A must for nature lovers, Tambopata National Reserve boasts infinite biodiversity for local and foreign tourists.
Established on September 2000, this natural protected area lies in the middle of Peru's Amazon rainforest across Madre de Dios and Puno regions. It is located south of Madre de Dios River in Tambopata Province's Inambari and Tambopata districts.
The reserve's over 274,690 hectares protect Peru’s tropical rainforest fauna, flora and ecological processes. It also generates conservation processes that guarantee the sustainable use of resources and landscapes.
This protected area mainly harbors aquatic habitats, which welcome over 40 species of intercontinental migratory birds. Tambopata protects major endangered species and proves the ultimate tourist destination to take a look at Peruvian wilderness.
Flora and fauna
Given its privileged location, the reserve houses a total of 1,255 plant species, as well as 17 plant groups, including aguaje palm swamps, Amazon bamboo forests, among others.
A highly economically important plant species is the Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa), a widely traded commodity with major impact on the local economy. The towering tree also constitutes a source of food for countless mammal species, as well as a favorite nesting spot for birds of prey.
Regarding animals, Tambopata is home to 632 species of birds, 1,200 of butterflies, 103 of amphibians, 180 of fish, 169 of mammals and 103 of reptiles.
Its healthy habitats are an ideal recovery shelter for endangered species such as the neotropical otter (Lontra longicaudis), the cougar (Puma concolor), the jaguar (Panthera onca) and the margay (Leopardus wiedii).
The reserve also houses nearly all of the Inca nation's macaw species, as well as the boa constrictor (Boa constrictor), the white caiman (Caiman crocodylus), the yellow-spotted river turtle (Podocnemis unifilis) among many others.
Tourist routes
The Reserve's most visited tourist attraction is palm-rimmed Sandoval lake, a 127-hectare water mirror in the Madre de Dios River basin.
Packed with colorful macaws, the lake is a half-an-hour trip by Puerto Maldonado river, where visitors can watch grooming otters as they cruise its waters on boats rented by locals.
Tambopata's landmarks are definitely its riverbank claylicks, home to hundreds of birds (macaws, hawks and parrots) that offer a spectacular colorful concert in early mornings.
The Colorado claylick, the largest in all the Peruvian Amazon, is located on Tambopata's left riverbank.
The Peruvian Executive has declared November 17-19 as non-working public holidays on account of the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum's Leaders Summit.
Such holidays prove the perfect opportunity to travel around the various attractions offered by the Andean nation, ranked as one of tourists' favorite destinations in America by renowned publications.
(END) DHT/MVB