Peruvian Amazon

Off the beaten "Gringo Trail" through southern Peru from Lima to Cuzco, the Amazon jungle issues a sirens' call to adventurous travelers. Most tourists fly into Iquitos in the north or Puerto Maldonado in the south. It's also possible to journey to the Amazon by road from the coast or from the Andean highlands. Although it rains year-round in the humid Amazon basin, the muddiest months are December through April, when overland routes become impassable. No matter, though, since visitors come here to see the river itself. Journeys along the tributaries of the mighty Amazon visit scientific research stations equipped with canopy walks and ...

Off the beaten "Gringo Trail" through southern Peru from Lima to Cuzco, the Amazon jungle issues a sirens' call to adventurous travelers. Most tourists fly into Iquitos in the north or Puerto Maldonado in the south. It's also possible to journey to the Amazon by road from the coast or from the Andean highlands. Although it rains year-round in the humid Amazon basin, the muddiest months are December through April, when overland routes become impassable. No matter, though, since visitors come here to see the river itself. Journeys along the tributaries of the mighty Amazon visit scientific research stations equipped with canopy walks and jungle paths; national parks and preserves overflowing with some of the world's rarest wildlife species, especially birds; and tribal villages where ancient cultural practices still thrive today. Set aside enough time to experience the Amazon in depth, whether that means staying for a week at a remote jungle lodge or taking a slow boat from Pucallpa to Iquitos and onward to the tri-border zone shared with Brazil and Columbia.

About the Expert

Sara Benson was the coordinating author for Lonely Planet's Peru and wrote the Peru chapter for South America on a Shoestring.