Madre de Dios is home to endless forests, winding rivers, and abundant natural life. It is a flora and fauna reserve, as well as a refuge for endangered species such as the maned wolf and the marsh deer.
MAIN TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
Manu National Park
This conservation unit is located between the provinces of Paucartambo – La Convencion of the department of Cusco, and those of Manu – Fitzcarrald of the department of Madre de Dios, it covers an area of 1,884,200 hectares. It covers the Bioregions of: Selva Baja, Selva Alta, Altos Andes and Puna, being the most extensive the Selva Baja with an impenetrable jungle. In correspondence with this geographical reality, there are also variations in the formation of the forests, thus, for example, in the first of the named floors you can see colored fruits and flowers and trees that measure up to 60 meters in height.
The Manu National Park contains a large
diversity of animal species, with 860 species of birds such as: the harpy eagle, macaws, heron parrots, etc. felines such as jaguars, 13 species of monkeys, bats, river otters, black and white lizards, the taricaya. In addition, the Manu National Park is currently inhabited by 30 peasant communities and several native Amazonian populations.
National Shrine of the Pampas of the Heat
This conservation unit comprises a total of 102,109 hectares that extend towards the border republic of Bolivia. It was created especially for the safety and conservation of the swamp deer in its only habitat in the entire territory of Peru; also for the conservation of flora and fauna belonging to the River Heath area. In the latter, preferential consideration was given to the maned wolf (Chysocyon brachiuyus), the largest canine in South America, which lives alone among the grasses of the pampas.
Tambopata Candamo Reserved Zone
This covers a total of 1,400,000 hectares, from Puerto Maldonado, it is reached by river (Tambopata River); or by the Puerto Maldonado – Cusco highway (kilometer 30). Upon arrival you can appreciate: the enormous biodiversity and habitats of each of the ecosystems, which represent native flora and fauna with: 165 species and 41 families of trees, 103 species of mammals, 1300 species of butterflies and 90 species of amphibians. Also existing: jaguars, capybaras, huanganas, monkeys, turtles, alligators, river otters (otters). Likewise, where Tambopata and the La Torre river meet (60 km from Puerto Maldonado), is the center of the reserved area (since 1977) to conserve ecology. The ‘Esse’eja’ or ‘huarayos’ population, who are Amazonian natives, occupy the reserve, along with Quechuas and Aymaras; who are dedicated to
agriculture (coffee), hunting, fishing and gathering.
The Baltimore Waterfall
It is located 85 km from Puerto Maldonado. To go to that place, board a motor boat and navigate against the current of the Tambopata River for 4 hours and 30 minutes. Apart from reveling in the observation of the landscape along the route, at the end of it, it is interesting to contemplate how the waters of the river precipitate forming an impetuous waterfall of three meters in height and that the rainy season impresses mainly due to the increase in flow of that
The Royal Palm Community
This is located on the right bank of the Madre de Dios River, 40 km from Puerto Maldonado and 2 hours by motorized boat, commonly known as “pequepeque”. The most interesting attractions in this community are the typical houses, slightly raised on wooden studs to prevent humidity and the access of vermin, equally attractive are the handicrafts consisting of arrows, bows, multicolored seed necklaces and fabrics based on vegetal fibers. The inhabitants of this community are mostly known by the name of “huarayos”.
Miraflores Community
It is located 50 km from Puerto Maldonado, of which the first 40 must be traveled by boat on the Heath River, for approximately 2 hours. The natives of this community belong to the same family of the Huarayos with which they have very similar ethnic characteristics. However, it is possible to note that the Miraflores natives still retain the uses and customs of their remote ancestors compared to the Huarayos.
Hell Community
The distance between this community and Puerto Maldonado is 25 km, which can be covered in one hour and 25 minutes sailing by boat against the current of the river. Along the way you can see riverside towns such as Isuyana, Tambopata, Chontal and Cascajal. This group of natives is dedicated preferably to agriculture, extraction of wood and chestnut harvesting, the demand for which is increasing; fishing is abundant in the rivers of the area
Lake Sandoval Its origin is due to the strangulation of one of the meanders of the Madre de Dios River and it is located on its right bank, 8 km from the city of Puerto Maldonado. To get to this lake, you have to navigate by motorboat for 25 minutes following the current of the river, then you have to walk along a trail that advances through the woods for approximately one hour and thirty minutes. On the way you can enjoy the observation of a great variety of plant species such as orchids, platanillos, ungurahuis and homiceas, inside the lake itself the islets full of grasses, with marshy areas where the aguaje tree grows. As for wild animals, there is an abundance of ducks, otters, alligators, wild chickens, tapirs, toucans, macaws, water turtles such as charapas. In this lake, sport fishing is usually practiced, catching a great variety of fish such as the paiche that measures from 1 to 4 meters in length. There is a sector of the lake where the temperature ranges between 20°C and 26°C, here visitors can enjoy a refreshing swim without being in any danger.
