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PACAYA SAMIRIA III (GATEWAY TO THE PACAYA-SAMIRIA NATIONAL RESERVE) YANAYACU-PUCATE RIVER BASIN)
ITINERARY: DAY 01 IQUITOS / NAUTA / PACAYA-SAMIRIA NAT'L RESERVE Our personnel will meet and greet you at the airport. Transfer to the city. Along the way you will briefly sightsee Iquitos, looking at the most important tourist sites of this representative city of the Peruvian jungle which on the XIX Century turned from a small outpost settlement into one of the most important river ports on the Amazon, reaching an outstanding cosmopolitan condition during the "rubber boom" era. You will meet the expert naturalist guide in-charge of providing you the most exact information during your trip to the Amazon rainforest. Transfer by bus to the town of Nauta, some 40 miles from Iquitos, linked by a modern highway. After the two-and-a-half hour ride you will reach this picturesque town on the shores of the Maranon River where you will board the boat that will take you to the Yanayacu-Pucate River Basin in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve. Before departure you will have time to take a short walk around Nauta and lunch. Continue up the Maranon for about two or two-and-a-half hours, when you shall be entering the Yanayacu-Pucate River, and thus into the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve (70 miles SE from Iquitos). The trip promises to be interesting from the start; your eyes will delight with the sights of endless vegetation and blue skies with white puffy clouds reflecting upon the dark water of the river. The color is a characteristic of almost all water passages and oxbow lakes in the reserve, thus it is know as "The Jungle of the Mirrored Waters" Flocks of parrots, macaws and egrets flying above; up ahead a blink of pink on the water signals the presence of a mythic river dolphin. You will sail on Yanayacu making a brief stop at the forest police checkpoint in the village of 20 de Enero. Then you will proceed to a properly selected camp site. Complex lodging facilities are not allowed inside the reserve, thus comfortable tents will be installed by our crew as you move along the Yanayacu. This base camp where you will spend the first night of your itinerary is located near the village of Yarina, the last settlement on the Yanayacu. Supper will be cooked and served by our personnel. Later you will enjoy a thrilling evening boat or canoe ride to search for black or white caimans, bound to be found in this area. Overnight. Meals Included: Lunch and Dinner. DAY 02 PACAYA-SAMIRIA (YANAYACU-PUCATE) After breakfast you will continue your journey into the reserve. The boat will follow the Yanayacu course making brief stops to watch closely for interesting sights. There is a great chance that you may see Monk Saki, Howling, Wooly and Squirrel Monkeys. It is also possible to spot macaws, toucans and capybara amongst others. You will continue to the Yarina settlement where its inhabitants have been developing a repopulation project for the endangered river turtle (Podocnemis unfilis). There are over 200 communities around the reserve many of them taking part on conservation and reforestation projects. Lunch in the camp. In the afternoon you will hike on jungle trail close to the camp. Follow endless trails of Leaf Cutter Ants along the path as the jungle gets thicker. Look at the trees canopy above you to discover primates and other interesting creatures which inhabit the area. Supper. Evening excursion by foot to listen to the sounds of the forest after dark (hawks, owls, potoos, and insects). Overnight. Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. DAY 03 PACAYA-SAMIRIA (YANAYACU-PUCATE) Early morning breakfast followed by a two-hour hike to Laguna Caro oxbow lake. Following the jungle trail you are bound to find howling and woolly monkeys, medicine plants not only employed by the local but also processed by the pharmacy industry and sold everywhere. There are many fish species in Laguna Caro including red piranha (Serrasalmus natteri), arahuana (Osteoglossum bicirrhosum) and peacock bass (Chichla ocellaris) which you will not only see swimming around the canoe but you will also have the chance to catch them as locals do. Lunch on the shores of the oxbow lake. If fishing has been successful you may request your catch to be cooked native style. Once returned to the camp, you may choose to rest surrounded by the splendorous jungle or continue exploring on the river. Supper and overnight. Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. DAY 04 PACAYA-SAMIRIA (YANAYACU-PUCATE) Early morning breakfast to proceed with birdwatching before return trip. It is possible to find some prey birds in the reserve such as the "caracara" (Mivalgo chimachima), the King Vulture (Sarcorrampus papa), the Black Collared Hawk (Buteogallus nigricollis) and the beautiful Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpiya). The trip continues down river heading back to the Maranon with a few stops on the route for biodiversity sighting. The river is the habitat to other interesting species, including the Giant Otter (Ptenerura brasiliensis), a semi-aquatic carnivorous usually found in social groups easy to spot by its audible groans; it is also possible to find in the reserve one of the largest snakes in the world, the famous Anaconda (Eunectes murinus) which can reach an 18-foot length spending most of its time in the water. By noon there will be a stop for lunch and then you will continue sailing until you reach the last camp site near the mouth of the Yanayacu River. While our personnel make the arrangements to end up the adventure you may visit one of the neighboring settlements where most of the population do farming and fishing activities. Supper and final comments on the trip in the reserve. Overnight. Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. DAY 05 PACAYA-SAMIRIA (YANAYACU-PUCATE) Breakfast and last chance to take pictures in the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve. Sail on the Maranon river to reach Nauta. Return to Iquitos by land. Meals Included: Breakfast INCLUDED: 4 Nights accommodation at the tents. In and out transfers. All applicable taxes. Bilingual guides (English / Spanish). All entrance tickets for the excursions mentioned above. All meals as indicated in the itinerary will be provided in the lodges. Note: Due to the ever-changing nature of the Peruvian jungle, day-by-day activities may vary due to local conditions. NOT INCLUDED: Baggage excess. Adicional nights or flights cancelation. Alcoholic drinks, soda or bottled mineral water. Snacks. Laundry. International or National personal telephone calls. National and International Flights. (Lima / Iquitos / Lima: $ 212 approx.) Airport taxes ($28 for International flights and $5 for Domestic flights). Price per Person in American Dollars. THINGS YOU SHOULD BRING ALONG ON A TRIP TO THE JUNGLE • Binoculars, • Camera and films (ASA 200 and 400 for the inner forest) • Hiking boots, sneakers and shoes for the shower • Warm clothing, long sleeve shirts and long pants (cotton) wide brim hat and sun glasses for sunny days • 100% waterproof rain gear (long poncho or rain wear) • Insect repellent (at least 50% Deet), • Sunscreen lotion • One pair of lightweight ankle height boots and sandals • Flashlight, enough batteries (alkaline) and bulbs • Towel, swimming suit • Personal medicines and/or supplies (liquid for contact lenses for example) • A day pack and one back pack or duffel bag of luggage • One bottle of water for the first day, plastic bags. Minimum 2 participants SOME SUGGESTIONS - It is necessary to use boots the whole time in the walks. - It is essential to take a lot of quantity of liquids during their demurrage in the forest. - To maintain a Sep of dry clothes in the housing. - Eminently tropical, warm, humid and rainy climate, with a temperature averages yearly of the order of the 28ºC. - Months of rain from December to March. - Months of summertime from May to September.
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