Puerto Maldonado

Puerto Maldonado is the main city of the Departemant of Madre de Dios, Peru. The city itself has not too many tourist attractions, but it is the starting point for jungle trips.

Get in

By Air

To get to Puerto Maldonado, one usually must travel from Lima - Cusco first before reaching the Padre Aldamiz (PEM) airport in Puerto Maldonado. Since domestic flights in Peru change to much, its useless to recommend carriers however the most reliable seem to be LanPeru, Tans Peru, and Aerocondor. Commerical flights in and out of Puerto Maldonado are almost always in the morning or early afternoon. The phone number at the airport is +51 084-571531.

Make sure to have your Yellow Fever Vaccination Card on you; local officials often ask for it even though it may or may not be "officially" required.

By Land

I hope you aren't busy for a few weeks, because the road to Puerto Maldonado from Cusco is very time consuming (and treacherous) during the wet season. In the dry season, however, you can actually reach Puerto Maldonado from Cusco in a few days. Some lodges, including Wasai, even offer mountain biking tours from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado. This trip, however, is not for the casual beginner; its a serious trek for serious athletes.

By Water

You can reach Puerto Maldonado from either the Tambopata or Madre de Dios rivers, but this is not likely for tourists.

Get around

If you've booked a stay at one of the jungle lodges (Wasai, Sandoval, Posadas, etc) your guide will most likely meet you at the airport holding a sign with the lodge's name on it. They will transport you in van to the river (Puerto Tambopata) to wherever you are going (by boat)

If you are staying in town, taxis almost outnumber everyone else in Puerto Maldonado, so getting around the town in fairly simple. Motorcycle-driving taxis will take you anywhere you want to go, and the most likely destinations (airport - plaza de armas, airport - Puerto Tambopata, or airport - hotel) will cost you between 5 - 10 soles (about 3 dollars).

If you chose to rent a moped and ride around yourself, feel free. Motorcycle rentals are everywhere in town and cost by the hour.

See

Most of Puerto Maldonado's visitors use the town as a launching point, but if you are staying for a day or to make sure to see the following:

Plaza de Armas. The main square in Puerto Maldonado is much like the main squares all throughout South America. Great for picture taking, eating ice cream, or just sitting around.
Confluence of the Tambopata and Madre de Dios rivers. This is in the eastern-most part of town, next to the government buildings, and has a lovely courtyard great for picture taking.
Lumber yard. Although this sounds silly, those interested in tropical conservation won't want to miss this first hand look at the economic drivers behind deforestation.
Market. Here you can buy everything from a side of beef to Led Zeppelin cd's. This flea market is pretty cool.
Zoo. Yes, Puerto Maldonado has a modest zoo complete with local fauna, including a jaguar.

Do

The relatively close Tambopata reserve park is famous for its great biodiversity but not even cheap to visit since you need a permit to enter. If you just want to see how jungle looks, you can do that outside the park much cheaper in the Tambopata Candamo Reserved Zone.

Jungle Lodges

Many jungle lodges in the surrounding area offer complete tour programs. Some of the available lodges are as follows:

Wasai Lodge This excellent lodge is located about 4 1/2 hours up the Tambopata river.
Amazona Posadas Located adjacent to the Tampopata Research Center, this lodge has access to one of the largest macaw clay licks in the world. Owned and operated by the Ese’eja tribe, this is a very popular lodge. From the airport in Puerto Maldonado, you'll take a bus or taxi about thirty minutes to the native community Infierno, where you'll transfer to a boat for an hour long trip up the Tambopata before reaching the lodge.
Sandoval Lake Lodge This one is very special because it is located on the beautiful oxbow Lake Sandoval, and is very comfortably accomodated with hot water, electricity, fabulous meals, and superb guides. Plus, it is only approximately 30 minutes by boat to the 5 km trail which leads to the lake, unlike most of the other lodges which need to be hours away from town in order to see wildlife. Its location on the lake (as opposed to the river) insures excellent wildlife views including the Giant Otter, Black Caimen, about a dozen species of primates, and tremendous avian variety, including the facinating Hoatzin.
Mejia Family Lodge If a backbacker's stay is more your style and/or budget, try this place. They are located about 1 km from Sandoval Lake Lodge and rent their bungalow style rooms (meals included) considerably cheaper than Sandoval.
Cusco Amazonico Lodge This one is located downriver on the Madre de Dios at about 12 miles (about 45 minutes).
Explorers' Inn This wonderful lodge is 58km up the Tambopata river from Puerto Maldonado.

Private Tours

For small groups that like to do an individual jungle tour, it may be a good idea to contact local guides that do not work with lodges. This is a less expensive alternative to the organized tours offered by lodges.

Local guides

Arturo Balarezo works as a local jungle guide. He has grown up in this area and knows a lot about animals, plants and life in the jungle. Besides Spanish, he speaks reasonable English and some Hebrew. His big goal are individually shaped tours for small groups (2-6 persons) that give you a very good feeling how life in the jungle looks like. Don't expect a fully organized trip (for that, go to a lodge) and be prepared to some improvisation.

Address: (He lives in the old city on the river banks, where streets have neither names nor house numbers.) Following his advertising flyer, the address is: Prolungation Av. Cajamarca, baja el hospital, en frente de Pro Naturaleza (engl.: Prolongation of Av. Cajamarka, below the hospital, opposite Pro Naturaleza)

Contact: Ask in a small travel agency called Luly Tours, Av. Leon Velarde 620 (the main street), phone 572431 or in the Hotel Wilson.

Costs: 100 Soles (30 US$) per person and day, all inclusive.

Buy

Laundry. If your clothes are wet, dirty, and disgusting, and you can't take it any longer, drop by one of the many laundry services in town (there's one on Leon Velarde). They charge by the kilo, but they'll wash all your clothes for a very fair price.
Miscellaneous. Did you forget something? Camera batteries, perhaps? How about feminine hygiene products, guitar strings, sunblock, or some sugar-coated brazil nuts? No problem. There are dozens of shops up and down Leon Velarde, especially at the river bank (Puerto Tambopata) where you can pick up pretty much anything you would ever need.

Eat

Chez Maggy, in the main Plaza.

Drink

Club Waititi. There is something about a Peruvian disco that makes South American travel worthwhile. Get completed bombed at this club. Don't stay out too late, though. Taxis get hard to find after midnight, and trying to explain to them where you are staying is pretty tricky after about ten beers, especially if you can't remember the name of your hotel. If this happens, just go back in the club. They stay open until about 5:00 in the morning, anyway.

Sleep

Budget

Hotel Bahia, Between 4 an 6 US$, with or without private bath, some rooms are rather noisy.

Hotel Wilson, Between 4 an 6 US$, with or without private bath, safe and clean.

Tambo de Oro, Between 2-4 US$, without private bath. Safe and clean as you can expect, but this "house of gold" won't offer you much else. Great place if you aren't too picky and are on a budget.

Contact

Internet Access. There are several places in town that offer internet access by the hour. Be cautious, however, recent travellers report that the only service was dial up, and it ran extremely slow (14 - 30 kbps, on average).