Facts about Tambopata National Park

The Tambopata National Park can be found in the Madre de Dios region of the Amazon. A lot of people embark on the Tambopata tour because it’s a great place rich with wildlife, incredible views, life and color. It’s also incredibly vibrant, and there are many trails you can take to experience this amazing location. Add to that the fact that you can also take great pics, and you can see why the Tambopata National Park is such an interesting place to visit and a very enjoyable one at that.

How do you get to Puerto Maldonado?

If you’re looking to visit the Tambopata National Park, then you have to go to the Puerto Maldonado. The thing to note about Puerto Maldonado is that you can find it in the SE part of Peru. It’s very close to Cusco, within the Madre de Dios region. If you want to reach this region, then you can go from Lima to Puerto Maldonado, a flight that usually takes around 1.5 hours.

An alternative option is to arrive in Cusco with a bus or any other method of transportation. From there, you will be able to go from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado via a flight, it takes just 30 minutes. Of course, you can also choose to take a car or bus from Cusco. This is less recommended because the drive can be long, up to 10 hours. The road can be treacherous too, which adds to the difficulty of this experience. Flights are faster and safer.

How Was the Tambopata National Reserve Created?

It was during the 70s when the Peruvian government started prohibiting logging and hunting in the area. However, the Tambopata National Reserve was established in 1990 as a fallout from all those regulations. With that being said, the Tambopata National Park was created in 2000, and it covered 274690 ha.

The main reasoning behind this Tambopata National Park was to ensure that the tropical rainforest ecosystem is protected in the long term. On top of that, there was also the focus to use sustainable forest resources, especially for the natives. They are actually inhabiting the buffer zone near the reserve, which helps protect the natural ecosystems nearby.

What is Tambopata National Reserve known for?

There are a lot of different things that make the Tambopata National Park stand out. The main one is that it has the highest concentration of colored macaws and colored parrots in the entire world. Additionally, this park has more than 100 mammal species and 1000+ butterfly species. They also have roughly 600 bird species, and hundreds of plant and tree species. Those things combined truly make it stand out as one of the premier places to see in the entire world.

How do I get to Tambopata National Reserve?

Getting to the Tambopata National Reserve is actually very simple. First, you must go to Puerto Maldonado. This is a gateway city for the reserve, and also the Madre de Dios capital. You have incoming flights to Puerto Maldonado. So you can go to Cuzco or Lima, and there are at least 3 flights per day coming from these destinations. It’s the ideal way to access this location and the flights are very quick, which helps make the process quicker and more convenient.

Is Puerto Maldonado in the Amazon Rainforest?

Yes, Puerto Maldonado is a part of the Amazon Rainforest. You can find the city in the SE part of Peru, roughly around 34 miles west from the Bolivian border. It’s also at the confluence of the Madre de Dios and Tambopata rivers. Being a part of the Amazon rainforest is incredible and a clear reminder of the importance that this location has and the features that it brings to the table.

When to travel to Tambopata?

One of the great things about the Tambopata National Reserve is that you can visit it almost at any time during the year. Granted, the experience will differ quite a bit, and there are some parts of the year like the wet season which makes visiting this place more challenging. The dry season is from April to November, you rarely have any rain during that time. This is a great time for hikes and you don’t have to worry about dealing with all the mud.

During the raisin season, more specifically January and February, you will notice that the Macaws are nesting, and there are many other animals that are very active. Other than that, if you want to avoid rain or anything similar, it’s a much better idea to come and visit Tambopata during the dry season. It’s a great idea and it will help save quite a bit of time.

What to do in Tambopata?

Visiting Tambopata is great because you always have something to do here. The main focus is to plan your activities beforehand. You can also find expeditions which can help you cover all the more important spots in this region. A good idea is to visit the Oxbow lake, where you can find all kinds of fig trees, palms, there are also piranhas in these waters. Some of the other oxbow lakes even have giant otters in them.

It’s also a good idea to go to the Clay Lick, an exposed clay riverbank. The reason here is that you can find mammals and birds. So it’s possible to see parakeets, macaws, parrots and many other animals. On top of that, you can check the view from walkways or canopies. They help you get up close and see toucans, tanagers

What can I see in Tambopata?

