3 Day Tambopata Chuncho Macaw Clay Lick Amazon Tour

Journey into Upper Tambopata

Your 3 Day Tambopata Amazon adventure begins when our Jungle Trekkers Peru team welcomes you in Puerto Maldonado.

Depending on your travel arrangements, we can meet you at the airport, bus terminal or your accommodation.

After meeting your professional Amazon guide and receiving an introduction to the journey ahead, we begin our overland transfer toward the Upper Tambopata region.

As we travel away from Puerto Maldonado, the landscape gradually changes from urban surroundings to rural communities, tropical vegetation and increasingly extensive rainforest.

Eventually, we reach the banks of the Tambopata River.

Here we leave the road behind and board our motorized Amazon boat for the next stage of our journey.

Navigating the Tambopata River

As we travel upriver, the forest begins to surround us.

The Tambopata River is not simply our transportation route. Its banks provide an important wildlife corridor through the rainforest.

Our guide will carefully scan the riverbanks and surrounding vegetation for tropical birds, monkeys, capybaras and other Amazon wildlife that may appear along the way.

Every river journey is different, and wildlife can sometimes appear when we least expect it.

Upon reaching our jungle accommodation, we settle into our rooms and prepare for our first exploration.

Introduction to the Tambopata Rainforest

Accompanied by our professional Amazon guide, we enter the surrounding forest for an introductory nature walk.

We walk beneath towering tropical trees while discovering palms, vines, medicinal plants, insects and the extraordinary ecological relationships that make the Tambopata rainforest one of the most biodiverse environments in Peru.

Our guide will also teach us to recognize sounds, tracks and other signs that can reveal the presence of wildlife even when animals remain hidden within the dense vegetation.

Depending on natural activity, we may encounter monkeys, tropical birds, butterflies, frogs, reptiles and insects.

Amazon Canopy Experience

Later in the afternoon, we experience the rainforest from an entirely different perspective.

We make our way toward a canopy observation point, where an elevated position provides panoramic views over the surrounding Amazon rainforest.

From here, we search the treetops for toucans, parrots, macaws and other canopy birds while enjoying the immense scale of the forest.

As afternoon light begins to fade, the view across the canopy offers a spectacular introduction to the Upper Tambopata wilderness.

Sunset & Caiman Search

After sunset, another side of the Amazon begins to emerge.

We return to the Tambopata River and slowly navigate sections of the riverbank while our guide searches for caimans.

Using flashlights, we scan the water’s edge for the reflected eyes of these fascinating Amazon reptiles.

Your guide will explain their behavior, habitat and ecological importance while we listen to the remarkable sounds of the rainforest after dark.

We then return to our jungle accommodation for dinner and rest.

Tomorrow begins before sunrise.

• Meals: Lunch & Dinner
• Accommodation: Jungle Accommodation.

Before Sunrise on the Tambopata River

Today we wake while the rainforest is still dark.

After preparing for our excursion, we board our boat and begin navigating deeper along the Tambopata River toward Chuncho Macaw Clay Lick.

Watching the Amazon awaken from the river is an experience in itself.

As the first light begins appearing over the forest, we carefully scan the riverbanks for wildlife.

Depending on natural activity, we may encounter capybaras, monkeys, tropical birds and other Amazon species.

Tapirs and large predators also inhabit the vast Tambopata ecosystem, but encounters with these animals are uncommon and should always be considered an exceptional privilege rather than an expected part of the tour.

El Chuncho Macaw Clay Lick

Eventually, we reach the famous El Chuncho Macaw Clay Lick, locally known as Collpa Chuncho.

We position ourselves at an appropriate observation area and wait quietly as the surrounding forest begins to awaken.

Often, the experience starts with sound.

Parrots may begin calling from nearby trees before approaching the exposed clay along the riverbank.

As activity develops, different species of parrots and macaws may gather around the area.

Among the spectacular birds associated with the Tambopata rainforest are scarlet macaws, red-and-green macaws, blue-and-yellow macaws, Amazon parrots and several species of parakeets.

Their powerful calls and brilliant colors can transform a quiet Amazon morning into an extraordinary natural spectacle.

