Location: South of Lima
Capital: City of Puerto Maldonado
Distance: 2,180 km from Lima
Altitude: 186 m above sea level
Population: 92,024 inhabitants
Climate: The city of Puerto Maldonado has a warm and humid climate; the average annual maximum temperature is 26°C (77°F) and the minimum is 8°C (24°F). The rainy season is from December to March.
ACCESS ROUTES
By Land:
Lima-Arequipa-Cusco-Puerto Maldonado: 2,180 km (51 hours by bus)
Lima-Nazca-Abancay-Cusco-Puerto Maldonado: 1,621 km (49 hours by bus)
Cusco-Puerto Maldonado: 527 km (30 hours by bus)
By Air. Regular flights from the cities of Lima (1 hour and 30 minutes) and Cusco (30 minutes)
Padre José Aldamiz International Airport. La Pastora-La Joya Highway, km 7
Puerto Maldonado, the capital city, is a necessary stop to access some of the national parks and reserves in the area. It was an important center for the exploitation of rubber, timber, gold, and oil.
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
Colorado Macaw Clay Lick
Located within the Tambopata National Reserve and 150 km from the city of Puerto Maldonado (12 hours by boat). The clay lick is a gathering point for macaws formed on the riverbanks thanks to erosion processes that led to the emergence of soils rich in mineral salts. It measures approximately 50 m high and 500 m long, making it the largest in the Peruvian Amazon. Every morning, six different species of macaws, parrots, and parakeets can be found there. These colorful birds flutter around the clay lick before beginning the “colpeo” ceremony, which consists of ingesting the clay found in the ravine, which serves as a dietary supplement. Occasionally, tapirs, capybaras, and squirrels also visit.
Bahuaja-Sonene National Park
90 km from the city of Puerto Maldonado (4 to 5 hours by boat). This national park was established to protect the only existing tropical rainforest in Peru. The park is located between the Madre de Dios and Puno regions, in the provinces of Tambopata, Carabaya, and Sandia. It covers an area of 1,091,416 hectares and also extends into Bolivia. Among the most important animals that can be found are the maned wolf, the marsh deer, the giant anteater, the giant river otter, the bush dog, the black lizard, and the harpy eagle.
Tambopata National Reserve
45 km south of the city of Puerto Maldonado (2 hours by motorboat). It can also be reached by taking an alternative route: 25 km by land (in a 4×4 vehicle) to reach the community of Infierno, and then a 2-hour boat trip upriver to the reserve.
Located between the Tambopata and Heath river basins, the reserve covers an area of 274,690 hectares and spans the Madre de Dios and Puno regions. It boasts immeasurable biodiversity, with 632 recorded bird species, 1,200 butterfly species, 169 mammal species, 205 fish species, 103 amphibian species, and 67 reptile species. It features flora typical of tropical regions. Prior authorization from INRENA is required for entry.
Manu National Park
Located 280 km from the city of Cusco via the Cusco-Paucartambo Highway (12 hours by 4×4 vehicle), you reach the town of Atalaya. From there, you continue by river to the town of Boca Manu (7 hours by boat). Then, you re-enter the park via the Madre de Dios River. It is also possible to reach Boca Manu by small plane from the city of Cusco (45 minutes). The park encompasses parts of the Cusco and Madre de Dios regions and covers an area of 1,692,137 hectares (the entire Manu River basin). Since 1977, Manu National Park has constituted the Core Zone of the Manu Biosphere Reserve, which was declared a Natural World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987. The park boasts a great diversity of animal species; more than 800 species of birds such as the harpy eagle, the jabiru, the jungle goose, the Andean cock-of-the-rock, and the roseate spoonbill; 200 species of mammals such as the common woolly monkey, the black spider monkey, the giant otter, the jaguar, the ocelot, the spectacled bear, and the taruca; and more than 100 species of bats.