The Manu National Park is the prominent reserve in the Peruvian Amazon, comprising 2 million hectares that stretch between the departments of Cusco and Madre de Dios. Many travelers dream of visiting the Amazon Rainforest, and the Manu stop is a great way to do it, as it is believed to host the largest range of biodiversity on the planet, providing refuge for many endangered species, like the jaguar, the river wolf and the spectacled bear. is divided into the buffer zone, where ecotourism and controlled scientific research are allowed; and the Cultural Zone, which is open to everyone. The rainforest within the reserve is carved by the rivers that flow down from the Andes down into the Amazon basin, branch off and separate into oxbow lakes or lagoons that are the main habitats of wildlife. When visitors enter the labyrinth of rivers and lagoons, they enter a different world, with exuberant vegetation and unequaled biodiversity that has more than 20,000 species of plants, 1,200 species of butterflies, 1,000 species of birds, 200 species of mammals and 13 primates. In fact, Manu has the highest diversity of birds, mammals and plants of any park on the planet.
Day 01: Cusco – Ninamarka – Pilcopata Lodge
Day 02: Pilcopata Lodge – Port Atalaya – Boca Manu Lodge
Day 03: Boca Manu Lodge – Cocha Otorongo – Manu Reserve Center
Day 04: Casa Machiguenga – Cocha Salvador – Otorongo lodge
Day 05: Biosfera Manu – Cocha Otorongo – Boca Manu Lodge
Day 06: Boca Manu Lodge – Manu Rainforest Lodge
Day 07: Manu Wildlife Center – Puerto Maldonado
Located in the south of Peru, in the eastern sector of the Andes mountain range and western edge of the Amazon basin, it is the only park in Latin America that includes the entire range of environments from tropical lowland to frigid punas, above 4,000 masl.
The Park was created on May 29, 1973, has an area of 1,716,295.22 hectares and is one of the best destinations for nature tourism. In the lower basin of the Manu River, the exuberance of the Amazon plain stands out. There are up to five recommended areas for tourist visits, with a high diversity of flora and fauna: Salvador, Otorongo, Juárez, Pakitza and Limonal. All navigable circuits in the lakes or oxbow lakes, where you can see the river wolves and the black lizard.
Services Within the Park: shelters, interpretation center, hygienic services, park rangers and radio.
Services Outside the Park: Boat and / or boat rental, police post, medical post.
Activities: bird watching, flora, fauna and landscape, hiking, camping, research studies, taking photographs and filming.
Observations: the authorizations for the entrance to the Manu National Park for tourism are granted to the operating agencies, which in turn offer various services and packages within the park. It is not possible to enter freely. The taking of photographs or films has a cost of 10% of the UIT.
Manu is located 403 miles from the hot and isolated regional capital of Puerto Maldonado, which acts as a gateway to the reserve. Puerto Maldonado can be reached by land from Cusco, or by air through Lima. From there you can go through the Manu river by boat. It is advisable to arrive from Cusco in organized tour packages, as the entrance is not sold to individuals but to authorized agencies.
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The Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge is located in the magical Manu cloud forest on the lush eastern slopes of the Andes, and is part of the Tropical Nature conservation system. Opened in 1997, it is named after the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock (Rupicola peruvianus), the conspicuously brilliant red-and-black national bird of Peru. Each morning and evening the males stage a colorful, noisy mating display at a “lek”, or display site, right by the lodge. Spectacled Bears, Woolly Monkeys, Brown Capuchin Monkeys, quetzals and a host of other colorful birds also inhabit the surrounding forest, and a bubbling mountain stream tumbles through the valley below. Manu Wildlife Center Lodge The world’s largest tapir lick. The most photogenic and accessible large macaw and parrot lick. Miles of monkey-rich trails through nature rain forest. Two 120-foot-tall (35-m) canopy platforms. Two nature lakes with abundant Hoatzins, caimans and Giant Otters
The tapir lick is a comfortable ninety minutes on foot from the lodge, while the macaw lick is a half-hour boat journey plus a short walk away. Visitors will welcome the amenities and comfort of this lodge, the only one in the Manu lowlands with roomy, private bungalows, en suite private bathrooms and tiled, hot water showers — especially if they are arriving from the rustic simplicity of Manu National Park. Manu Park Wildlife Center Manu Park Wildlife Center is a simple but comfortable low-impact lodge located inside the
Nestled almost invisibly in the forest, it lies just across the river from the trail to Manu’s prime wildlife viewing location, Cocha (Lake) Salvador. This is the largest and most beautiful of the 13 oxbow lakes of the Manu River. Our Manu Park Wildlife Center or Albergue Machiguenga features spacious double-occupancy room-size tents with hinged, lockable doors and solid wooden floors. Each tent measures 16.5x10x7 feet (5x3x2.2m), and all are fully screened, with a floor raised on wooden stilts to provide maximum ventilation and coolness, and protection from flooding and insects. A palm thatch roof shelter overhead completes the structure. Each of the extra-long twin beds has a mosquito net. Our camp in Manu Park also features an elevated, screened dining room with wooden floor and a private hot-water showers and flush toilets.
