Puerto Maldonado

Anaconda Lodge

One of the few pretty lodges that on the outskirts of the city, surrounded by beautiful vegetation. boasts a swimming pool and a thai restaurant, and also offers camping.

Wasai Tambopata Lodge

This lodge is located about 4 hours up the tambopata river. nice options for those interested to visit the largest macaws' clay lick of the upper tambopata river. there are no more dwellings upstream from the lodge. the lack of people and the closeness to the andes produces an abundance of flora and fauna not seen in other areas of the amazon.

 

Many jungle lodges in the surrounding area offer complete tour programs. Some of the available lodges are as follows:

Rainforest Expeditions

Many package deals are done in association with this company, but you can just walk over to their counter on the right hand side of the airport and arrange your own tour there too. you can stay at any of their 3 lodges, posada amazonas is the closest to town about 45 minutes by boat from infierno, for those who want to experience the jungle without getting in too deep! associated with the local community, this company does a lot to keep ecotourism 'green' and sustainable. and for those who really want to experience the richness of the forest, you can go right out to the famous trc research center about 7 hours by boat from infierno, home to the largest claylick in the world where you will see amazing displays of parrots and macaws feeding in the mornings and always plenty of animal life around! hand-raised macaws will even join you for breakfast! highly recommended for birdwatchers. there is also refugio amazonas halfway between the two, the newest lodge and my favorite i saw a jaguar here. the guides will amaze you with their experience of the forest, and you will leave having had an unforgettable experience. (http://www.perunature.com)

Sandoval Lake Lodge

This one is very special because it is on the beautiful oxbow lake sandoval, and is very comfortably accommodated with hot water, electricity, fabulous meals, and superb guides. plus, it is only approximately 30 minutes by boat to the 5 km trail which leads to the lake, unlike most of the other lodges which need to be hours away from town in order to see wildlife. its location on the lake as opposed to the river insures excellent wildlife views including the giant otter, black caimen, about a dozen species of primates, and tremendous avian variety, including the fascinating hoatzin.

Mejia Family Lodge

If a backpacker's stay is more your style and/or budget, try this place. they are located about 1 km from sandoval lake lodge and rent their bungalow style rooms meals included considerably cheaper than sandoval.

Cusco Amazonico Lodge

This one is located downriver on the madre de dios at about 12 miles about 45 minutes.

Explorers' Inn

This lodge is 58km up the tambopata river from puerto maldonado, about 1.5 hours by boat from the community of infierno. attractions include the oxbow lake cocacocha, a short hike from the lodge.

Tambopata reserve

Manu Reserve Tours

Iquitos rainforest

The relatively close Tambopata reserve park is famous for its great biodiversity but not even cheap to visit since you need a permit to enter. If you just want to see how jungle looks, you can do that outside the park much cheaper in the Tambopata Candamo Reserved Zone.

If you're feeling adventurous and want to explore the surrounding countryside, there are several places in town that rent out motorbikes.

There are also several "retreat centers" just outside Puerto Maldonado on Carretera Tambopata, including a yoga center Kapievi at km 1.5 and an animal shelter, Amazon Shelter, at km 11, with many other places to stay in between. This is a great alternative to staying in town, if you have a couple of days to spare, after a lodge stay.