Madre de Dios

Madre de Dios

Practical Guide for Travelers

Madre de Dios

Location

Amazon rainforest in southeastern Peru, border with Bolivia and Brazil

Capital

Puerto Maldonado (600 ft / 183 m)

Altitude

Min.:

Max.:

600 ft (183 m) (Puerto Maldonado)

1,640 ft (500 m) (Boca Manu)

Weather

Temperature

Max.:

102 °F (39 °C) Apr-Nov Dec-Mar

Min.: 68 °F (20 °C)

How to get here?

By land

Lima-Arequipa-Cusco-Puerto Maldonado: 1,313 miles (2,113 km) / 36 h

Lima-Nasca-Abancay-Cusco-Puerto Maldonado: 990 miles (1,594 km) / 31 h

Cusco-Puerto Maldonado: 288 miles (463 km) / 10 h

Juliaca-Puerto Maldonado: 371 miles (597 km) / 12 h

Arequipa-Puerto Maldonado: 491 miles (790.05 km) / 16 h

Quincemil (province of Quispicanchi, Cusco)-Puerto Maldonado: 147.6 miles (237.5 km) / 4 h

By air

Lima-Puerto Maldonado: 1 h 40 min

Cusco-Puerto Maldonado: 55 min

de Dios is the capital of Peru’s biodiversity, thanks to its ecological wealth (protected reserves) and cultural wealth (indigenous communities).

Approved by DR 0315/RE of October 31, 2016. The borders indicated make no claims over international boundaries.

Madre de Dios

UCAYALI

Nacional

Department capital

Province capital

District capital

Tourist attraction

Escala grá ca (miles/km) 25/40 37/60

12/20

Huepetuhe

International border

Provincial border

Main road River Airport Protected Natural Area

Dirt road

BRASIL

TAHUAMANU

RíoLasPiedras

TAMBOPATA

RíoInambari

Puerto Maldonado

BOLIVIA

RíoMadre de

PUNO

February (varies)

June 24

July 10

September 27

December 26

Carnivals

Festivity of San Juan

Anniversary of Puerto Maldonado

Madre de Dios Tourist Week

Festival Sine do end dari (Festival of my land)

Anniversary of Madre de Dios

What to eat?

Juane, asado de picuro (an Amazonian rodent), and tacacho con cecina are popular dishes. Exotic fruits, such as aguaje and cocona, serve as the basis for sauces and soft drinks. Due to the large production of chestnut trees, this fruit is used in ice cream, sauces, and in the production of oils.

What to buy?

Local artisans create amazing works with plants, fibers, seeds, and natural roots. They also make clothing with tree bark and make ornaments carved in coconut.

DESTINATION / DISTANCE

TIME

4 h

8 h by van or minivan or 28 hours by waterway h by car

3 days Bahuaja Sonene National Park, Tambopata National Reserve, Reserva Comunal Amarakaeri, Kotsimba community Lake Sandoval, Chuncho macaw clay lick and 8 Gallinas clay lick Tambopata tourist corridor, Cachuela-Prado Paititi Ecopark

5 days

Manu National Park

What to visit?

Tambopata Province

Plaza de Armas de Puerto Maldonado City Center

Puerto Maldonado, capital of Madre de Dios, is also known as the biodiversity capital of Peru and is an important economic center of the Amazon. The plans of the city and its Plaza de Armas were designed by the prefect Carlos León Velarde in 1923. The square’s gazebo is a legacy of the early 20th-century Japanese colony.

Plazoleta y mirador Miguel Grau

One block from Plaza de Armas

The small square and viewpoint is remarkable for the impressive view of the confluence of the Madre de Dios and Tambopata rivers, and for its excellent location to observe the Amazon sunset.

Puente Billinghurst City Center

The Billinghurst suspension bridge crosses the Madre de Dios River. It is part of the Interoceanica Sur highway, which connects the Pacific Ocean with the Atlantic. With its 2,372 ft (723 m) length, it is the second longest bridge in the country.

Casa Intercultural de Madre de Dios

Jr. Billinghurst 480. From 9:00 to 20:00.

The Madre de Dios Intercultural House offers stalls selling snacks, agro-industrial products, and handicrafts from the native communities of Madre de Dios: Monte Salvado (Yine people), Tres Islas (Shipibo people), San José de Karene (Harakbut people). Different workshops are held on the elaboration of the different artisanal products, which visitors can take part in after some coordination.