Valencia Lake.
It is located 60 km from Puerto Maldonado downstream of the Madre de Dios River and the trip lasts approximately 4 hours. The flora and fauna distributed around this lake are varied and therefore tempting to the curiosity of visitors. Fishing enthusiasts find a suitable field to catch fish such as corvina, dorado, maiden, among others. Some restaurants in Puerto Maldonado have specialized in preparing exquisite stews based on these fish.
Three Chimbadas Lake
It is located on the left bank of the Tambopata River, 55 km from Puerto Maldonado, a distance that is covered in 3 hours, before reaching the lake you have to walk along a pedestrian section for about 30 minutes. The landscape that surrounds the lake is rewarding because it offers exuberant vegetation populated by birds.
Large Shepherd Lake.
The route to this lake is made up of a combination of a paved road, a dirt track and a short section of navigation on the Madre de Dios River, downstream from the mining port of Laberinto. The total distance from Puerto Maldonado to the aforementioned lake is 65 km, which is covered in approximately 3 hours. In the exuberant flora of this sector, the palm trees, the ungurahui, the aguaje, the cetico and the rubber stand out. Regarding its fauna, it has herons, macaws, paujiles, partridges, turtles and other wild animals.
Lake Tupac Amaru It is located 25 km from the city of Puerto Maldonado and is reached by a dirt road after approximately one hour. this lake is appropriate for the practice of sport fishing, because in its waters there is an abundance and variety of fish. On the other hand, the attractive surrounding landscape is home to appreciable numbers of lizards, charapas, monkeys, butterflies of different colors and sizes, and many species of birds, among which the palos stand out.
TYPICAL DISHES
Patarasca: Fish wrapped in bijao leaf cooked on the grill.
Juanes de Gallina Rice cooked with chicken meat wrapped in bijao leaves in a bain-marie.
Inchicapi: Chicken soup with chestnuts and rice.
Sarapatela de Motelo: Cooked in the same shell with grated banana.
Uchangué: Turtle egg with parboiled green banana.
Tacacho: With cured meat and seasoned mashed banana.
Mitayo: Smoked meat with roasted and/or parboiled plantain, with fish eye chili.
Motelo Soup: The meat is parboiled in the turtle shell.
Suri: Fried accompanied by parboiled banana.
Puchucuy: Kind of tamale based on corn baked in the oven is sweet.
Munchague: Turtle eggs accompanied by parboiled green plantain.
FOLKLORE
Typical dances:
Chacuycaza: Dance that stages the hunting of the tiger, an animal feared by the inhabitants of the Sharanahuas tribe, they were devoured by this animal, so they organizedly hunted this animal until they gradually finished with this animal.
The Warriors: Converted into a dance by the ancients, on the occasion of remembering their confrontations with other tribes, their glories, their defeats, etc. All his experiences made dance.
The Yacumama: Tribute or ritual that they make to the Mother of the rivers, since for the natives this animal was considered master and lord of the waters.
The chullachaqui: Traditional dance of the peoples of the Amazon, created by the diffusion of a belief of the native peoples, it is about a little man with the foot of a deer and the other of a human, who they try to catch.
The Ayahuasca: Ritual that is surrendered to this plant possessor of wisdom and illusionism.
The Tunche: This dance is symbolized by the ancient and still valid belief of the inhabitants of our region in the protective spirit of the forest, the tunche, a soul that wanders the face of the earth without heavenly forgiveness, which frightens people with its whistle. scary.
Macumbero Ritual: Similar to other rituals, unlike its objective, which is to attract men to women and vice versa.
CLIMATE
The climate is tropical, warm, humid, with annual rainfall greater than 1000 mm. The average annual temperature in the capital is 26 °C with a maximum of 38 °C in August and September, on some occasions it can reach 40 °C and a minimum of 21 °C, with rain from December to March. In exceptional years, the territory is invaded by masses of cold air coming from the south during the months of July and August, causing exceptional drops in temperature of up to 8 °C in phenomena known as friajes.