Tambopata National Reserve
Tambopata Reserve, Puerto Maldonado, Peru
Suggested Tambopata National Reserve Tours
Tours selected for Experience & Sustainability
- Summary Info
- Tambopata Info
- Wildlife
- Visiting
Tambopata National Reserve Summary Info
Tambopata Foundations
The Tambopata National Reserve and adjacent Bahuaja-Sonene National Park were founded in the early 1990s. These two areas border each other and when taken together contain an area of rainforest two thirds the size of Costa Rica.
Habitat of the Tambopata National Reserve
The parks include habitat from the Andean highland, some of the remaining cloud forest, and the lowland forests of the Amazon basin. This region is home to 200 different mammals, over 1,300 species of bird, 90 different species of frog, and 1,200 different butterflies. The parks are also home to a large variety of trees, such as commercially used cedar, mahogany, and brazil nut.
Tambopata National Reserve – Endangered Habitat
Included in the reserve is a large section of rainforest on the slopes of the Andes, thought to be the most threatened habitat in South America due to the high degree of logging at this altitude. The protected area as a whole is home to a relatively large amount of endangered wildlife, such as the giant armadillo, howler monkey, jaguar, harpy eagle, plus many others.
Tambopata National Reserve – Threats
A variety of activities threaten the future of the park and reserve, such as gold mining, illegal logging, and over-harvesting of resources, including fish, fruit, and game.
Tambopata Wildlife
The reserve is home to jaguars, black caiman, giant river otters, anaconda, and the harpy eagle, which is the largest eagle in the world. The region also boasts one of the world’s largest macaw clay licks. On one day alone observers recorded 250 macaws.
Visiting the Tambopata
Tourism has become increasingly important both for the park and surrounding communities. Madre de Dios is now home to 25 registered lodges with a few within the reserve. One of these is the Sandoval Lake Lodge, another is the Refugio Amazonas Lodge, and another is the Tambopata Research Center (one of the Amazon’s most remote lodges).
You can also visit the reserve from the Heath River Wildlife Center, which is located in the heart of the Tambopata-Madidi reserve area.
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Three Days:Posada Amazonas Lodge Puerto Maldonado, Peru
Located in Ese-Eja’s communal reserve next to Tambopata Reserve, this is perfect for your first Amazon experience. You will be only 45 minutes from Puerto Maldonado while you experience abundant Amazon wildlife. You will tour Lake Tres Chimbadas, visit a working farm, walk an ethnobotanical trail, & observe birds on the Canopy Tower. Includes a wellness center to enjoy a massage or aromatherapy treatment after your Amazon walks.Canopy Tower, Wellness Center -
Five Days:Refugio Amazonas Lodge Puerto Maldonado, Peru
This lodge has the only children’s trail in the entire Amazon Rainforest making it ideal for a family adventure. We will tour Lake Condenado and climb the Canopy Tower to view animals of the vast Tambopata National Reserve, and after a rainforest walk, you can relax in the wellness center with aromatherapy treatments or a massage.Children’s Trail, Wellness Center -
Seven Days:Tambopata Research Center Puerto Maldonado, Peru
One of the Amazon’s most remote lodges, you will share the lodge with researchers investigating one of the largest macaw clay-licks in the rainforest. Hundreds of colorful macaw parrots gather at the lick providing you with fantastic wildlife displays. Monkeys and other wildlife are often visible from the lodge as you relax after exploring five different Amazon habitats and activities from jungle mountain biking and kayaking to aiding in macaw research.Remote Location, Macaw Clay Lick -
Five Days:Heath River Wildlife Center Puerto Maldonado, Peru
This is the only lodge on the Heath River, which runs through the heart of the Tambopata and Madidi reserved area. You are only 10 minutes by boat from a large macaw clay lick and you will have access to two very different ecosystems. From our hide platform, you can also wait to see the elusive tapir, South America’s largest land mammal.Clay Lick, Tapir Hide -
Four Days:Sandoval Lake Lodge Puerto Maldonado, Peru
This lodge overlooks the sparkling waters of Lake Sandoval where you can see Giant Amazon River Otters playing in the water. From tours around the lake, you can also see many different monkeys, macaws, and then caiman on our night tours. Located close to Puerto Maldonado, you will see Amazon wildlife of the Tambopata National Reserve.Sandoval Lake, Giant Otters
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