Sala de exhibición de arqueología, paleontología y vestidos típicos amazónicos, del Ministerio de Cultura

Jr. Gonzales Prada 222 (3 min walk from the City Center). Mon-Fri, 8:30-13:00 and 14:00-17:00.

The region has eleven sites declared cultural heritage, and archaeological and paleontological pieces found in these places are exhibited here. Likewise, dresses of the native communities are on display.

Mercado Modelo

At Ernesto Rivero and Fitzcarrald avenues (10 min walk from the City Center)

The Model Market is the ideal place to buy handicrafts, enjoy the local cuisine and taste the agricultural products of the area, such as chestnuts and a wide variety of exotic fruits.

Mirador de la Biodiversidad

At Fitzcarrald and Madre de Dios avenues (5 min by car or mototaxi) Thu-Tue, 8:00-20:00. Entrance fee charged. Enjoy a fantastic view of the city from the vantage point that is the Biodiversity viewpoint (154 ft / 47 m). You can see how the Tambopata and Madre de Dios rivers converge, as well as the surrounding green landscape.

Castaña Amazon Park

4 miles (7 km) north of the city of Puerto Maldonado (20 min by mototaxi). Visits from Monday to Sunday. Reservations needed one day in advance. This tour presents the chestnut harvesting process and educates visitors in a practical way to replicate this type of sustainable economic alternatives in other organizations.

Reserva Nacional Tambopata

29 miles (47 km) south of the city of Puerto Maldonado (2 h by motorboat) or 11 miles (18 km) to the community of Infierno (by pickup) and travel upriver (2 h by motorboat). Visits with authorization from the National Service of Natural Areas Protected by the State (SERNANP), tel. (51) 954-175-848 / (51) 968-218-649. The Tambopata National Reserve is located between the basins of the Tambopata, Madre de Dios, and Heath rivers. This natural refuge is home to 632 species of birds, 1,200 species of butterflies, 169 species of mammals, 205 species of fish, 103 species of amphibians and 67 species of reptiles. Its flora is typical of tropical regions. Do not skip the visit to the 8 Gallinas collpa

Lago Sandoval

6 miles (10 km) east of the city center of Puerto Maldonado (25 min by motorboat) and 2 miles (3 km) from the shore of the Madre de Dios River to the lake (45 min walk). Visits are arranged through authorized agencies. Its warm waters are home to a wide variety of fish, otters, and lizards. Aguajes (local palm tree), orchids, bananas, and mahogany make up the landscape. In the surroundings you can see a wide variety of birds, such as cormorants, toucans, macaws, herons, and even a colorful wild hens known as “shansho.” There are also tapirs, turtles, and taricayas.

Collpa de guacamayos Chuncho

75 miles (120 km) south of the city center of Puerto Maldonado (7 h by motorboat). Visits are arranged through authorized agencies. Erosion caused by the flow of the river has left soil rich in mineral salts and organic components on the surface. Starting at five in the morning, flocks of birds arrive at this macaw clay lick to feed, you can watch this amazing spectacle from an island on the Tambopata river.

Parque Nacional Bahuaja Sonene

56 miles (90 km) south of the city center of Puerto Maldonado by the Heath River (4-5 h by motorboat). Visits are arranged through authorized agencies. The 1’091,416 hectares of the Bahuaja Sonene National Park, located between the departments of Puno and Madre de Dios, protect the only tropical wet savannah in the country. Some of the most fascinating species that live in the park are the swamp deer, the giant anteater, the giant otter, the bush dog, the black lizard, and the harpy eagle.

Comunidad nativa Kotsimba Tambopata Province, Inambari District (five hours from Puerto Maldonado). Reservation needed, please contact (+51) 932-288-555.

The Pukieri community members of the Kotsimba Native Community have opted for ecotourism to protect their territory, which is home to a great biodiversity of flora and fauna and the charm of amazing landscapes and unique ecosystems in the region.

Corredor turístico Tambopata

4 miles (7 km) west of the city center of Puerto Maldonado (15 min by car or mototaxi). Mon-Sun, 8:00-18:00. The price of admission depends on each family service.

The Tambopata Tourism Corridor is in the buffer zone of the Tambopata National Reserve. Families have prepared their land to offer quality tourist services in the midst of beautiful natural landscapes. Visitors can appreciate the typical flora and fauna from the comfort of its facilities, where they can perform different activities, such as paintball, camping, night walks, interpretation of medicinal plants, boat trips, and tasting of exquisite Amazonian dishes.

