lers in the area are engaged in fishing. Other fauna includes bush turkeys, turtles, lizards, monkeys and cormorants. It is a beautiful se ing surrounded by trees like the pumaquiro, the quinilla, the palmito and the chestnut.

The Tambopata National Reserve

47 km to the south of the city of Puerto Maldonado (2 hr. in motor boat) or 18 km to the community of Infierno (by 4x4 vehicle) and a river ride (2 hr. in motor boat).

Visits with authorization from SERNANP, telephone (51) 954-175-848 / (51) 968-218-649. Ticket entry.

Located between the basins of the Tambopata, Madre de Dios and Heath rivers, this natural refuge is host to a huge number of species of birds (632), bu erflies (1200), mammals (169), fish (205), amphibians (103) and reptiles (67). Its flora is typical of tropical regions.

The Chuncho Macaw Clay Lick

120 km south of the center of Puerto Maldonado (7 hr. by motor boat).

Visits are undertaken with registered travel agencies.

The erosion caused by the river flow has left soils rich in minerals and organic compounds on the surface. Every morning, from 5 am, flocks of birds come here to feed, an event that is observed from an island in the Tambopata River.

The Colorado Macaw Clay Lick

150 km southwest of the center of Puerto Maldonado (10 hr. by motor boat). Visits are undertaken with registered travel agencies.

Here a natural spectacle takes place: the collpeo (clay licking). Six different species of macaws, parrots and parakeets gather to eat the clay of these walls rich in salty minerals. It is the largest clay lick in the Peruvian Amazon, 50 meters high and 500 meters long. The fauna also includes tapirs, capybara rodents, squirrels, and monkeys such as the capuchin and the marmoset.

The Bahuaja – Sonene National Park

90 km south of the center of Puerto Maldonado along the Heath River (4-5 hr. by motor boat). Visits are undertaken with registered travel agencies. Ticket entry.

Located between the departments of Puno and Madre de Dios, the park’s 1,091,416 hectares protect the country’s only tropical humid savanna.

Some of the most fascinating species that inhabit it include the marsh deer, the giant anteater, the giant o er, the bush dog, the black caiman and the harpy eagle.

Manu Province The Manu National Park

Via Cusco: 240 km along the Cusco-Paucartambo Highway to Atalaya (9 hr. by light truck or minivan), downstream to Boca Manu (6 hr. in motor boat), continuing via the Manu River until arrival at the park.

Via Puerto Maldonado: 140 km from the center of Puerto Maldonado along the Inter-Oceanic Highway to the town of Santa Rosa (1 hr. 30 min by car), crossing the Inambari River by boat to Puerto Carlos (5 min); then advancing 30 km along the highway to the town of Boca Colorado (1 hr.) and then navigating along the Madre de Dios River until arrival at the Limonal check point on the Manu River (7 hr. by motor boat). Visits are undertaken with registered travel agencies. Ticket entry.

It is also possible to reach the town of Boca Manu from the city of Puerto Maldonado or Cusco by charter flights (45 min), through some travel agencies, prior charter reservation.

This park of 1,692,137 hectares is located into the departments of Cusco and Madre de Dios. It is the habitat of a great variety of animals: more than 800 species of birds (the harpy eagle, the jabirú, the Andean cock-of-the-rock, for example), 200 species of mammals (the yellow-tailed woolly monkey, the white-bellied spider monkey, the jaguar, the oncilla, the spectabled bear and the north Andean deer, among others) and more than 100 species of bats.

Trees grow to more than 45 meters in height in its soils. Some of the most emblematic trees in the area include the cetico, the topa, the cedro, the tornillo, the kapoka and the strangler fig. Indigenous Amazonian communities live in its dense forests (the Matsiguenka, the Amahuaca, the Yaminahua and the Pyro, among others), as well as 30 Quechua-speaking communities. For these reasons, the park was declared a Natural Heritage Site by Unesco.

Remember that to fully experience the Manu, it is possible to stay in hostels for the use of tourists and the cultural area which surrounds it.

Manu National Park © Heinz Plenge Pardo / PROMPERÚ

Tahuamanu Province The City of Iberia

165 km north of the center of Puerto Maldonado along the Inter-Oceanic Highway (3 hr. by car).

The journey to this town passes through beautiful Amazonian landscapes.

The main economic activity of its inhabitants is rubber extraction. This is represented in the Main Square.

Puerto Maldonado City Center

Iñapari City

223 km north of the center of Puerto Maldonado along the Inter-Oceanic Highway (4 hr. by car).

Urban area

In the properties surrounding the city activities such as horseback riding and boating on the Colibrí lagoon can be undertaken. It is also possible to visit the Bélgica indigenous community, which has a rubber forest and a parrot clay lick in the Javerija River.

Miguel Grau Plaza and Lookout Puerto Capitanía Handicraft Tourist Center The Billinghurst Bridge The Tropifauna Serpentarium The Ministry of Culture Exhibition Hall of Archeology, Paleontology and Typical Costumes of the Amazon Juventud Park Santa Rosa Wharf

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The Biodiversity Lookout

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The Mariposario Bu erfly House

Medical a ention Police City Hall Post Office Bus terminal

Refuge lodging in the Amazon © Leslie Searles / PROMPERÚ

(01) 574-8000 24 hours iperu@promperu.gob.pe PUERTO MALDONADO Center

Jr. Loreto 390 (one block from the Main Square) (082) 571-830 Mon - Sat 9:00 am - 6:00 pm, Sun 9:00 am - 1:00 pm iperuptomaldonado@promperu.gob.pe

www.peru.travel www.ytuqueplanes.com Opening hours and telephones are subject to variation by each tourist a¦raction.

Confirm times and phone numbers with IPERÚ.

A publication by the Peru Export and Tourism Promotion Board - PROMPERU Calle Uno Oeste N° 50, piso 14, urb. Córpac, San Isidro, Lima - Perú Telephone: (51-1) 616-7300 www.promperu.gob.pe © PROMPERÚ. All rights reserved.

Hecho el Depósito Legal en la Biblioteca Nacional del Perú N° 2018-19437 Imprenta: Cadillo Editorial Imprenta S.R.L. (Av. Las Torres No. 397, Urb. Los Sauces, Ate Vitarte-Lima) Lima, diciembre de 2018

The information in this brochure was updated in November 2018. In developing it, PROMPERU has used official information sources, such as the National Service of Natural Areas Protected by the State (SERNANP), the National Meteorological and Hydrological Service of Peru (SENAMHI), the Tambopata Provincial Municipality and the Madre de Dios Regional Directorate of Foreign Trade and Tourism (DIRCETUR).

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