Iquitos, capital of the Loreto region, is one of the most beautiful and biologically diverse places in Peru, and part of its charm lies in the fact that there are no roads to the city: the only way to get there is by air or river. Another of its attractions is the Amazon, the world’s mightiest river, which itself serves as a great highway, along which many crafts sail. Three of those boats are the AQUA, ARIA and DELFIN-I, which offer 4-day and 3-night cruises in splendid spacious and air conditioned suites, during which passengers are served with delicious Peruvian and international cuisine, against a natural backdrop of extraordinary scenery. Daily expeditions take guests from the river into the surrounding forest, exploring tributaries in comfortable and well-equipped launches and walking trails along which it is possible to observe many species of monkeys and birds, towering ceiba trees and medicinal plants. During this tour guests will be invited to fish for piranhas and they will have the chance to observe an enormous variety of wildlife, including pink and gray dolphins. You will also visit the sustainable projects being developed in the forest, and enjoy an opportunity to marvel at a magnificent sunrise on the edge of the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, where rivers meet to form the great Amazon itself.
Day 1: Saturday
IQUITOS / AMAZON RIVER
You will be met at Iquitos airport and transferred by air conditioned bus to the port, where the Aqua motor vessel will be waiting for you. While you are settling into your spacious suite, the vessel will begin the journey along the Yanayacu river, in the depths of the Amazon. Before the evening meal you will meet on the upper deck to receive information about safety on board, after which the naturalist guides will give a brief talk about life on board, the places that will be visited and what will be seen during your journey along the Amazon river. A welcoming evening meal will be served onboard.
Day 2: Sunday
AMAZON RIVER / TAHUAYO RIVER AND CHARO LAKE
You will set off very early on our Amazon River expedition in order to observe your first dawn over the Amazon river. This will be just a first taste of what awaits during the rest of the trip. You will return to the Aqua for a delicious breakfast and continue to enjoy the early morning over the river. Aboard a comfortable launch where life jackets, rain ponchos, rubber boots and fresh water will be available, you will navigate towards a river of dark waters, the Tahuayo, observing a great variety of tropical songbirds, blackbirds, swallows, black-necked hawks, as well as monkeys and sloths, and other species that share this marvelous place with us. At Charo lake you will be able to use your fishing gear and try to catch a ferocious piranha. Upon your return to the Aqua refreshing towels will be provided. You will have free time to rest before lunch, while the boat continues along the Amazon river. In the afternoon there will be plenty of time to explore the Yacapana islands, where there are many iguanas that can be observed at close range. As the sun sets, you will have a chance to see and photograph pink and gray freshwater dolphins. Returning to the boat, you will continue up river, watching the sunset. We recommend that you drink a Pisco Sour before dinner.
Day 3: Monday
MARAÑON RIVER / PACAYA SAMIRIA NATIONAL RESERVE
After breakfast you will leave on a full-day excursion to the primary forest. This morning you will visit a sustainable development project in the Amazon, a plantation from which palm oil is obtained. Your guide will also show you the artificial nests created in the sand to protect turtle eggs. You will then be escorted into the jungle to see tall ceiba trees and learn more about the importance of the forest’s medicinal plants. Returning to the boat, after lunch there will be time for a relaxing siesta. In the afternoon you will leave on an expedition to observe several species of monkeys (squirrel monkeys, howler monkeys, tamarin monkeys and pygmy marmosets), as well as the different types of freshwater dolphins, including pink dolphins. You will be able to observe lizards, and you will need your binoculars to help you spot the more than 200 bird species it is possible to see. After dinner you will board a launch for a nocturnal excursion in search of caimans, boas and other animals, before returning to the AQUA and continuing downriver along the Marañon river, one of the tributaries of the Amazon.
Day 4: Tuesday
AMAZON RIVER / PUERTO MIGUEL VILLAGE / NAUTA / IQUITOS
Breakfast.
This morning the Aqua will enter the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve. You will need to get up early and be ready to set off in your boat at 05:30 hrs. to see one of the greatest spectacles in the southern hemisphere, as the sun comes up over the Amazon river. This morning excursion will be accompanied by the many sounds of birds as you pass by in your launch, close to the banks inhabited by long-billed swallows, laughing falcons, short-tailed parrots and dozens of other species. After arriving at the community of Puerto Miguel you will have the chance to meet and interact with local people, learning about their culture, traditions and folklore. During the return trip, there will also be a chance to see the world’s largest aquatic plant, the «Victoria Regia». After the final lunch, you will disembark and visit the Amazon Fauna Rescue Center, where manatees and dolphins are cared for before being reintroduced into their natural habitat.
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