Lago Yacumama

5 miles (8 km) north of the city center of Puerto Maldonado (15 min by mototaxi). Visits from Monday to Sunday. It is recommended to hire the services of an agency. The Yacumama lake is an ancient meander and abandoned course of the Madre de Dios river. It has the characteristics of Pantanal lake, which is located in a huge swamp. Boat trips, parrot and macaw nest sightings, and piranha fishing are available.

Corredor turístico Cachuela-Prado

7 miles (12 km) northwest of the city center of Puerto Maldonado (20 min by mototaxi). Visits from Monday to Sunday. It is recommended to hire an agency. The proximity to Puerto Maldonado allows easy access to the Cachuela-Prado Tourist Corridor to anyone interested in visiting and experiencing the intensity of the jungle.

Enjoy hiking trails, doing canoe paddle and zipline (115 ft / 35 m high), making your own artisanal chocolate, visiting the parrot clay lick, among other activities.

Manu Province

Parque Nacional del Manu

From Cusco: 149 miles (240 km) along the Cusco-Paucartambo highway from the city of Cusco to Atalaya (9 hours by van and minivan), downstream to Boca Manu (6 hours by boat) and continue along the Manu river until you reach the park. From Puerto Maldonado: 87 miles (140 km) from Puerto Maldonado City Center by the Interoceanica Highway to the Santa Rosa Populated Center (1 h 30 min by car), cross the Inambari river by boat to Puerto Carlos (5 min); then, travel 19 miles (30 km) by road to Boca Colorado Populated Center (1 h) and navigate along the Madre de Dios river until the Limonal checkpoint, on the Manu River (7 h by boat). It is also possible to reach the town of Boca Manu by plane from the city of Puerto Maldonado or Cusco on charter flights (45 min) or by making reservations through travel agencies. Visits are arranged through authorized agencies.

The 1’692,137 hectares of the Manu National Park extend through Cusco and Madre de Dios. It is home to a wide variety of animals: more than 800 species of birds (including the harpy eagle, the jabiru, the cock of the rocks), 200 species of mammals (yellow-tailed woolly monkeys, white-bellied spider monkeys, jaguars, tigrillos, spectacled bears, and tarucas), and more than 100 species of bats. Trees over 148 feet (45 m) high grow in its soil, such as cecropia, topa, cedar, tornillo, white lupuna, and matapalo. The dense forests are also home to native Amazonian communities (including Matsiguenka, Amahuaca, Yaminahua, and Piro), as well as 30 Quechua-speaking communities. For all these reasons, the park was declared a Natural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. To live a complete experience in the Manu, it is advisable to stay in the lodges located in the tourist and cultural areas that surround it.

Reserva comunal Amarakaeri

From Cusco: 162 miles (260 km) from the city of Cusco to the city of Pilcopata. From Puerto Maldonado: 87 miles (140 km) from the center of Puerto Maldonado by the Interoceanica highway to the Santa Rosa Populated Center (1 h 30 min by car), crossing the Inambari river by boat to Puerto Carlos (5 min); then 19 miles (30 km) by road up to Boca Colorado Populated Center (1 h) and navigate along the Madre de Dios river

It is recommended to hire a travel agency. Admission is prior coordination with one of the six native communities located in the buffer zone of the Amarakaeri communal reserve since they are the only ones providing tourist services. In the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve and in its area of influence live the Harakmbut, Yine, and Matsiguenka ethnic groups, managers, direct beneficiaries, and guardians of the conservation of this area.

Tahuamanu Province

Ciudad de Iberia

103 miles (165 km) north of the city center of Puerto Maldonado by the Interoceánica highway (3 h by car)

The journey to Iberia will take you through the beautiful landscapes of the Amazon. The main economic activity of its original inhabitants was the extraction of shiringa (a tree that produces latex) and rubber, which is why it is represented in its Plaza de Armas.

Ciudad de Iñapari

139 miles (223 km) north of the city center of Puerto Maldonado by the Interoceánica highway (4 h by car)

Located on the Three Frontiers area, where the borders of Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru meet, its Plaza de Armas is powered by renewable energy. There is a boardwalk and a tourist viewpoint from where you can observe the bordering rivers Acre (Brazil) and Javerija (Bolivia).

