01
↗
River Journey
Travel by boat through the Amazon basin and watch the landscape transform around you.
GUIDE / LORETO
48 hours around Iquitos
A slow introduction to the city, river and rainforest beyond it.
Peru / Amazonia
INTO THE
SELVA.
A field guide to the Peruvian Amazon - from the riverfront streets of Iquitos to the deep forests of Tambopata and Manu. Follow the water. Listen to the forest. Go further.
Scroll to enter the forest
THE GREEN HEART
A river.
A forest.
A thousand worlds.
1,300+
bird species recorded across Peru
The Peruvian Amazon is not one destination. It is a vast landscape of rivers, oxbow lakes, flooded forests, wildlife reserves, communities and cities connected by water.
Begin in Iquitos, follow the Amazon River into Loreto, or head south toward Puerto Maldonado and the forests of Tambopata and Manu. Every route reveals a different side of the rainforest.
This guide is built for curious travelers who want to understand the places before they arrive - where to go, what to see, how to move and what makes each part of the selva different.
THREE DOORS INTO THE JUNGLE
WHERE THE
FOREST BEGINS
From Loreto's river world to the biodiversity of Madre de Dios, these are some of the Amazon's defining gateways.
↗
01 / LORETO
Iquitos
The gateway city to the northern Amazon and a starting point for river journeys deep into the rainforest.
↗
02 / MADRE DE DIOS
Tambopata
Tropical forest, rivers, lakes and remarkable wildlife.
↗
03 / CUSCO + MADRE DE DIOS
Manu
One of the Amazon's most extraordinary protected landscapes.
THE AMAZON RIVER
Follow the
water.
In Loreto, the Amazon becomes the road. Boats connect Iquitos with river communities, reserves, lodges and journeys deeper into the forest. River travel changes the rhythm of the trip: slower, quieter and closer to the landscape.
Iquitos
Amazon gateway
Loreto
Largest region of Peru
River
Life's main road
WILDLIFE FIELD NOTES
Eyes
everywhere.
The Amazon rewards patience. Look into the canopy, scan the riverbank, listen after sunset and let the forest reveal itself.
01 / PRIMATE
Monkey Country
02 / BIRDS
Canopy Life
03 / RIVER
Water Worlds
WAYS TO ENTER THE SELVA
GO DEEPER.
The rainforest can be experienced from rivers, trails, observation towers and community visits.
02
↗
Night Walk
After sunset the forest changes completely. Guided walks reveal a different world of insects, amphibians and nocturnal sounds.
03
↗
Canopy
Rise above the forest floor and experience the canopy from observation towers and elevated walkways.
04
↗
Wildlife
Look for birds, monkeys, caimans, butterflies and other species along waterways and forest trails.
05
↗
Local Culture
Meet communities and learn about traditions and knowledge connected to the rainforest.
06
↗
Forest Trails
Walk beneath towering trees and explore the constantly changing textures and sounds of the jungle.
SELVA JOURNAL
FIELD
NOTES.
Stories, practical notes and ideas for planning a journey through Peru's Amazonian regions.
How to read the rainforest
What to pack for the selva
Tambopata after sunset
A SAMPLE JOURNEY
FOLLOW THE
GREEN LINE.
Use this as a visual starting point for building your own Amazon itinerary.
Lima
Iquitos
Amazon River
Rainforest
01 / ARRIVE
02 / RIVER
03 / FOREST
04 / EXPLORE