Peru Guide : The Jungle > Pacaya Samiria National Reserve

P>The Pacaya Samiria National Reserve is the largest national park in Peru and measures almost 2,000,000 hectares in area. Although not at pristine as Manu, near Cusco, for example, the reserve still offers an excellent opportunity to see much wildlife, especially in the high water period, when the animals are forced onto a smaller area of land.

Although located some way from Iquitos, most people who visit the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve do so from here. There is an entry point from Nauta, which can be reached either by road or by boat, 200km upriver of Iquitos. There are no jungle lodges in the reserve, meaning that you must camp if you wish to visit the park and go with a private guide. This can be arranged through an agency in Iquitos. Alternatively, William Ahuanari (Jr. Piura 1072, T 251185) will arrange stays in native communities in the reserve and trips to see wildlife. A more comfortable, but expensive, way of visiting the park is on a cruise organised by Junglex. There is an $18 entry fee to the national reserve.

It can be rather expensive to visit the park from Iquitos due to the distance involved. Therefore, many people go to Lagunas independently, from where a guide can be found to take you into the park. Lagunas can be reached by travelling for two days upriver from Iquitos or one day downriver from Yurimaguas. It is also possible to arrange tours from Tarapoto, going via Yurimaguas and Lagunas. Cesar Reátegui at the Hotel La Patarashca in Tarapoto organises 8-day tours to the park from Tarapoto for around $350 per person.

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