Amazon River Explore Cruise (5 days / 4 nights)
Departures on Tuesday – High Water Season (December to May)
M/VAqua
The 130-foot-long, M/V Aqua is the first true luxury cruise ship on the northern Amazon River in Peru. It has twelve oversized cruise ship suites handsomely decorated and was custom built to offer an extraordinary level of comfort for our guests. We offer three, four and seven night cruises along the Amazon River in Peru.
Day 1: Iquitos – Nauta – Embarkation – Maranon River
In the afternoon, transfer by bus from the airport to the small village of Nauta, a one-and-a-half hour drive where we can enjoy the countryside views of the jungle. Upon arrival (aprox 7:30 pm) we board the Aqua and we begin our cruise. During our exquisite welcome dinner we have the fantastic view of the river and surroundings through the panoramic windows.
Meals: Dinner
Day 2: Ucayali – Yanallpa – Dorado Rivers –Pacaya Samiria National Reserve
In the morning we board the skiffs to explore this amazing black water stream, the Yanallpa River, part of the vast Amazon flooded forest. Our guides will tell us about the rainforest and its dynamic life, as we explore what scientists call a “gallery forest,” because of its narrow vegetation, creating a tunnel of leaves. Here we can easily spot parrots, macaws, and fluffy monk saki monkeys, very close to the skiff.
By 11:00 am we return to the vessel to continue our trip towards the Dorado River. In the afternoon we take a magical journey through the ‘Mirrored Forest’, seeing towering trees reflected in the black water river, while spotting dozens of enchanting parrots, blue-yellow macaws, and a great variety of primates and sloths enjoying nature unperturbed by our presence. As we make our way back to our vessel, we also have the chance to see caimans, frogs and fishing bats. We return to our vessel by 7:30 pm.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 3: Puinahua River – Hatum Posa Lake – Pacaya River
We rise early in the morning to cruise this beautiful and intricate ox-bow lake. As we follow its shore, we will almost certainly surprise several kinds of monkeys and many types of birds, including terns, neo-tropic cormorants, egrets, herons, hawks, and our favorite horned screamers. We will also take the skiff into other black water lakes linked to this huge lake in the flooded forest.
After breakfast, at 9:00 am we take a walk through the jungle near Hatum Posa village. On this walk, our guides will introduces us to native people doing subsistence farming, and will tell us how they learned to cultivate wild plants and trees to earn farm income. Deep in the primary forest, our guides will also show us the wealth of fruit trees and medicinal plants hidden in the jungle. We return to the vessel by 11:00 am.
In the late afternoon, we take our skiffs along the Pacaya River, journeying from Ranger Station No. 1 toward Yanayacu Lake, where we can see the abundant life that is hidden in the deep rainforest. We have chosen this time of day to have the chance to see the late afternoon activity of the rainforest animals, including fluffy monk saki monkeys, capuchin monkeys, and the easy-to-spot howler monkeys. As the sun sets, listen for the loud, ferocious-sounding warning signals made by howler monkeys marking their territories. As we take the skiffs back to the M/V Aqua, we will use our special spotlight torches to locate night creatures, including, perhaps, huge caimans.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 4: Puinahua – Pacaya Rivers and Carocurahuayte Lake
Back on the river as the sun rises, we see a treasure trove of wildlife, including parrots, macaws, toucans, and many kinds of monkeys. Enjoy a ‘bag breakfast’ on board while we stop near a popular dolphin feeding spot, where we will see quite a show as we enjoy our meal.
Then we travel to the splendid ‘hot spot’ Carocurahuayte Lake, where we can catch some of the more than 3,000 species of tropical fish that live in the Amazon basin. Our key focus will be on piranhas, those small, carnivorous fish with a big reputation for being scary. Once we are back onboard, the ship will continue its journey down stream, sailing toward Iquitos through the night.
Leaving the peace and beauty of the jungle behind, we will enjoy our final dinner together, swapping stories about the wonderful experiences shared on the river.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 5: Iquitos – Check out and disembark – City tour
Weather and time permitting, this will be the last opportunity to see how people live along the Amazon—by visiting the lively riverside community of Belen, in Iquitos, by skiff. Here, where the houses and shops actually float on the river during some months, you will see the bustling food market for the entire Peruvian Amazon. All local inhabitants throughout the region sell and purchase goods here.
Back on board (11:00 am) it’s time to finish packing. Please leave your packed suitcases in your suite for pickup before going to lunch.
We disembark at 1:15 pm in Iquitos, once a rich center of the rubber industry. We will have a brief city tour. En route, we visit the Manatee Rescue Center, where biologists and volunteers care for endangered Amazon manatees and dolphins and prepared them for re-introduction into their natural habitat. Finally, we will stop at the San Juan Amazonian Indian Market, for a last chance to shop for local crafts. Transfer to the airport.
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Note: All the itineraries are subject to change due to weather conditions and other non predictable issues. All hours mentioned are approximate and are also subject to change.