The great thing about Tambopata is the fact that you can see a lot of amazing animals and plants native to this region. They can’t be found anywhere else, and that’s the thing that truly makes the makes Tambopata park such a great place to visit at any given time.
If you want to go to Tambopata, you can expect to see a lot of amazing plants. On top of that, you can also find jaguars, capibara, red brocket deer, harpy eagles, caimans, pumas, black and white hawk eagles, as well as a variety of other animals. That’s what makes them such a great option, the fact that you get to see the hidden part of the Amazon. Of course, some of those animals can be harder to spot, but it’s still an amazing place to visit and you can view a whole bunch of amazing things when you are in the region.

Is Tambopata national park Dangerous?

Whenever you are in a natural park with lots of animals, there is a sense of danger. So yes, anything can happen, it all depends on a variety of different factors. With that being said, the Tambopata park is one of the most protected and safest places in the rainforest. However, this is a rainforest, things can be unexpected, and that’s exactly why you need to take care of yourself and focus on personal safety.

The recommended option is to go on tours with guides and people that already have all the safety measures in place. Wandering alone in the rainforest might sound amazing, but the high level of danger here is something you want to stay away from. Otherwise you can encounter all kinds of dangerous situations. The worst part is that you won’t have someone to help. So yes, going with the right people that can help is crucial and it will make a difference

Where is Sandoval Lake?

The Sandoval lake is maybe the primary attraction within the Tambopata national reserve. Many consider it to be one of the most impressive, beautiful jungle lakes. You can find it at around 3 hours from Puerto Maldonado in the SE part of Peru. One of the things to keep in mind is the fact that this lake is a protected area. Because of that, it has 103 species of mammals, 127 amphibians, 592 birds, 1300 butterfly species and 74+ reptile species

What can I see in Sandoval Lake?

What activities can I do in Tambopata Reserve Zone?

The Tambopata Reserve Zone is open to all kinds of great activities. One of the Tambopata facts that a lot of people listen to and enjoy is they should visit the Canopy tower. This is an amazing place which is 100 feet high. As a result, you get to have a very good panoramic view of the park. If you’re not afraid of heights, then the Tambopata Reserve Zone is definitely something you need to keep in mind. Since you’re that high, you can also see various monkeys, parrots and toucans.

There are night tours too, which are basically night walks that further enhance your Tambopata Reserve Zone experience. You can find stick bugs, tarantulas and other animals that are not that prone to be seen during the day.

Check the clay lick too, as Macaws are very common there and they are a sight to behold. There’s also the Wired Amazon Citizen Science Project that helps you connect with the current scientific research taking place in the region. Through this program you can go to the treetops, find new insects or check on various mammals. It’s a cool way to connect with the region, while also immersing yourself into the entire location.

The Sunset Cruise is an interesting option because you can have amazing rainforest views, and you can also browse the Tambopata Reserve Zone in a much easier, safer manner. It’s also the best way to watch the Amazon sunset. It’s even possible to connect with the indigenous culture, this is something exciting and very different to anything else you can find in the region.

What medicine should I take for Tambopata?

Ideally, you want to have some basic vaccinations already taken care of before you go to the Tambopata Reserve Zone. Some recommend taking malaria medication, because this is a malaria-prone region. Also, mosquitoes can be a problem, so anti-mosquito medication is extremely helpful here, since you never know what you can expect and what problems can arise. Talking with your doctor and letting him know is a good idea, since he might give you some guidelines. Generally, you should be fine without medication. Yet if you have sensitive skin or anything like that, then it’s a very good idea to be prepared beforehand..

What to Pack on a Trip to Tambopata?

Preparing your Tambopata trip is not that challenging. It’s all a matter of having the right tools and items you need for such an interesting trip. Usually, you will need:

• A rain suit

• Sandals/slippers

• A small daypack

• Insect repellent

• Sunglasses

• A broad brimmed hat

• Sunblock lotion

• Flashlight or headlamp

• Hiking boots or sneakers

• Cotton shirts with a lighter color

• Camera gear

• Binoculars

• Cotton pants

Conclusion

As you can see, visiting the Tambopata national park is a very good idea because you have a whole lot of stuff to do and things to see. It’s important to visit such an incredible location because there are so many amazing sights and activities to enjoy. On top of that, it helps you reconnect with nature at a personal level.

In addition, many of the plants and wildlife in this region can’t be found in other locations, so visiting Tambopata is an amazing time and an unforgettable experience. You should consider enrolling in a Tambopata tour today if you want to browse and enjoy this incredible location the way it should be visited!

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