Area:                       1,716,295 hectares
Habitat Type:           Tropical Rainforest and Tropical Cloud Forest
Location:                 Madre de Dios and Cusco Regions, Peru
Base City:               Cusco



The Manu national park was established in May, 1973. This was a few decades after the collapse of the Manu rubber boom, which left much of the wildlife endangered. An agreement was signed in 1967 with other American countries to establish reserves that would conserve the country’s flora and fauna. Manu was born out of this agreement. In 1968 Manu was declared a national reserve and five years later upgraded to a national park. It is situated across the departments of Cusco and Madre de Dios and contains over 1.5 million hectares of different habitat. There are over 1000 species of birds, 200 different species of mammals, including jaguar; and 120 species of fish and reptiles. Sadly, the future of Manu is uncertain with colonists encroaching on the park boundaries, and oil and mining companies waiting for an opportunity to enter the region. However, tourism remains the most viable plan for regional development.



Tourism is prohibited within the boundary of the park itself, however, you are able to visit the “reserved zone” that contains better wildlife viewing than within the actual park. In the reserved zone you will find the most scenic lakes of the area. The tamest wildlife is also observed here, as the park is home to a variety of mostly out-of contact Machiguenga Indians, consequently regarded as dangerous. Because of the Indians within the park, the wildlife is skittish and easily startled. Hunting has been banned in the reserved zone since 1980 allowing wildlife to recover and become accustomed to tourists.



The most popular sights in the Manu area are the clay licks. This is where macaws congregate to ingest clay on the river banks in order to detoxify some of the foods they have eaten. This essential part of a macaw’s life provides visitors with a spectacular show of sound and colour. Giant otters also frequent the area, which have grown accustomed to tourists. It is now possible to approach these social mustelids at close range. Another highlight, reported by the Manu Wildlife Center, is that 10% of tourists are able to spot jaguars prowling the reserved zone. This percentage is unrivalled elsewhere in the tropics. To visit the Manu area you can stay at the Manu Wildlife Centre. Alternatively, you can visit the tropical cloud forest by staying at the Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge or combine the two on one of our Manu Programmes.