Puerto Maldonado

City Center

Urban area

Plazoleta y mirador Miguel Grau

Puerto Capitanía

Casa Intercultural de Madre de Dios Cacao Center

Puente Billinghurst

Sala de exhibición de arqueología, paleontología y vestidos típicos amazónicos del Ministerio de Cultura

Mirador de la Biodiversidad

Av. Poma Rosa

Cl. Palmiche

Jr. Maracaná

Cl. Las Chimicuas

Jr. Las Ponas

Cl. Los Tornillos

Terminal terrestre

Pje.29deAbril

Jr. Atahualpa

Jr. Túpac Amaru

Jr. Juana Blanco

Cl. Los Girasoles

Inca Pje. Sinchi Roca Pje. Huáscar

Jr. Manco

Cl. Las Chimicuas

Av.LasCapironas

Jr. Los Tornillos

Av. Circunvalación Norte

to the Cachuela-Prado corridor

Jr. Antisuyo

Jr. Contisuyo

Av. Universitaria

Av. Andrés

Avelino Cáceres

Jr. Chinchaysuyo Pje.LaAlborada

Cl. Coyasuyo

Cl. Celestino Jara

Jr. Miguel Grau

Cl. Zoila Ancora

Jr. Jorge Chávez

Av. Alameda

Pje. Tomás Bueno

Prlg. Junín

Jr. José Carlos Mariátegui

Av. Los Próceres

to the airport to Cusco to Puno

Pje. Raúl Jiménez

Jr. Manco Inca Pje. Túpac Amaru

Av.AndrésMallea

Jr. Sinchi Roca

Cl. José M. Arguedas Jr. Ricardo Bentín Pje.LosMangos

Jr. José M. Arguedas

Cl. Mariano Melgar

Av. Los Próceres

Pje. Pedro Labarthe

Cl.Jr.PardodeMiguel MarcoRuiz Jr.LosMangos Pje. Paraíso

Jr.IcaPrlg.Fitzcarrald

Instituto Jorge Basadre Grohmann

Pje.Andrés Av.2de

Prlg. Tambopata

Cementerio

Jr.JavierHeraudJr.MarcoRuiz Jr.

Av. La Joya Av.MadredeDios

Av. Circunvalación

Plaza Bolognesi

Jr.SanMartínJr.AmazonasJr.Junín Jr.Apurímac

to the Corredor Turístico Tambopata

0 656/200 1,312/400

(ft / m)

Altitude: 669 ft (204 m)

to Lago Yacumama to Castaña Amazon Park to Paititi Ecopark Adventure

Pje.Loreto

AndrésA.Cáceres deMayo

Jr.Crosby

Plaza Francisco Bolognesi

Áncash

Jr.28deJulio

Jr.Tacna

Jr.LambayequeJr.Piura

Jr.Cajamarca

la UNSAAC

Río Madre de Dios

Jr.Cusco

Jr.ManuelGonzálesPrada

INDECOPI

Jr.DanielA.Carrión

Jr.Billinghurst

Jr.Loreto

Plaza de Armas

to Iñapari to Brazil

Gobierno Regional

Mercado Modelo

Jr.Moquegua

Jr.Ica

Av.CoronelLeónVelarde

Jr.ArequipaJr.26deDiciembre

Jr.FaustinoMaldonado

Cl.Circunvalación

Estadio de Madre de Dios

ErnestoRivero

IPD Madre de Dios

Jr.Puno

Pje.Ceticos

Pje.SanMartín

Cl.Confraternidad

Jr.Brasil

Cl.10deJulio

PUERTO MALDONADO

Madre de Dios City Center (51-1) 616-7300, ext. 1846 (082)571-830 Jr. Loreto 390 iperuptomaldonado@promperu.gob.pe

iperu@promperu.gob.pe

The information contained in this brochure has been updated in September 2023. To prepare it, PROMPERÚ has used official information sources, as well as the National Service of Natural Areas Protected by the State (SERNANP), the National Service of Meteorology and Hydrology of Peru (SENAMHI), the Provincial Municipality of Tambopata and the Regional Directorate of Foreign Trade and Tourism (DIRCETUR) Madre de Dios.

The opening hours and telephone numbers are subject to vary at each tourist attraction. Please confirm hours and telephone numbers with IPERÚ.

Published by PROMPERÚ - Peru for Exports and Tourism Promotion Agency

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