Puerto Maldonado
Accessible Amazonian adventures
Puerto Maldonado, in Peru's southern Amazon, is the most accessible entrance to the jungle. The town itself is nothing to write home about, but it's the best way of reaching one of the many lodges found deeper in the interior. Some lodges are more luxurious than others but all include guided wildlife and bird-spotting excursions, delicious meals and the unforgettable experience of drifting to sleep to the cacophonous sound of the jungle at night.
From Puerto Maldonado, which has daily flights to and from Lima and Cusco, it’s easy to reach the Tambopata National Reserve, one of the most pristine and biodiverse parks in Peru. Once you reach your jungle lodge, you can then push deeper into the jungle in search of giant river otters, spider monkeys, two-toed sloths, pumas and jaguars. If you’re short on time, you could instead visit Lake Sandoval, located within easy reach of Puerto Maldonado by boat. The lake is a great place to spot a range of species, including caiman, turtles, monkeys, giant river otters and a huge amount of colourful birds.
Hidden gems in Puerto Maldonado
Puerto Maldonado
Try piranha fishing at Lake Tres Chimbadas
Head out to Tres Chimbadas, an oxbow lake created by the Rio Tambopata. It’s a prime spot for bird watching and for spotting giant river otters as they play in the shallow waters. You can also go piranha fishing. It’s catch-and-release only, but it’s great fun – just keep your fingers out of range of their perilously snapping teeth. Tres Chimbadas is slightly further from Puerto Maldonado than Lake Sandoval, but can still be visited as a day trip and has fewer tourists.
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Puerto Maldonado
Cross the longest bridge in Peru
Take a ride across the Puente Presidente Guillermo Billinghurst, the longest bridge in Peru. Also known as the Puente Continental, the suspension bridge was completed in 2011 as part of the Interoceánica Sur Highway. Its southern end is just a block from Puerto Maldonado’s Plaza de Armas, so it’s easy to cross for some excellent views of the Madre de Dios River and surrounding jungle.
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Puerto Maldonado travel companies
