3 Day Tambopata & Sandoval Lake Amazon Tour

Welcome to the Peruvian Amazon

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 adventure ahead, we transfer toward the river port.

Here, we board our motorized boat and begin navigating along the Madre de Dios River, leaving the city behind as the landscape gradually transforms into tropical rainforest.

The river is much more than our transportation route. It is an important wildlife corridor connecting different parts of the Amazon ecosystem.

As we travel, we keep watch along the forested riverbanks for tropical birds and any wildlife that may appear.

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

Introduction to the Amazon Rainforest

Accompanied by our professional jungle guide, we begin a gentle walk through the surrounding rainforest.

This first excursion introduces us to the extraordinary complexity of the Tambopata ecosystem.

We walk beneath towering tropical trees while learning about palms, vines, insects and medicinal plants traditionally used by local Amazonian communities.

Our guide will also teach us how to recognize some of the sounds, tracks and other signs that reveal the presence of animals even when they remain hidden among the vegetation.

We search the surrounding forest for monkeys, tropical birds, butterflies, frogs, insects and other rainforest wildlife.

Every walk in the Amazon is different, and sometimes the smallest discoveries can be among the most fascinating.

After our exploration, we return to our accommodation for lunch and some time to relax.

Amazon River Exploration & Wildlife Search

Later in the afternoon, we return toward the river.

Depending on local conditions, there may be an opportunity to experience traditional recreational fishing while enjoying the peaceful surroundings of the Amazon.

As daylight begins to fade, our attention turns toward wildlife.

Sunset & Caiman Search

Sunset is one of the most atmospheric moments on the Madre de Dios River.

As daytime wildlife becomes quieter, nocturnal species begin to emerge.

From our boat, we slowly explore sections of the riverbank while our guide searches for Amazon caimans.

After darkness falls, their eyes can sometimes be detected reflecting the beam of a flashlight from the water’s edge.

At the same time, we listen to the changing sounds of the rainforest as night takes over.

We then return to our jungle accommodation for dinner and our first night surrounded by the Amazon.

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

Into Tambopata National Reserve

After breakfast, we prepare for one of the most anticipated experiences of our journey: Sandoval Lake.

We travel by boat along the Madre de Dios River toward the access point of the Tambopata National Reserve.

From here, we begin walking beneath the rainforest canopy toward the lake.

This forest trail is already part of the wildlife experience.

As we walk, our guide helps us search the canopy and surrounding vegetation for monkeys, birds, butterflies, insects and other Amazon species while explaining the ecology of this protected environment.

Eventually, the forest opens and the tranquil waters of Sandoval Lake appear before us.

Exploring Sandoval Lake by Paddle Canoe

We board a paddle canoe and quietly begin exploring the lake.

Moving without a motor allows us to navigate slowly through this sensitive ecosystem while reducing noise and disturbance to wildlife.

Sandoval Lake is surrounded by tropical vegetation, palms and flooded forest, providing habitat for an extraordinary diversity of Amazon species.

We carefully explore the lake and its shoreline while searching for wildlife such as red howler monkeys, squirrel monkeys, capuchin monkeys, hoatzins, parrots, kingfishers, herons and caimans.

The lake also provides habitat for one of the most fascinating mammals in the Peruvian Amazon.

Searching for Giant River Otters

The giant river otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) is one of the iconic wildlife species associated with Sandoval Lake.

These remarkable animals are highly social and can live in family groups, communicating through a variety of distinctive vocalizations.

With patience and some luck, we may have the opportunity to observe them swimming, fishing or interacting with members of their family.

However, they are completely wild animals.

Giant river otter sightings cannot be guaranteed.

Their movements depend on water levels, weather, food availability and natural behavior.

Our approach is always to observe wildlife respectfully, without chasing, feeding or disturbing animals simply to obtain a sighting or photograph.

Wildlife Around Sandoval Lake

Giant river otters are only one part of the Sandoval Lake ecosystem.

Throughout our exploration, we continue searching for monkeys, reptiles and the remarkable diversity of tropical birds found around the lake.

There may also be opportunities to observe other Amazon mammals, including capybaras, depending on wildlife activity and the areas being used by animals that day.

Our guide will help identify the species encountered while explaining how the lake, surrounding forest and seasonal changes in water levels support this extraordinary ecosystem.

After our exploration, we begin our journey back through the rainforest and return toward our accommodation.

Amazon Night Walk

After dinner and once darkness has completely transformed the forest, we prepare for another adventure.

Armed with flashlights, we enter the rainforest for a guided Amazon night walk.

At night, an entirely different community of animals becomes active.

We slowly explore the trails while searching for tree frogs, insects, spiders, nocturnal birds and other creatures that are rarely seen during daylight hours.

Your guide will explain the remarkable adaptations that allow these species to survive and hunt in darkness.

The night walk is also an opportunity to simply stop, switch off our lights for a moment and listen to the extraordinary sounds of the Amazon after dark.

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

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

Experiencing the Rainforest from Above

After breakfast, our final day gives us the opportunity to experience another dimension of the Amazon ecosystem.

Most of our previous exploration has taken place at ground level, along rivers or across lakes.

Today, we look upward.

We visit a rainforest canopy observation area, where elevated platforms provide a completely different perspective over the surrounding jungle.

From above the forest floor, we can appreciate the immense scale of the Amazon and search the treetops for wildlife.

This environment can be particularly interesting for observing toucans, parrots, macaws and other canopy birds, although sightings always depend on natural wildlife activity.

For travelers participating in the adventure component of the program, a zipline experience provides another exciting way to experience the forest canopy.

Before beginning, safety equipment and procedures are explained by the instructor.

Monkey Exploration

Later, we continue along the Madre de Dios River toward an area known for monkey activity.

Here we search for some of the primates that inhabit the forests surrounding Puerto Maldonado.

Species that may be encountered in the region include squirrel monkeys, capuchin monkeys and tamarins, although their presence and location vary naturally.

Watching monkeys move freely through the trees provides another opportunity to understand how important the forest canopy is for Amazon wildlife.

As always, animals are observed respectfully and from an appropriate distance.

Kayaking on the Madre de Dios River

When river, weather and safety conditions permit, we can also experience a section of the Madre de Dios River by kayak.

Moving close to the water provides a completely different perspective of the rainforest and allows us to enjoy the immense landscape at a slower pace.

Our guide will determine whether conditions are appropriate for kayaking.

Safety always takes priority, particularly during periods of high water, strong currents or adverse weather.

Return to Puerto Maldonado

After our final Amazon activities and lunch, we board our motorized boat and begin the journey back toward Puerto Maldonado.

This final river journey gives us one last opportunity to enjoy the rainforest scenery and perhaps encounter wildlife along the riverbanks.

Upon arrival, Jungle Trekkers Peru will assist with your transfer according to your onward travel arrangements.

Our 3 Day Tambopata & Sandoval Lake Amazon Tour comes to an end after three days of exploring rivers, rainforest trails, Sandoval Lake and the Amazon canopy.

• Meals: Breakfast & Lunch.