Why Do Macaws Visit the Clay Lick?

Macaws and parrots regularly visit certain exposed riverbanks to consume clay and mineral-rich soil.

Research into this fascinating behavior suggests that mineral supplementation, particularly sodium, is an important reason for these visits.

Our guide will explain what researchers currently understand about clay-lick behavior and why protecting the surrounding rainforest is essential for the birds that depend on this ecosystem.

Breakfast in the Heart of Tambopata

While observing activity around the clay lick, we enjoy breakfast surrounded by the sounds of the Amazon.

There is no need to rush.

At Jungle Trekkers Peru, we allow nature to determine the rhythm of the experience.

Some mornings may bring intense activity with numerous parrots and macaws flying over the river and approaching the clay.

On other mornings, birds may arrive in smaller groups, remain in surrounding trees or avoid the clay completely.

This unpredictability is part of experiencing wildlife in a genuinely wild environment.

Wildlife Along the Tambopata River

After completing our observation at Chuncho, we begin navigating back toward our accommodation.

Once again, the journey becomes an opportunity for wildlife observation.

Our guide carefully scans the riverbanks and forest edges for capybaras, monkeys, tropical birds and other animals.

Upon reaching our accommodation, we have time to relax before lunch.

Kayaking on the Tambopata River

Later in the afternoon, when water, weather and safety conditions permit, we experience the Tambopata River by kayak.

Moving close to the water and without the constant sound of a motor provides a completely different perspective of the rainforest.

We paddle along an appropriate section of the river while enjoying the forest scenery and watching the riverbanks for wildlife.

Our guide will determine whether conditions are safe for kayaking.

During periods of strong currents, unusually high water or adverse weather, this activity may be modified or suspended.

Amazon Night Walk

As darkness settles over Tambopata, we prepare for another completely different wildlife experience.

With flashlights in hand, we enter the rainforest for a guided Amazon night walk.

Many animals that remain hidden during daylight become active after sunset.

We slowly explore the trails while searching for tree frogs, insects, spiders, nocturnal birds and other creatures adapted to life in darkness.

Our guide will explain how these species hunt, communicate and survive in the nighttime rainforest.

At moments, we may stop and simply listen.

The darkness, humidity and extraordinary chorus of insects and frogs create one of the most atmospheric experiences of an Amazon journey.

We then return to our accommodation for dinner and our second night in the rainforest.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
• Accommodation: Jungle Accommodation.

Above the Amazon Rainforest

After breakfast, we prepare for our final exploration of Upper Tambopata.

Today we experience the rainforest from a perspective that is completely different from the trails and rivers we have explored during the previous two days.

We walk through the forest toward an elevated Amazon canopy bridge.

Suspended high above the forest floor, the canopy experience allows us to appreciate the immense scale and structure of the tropical rainforest.

From this elevated position, we can look across the treetops and search for wildlife living in the upper layers of the forest.

Searching for Canopy Wildlife

The Amazon canopy supports an extraordinary diversity of life.

From our elevated position, we carefully search the surrounding trees for toucans, parrots, macaws and other tropical birds.

Monkeys and other arboreal wildlife may also move through this environment, although all sightings depend on natural activity.

Our guide will explain why the canopy is such an important part of the Amazon ecosystem and how different species have adapted to spend much of their lives high above the forest floor.

After enjoying our final rainforest experience, we return to our jungle accommodation.

Return to Puerto Maldonado

Following lunch, we say goodbye to the Upper Tambopata rainforest and begin our journey back.

We board our motorized boat and navigate downstream along the Tambopata River, giving us one final opportunity to observe wildlife along the riverbanks.

After reaching our river port, we continue overland toward Puerto Maldonado.

Upon arrival, Jungle Trekkers Peru will assist with your transfer to the airport, bus terminal or accommodation according to your onward travel arrangements.

Our 3 Day Tambopata Chuncho Macaw Clay Lick Tour comes to an end after three days exploring rainforest trails, the Tambopata River, El Chuncho, the Amazon after dark and the extraordinary world of the rainforest canopy.

• Meals: Breakfast & Lunch.