How to get from Cusco to the Peruvian Amazon
28 October 2023 (2067 visits)Nestled in the heart of the Andes, in southeastern Peru, Cusco is a city much more associated with highland attractions such as the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu than with trips to the Amazon. But, in fact, Cusco is a destination where you can enjoy a stay in the Andes mountains and appreciate the history, living culture and mountain scenery of Peru, while also being perfectly placed for a jungle trip.
The most accessible part of the Amazon from Cusco is the southern Amazon basin, which can be accessed via regular flights or by bus.
There is only one key access point to the southern Amazon: Puerto Maldonado. The jungle town of Puerto Maldonado can be reached by plane from Cusco in less than one hour. From Cusco, there are direct flights, and Puerto Maldonado can also be reached by air via regular flights from Lima, the Peruvian capital. Puerto Maldonado can also be reached by road from Cusco by private vehicle, hire car or shared car (‘colectivo’) services, or by night bus, arriving at around 7am at the Puerto Maldonado bus station.
From Puerto Maldonado, the best place to visit the Amazon basin and immerse yourself in untouched, protected primary rainforest is along the Tambopata River, where our Tambopata Ecolodge is located. We meet all our guests at Puerto Maldonado airport or the local bus station. And after some time spent at our office in town, where our guests are invited to leave in our care the luggage they won’t be needing during their time at our eco-lodge, we head out into the rainforest.
Travel from Puerto Maldonado to our jungle lodge on the banks of the Tambopata River is by vehicle as far as the river port, and then by boat on what is a fascinating and relaxing introduction to life in the Amazon rainforest, with plenty of chances to spot wildlife along the way, and to observe how the jungle changes as we leave behind human influence.
There is no more straightforward way to gain direct access quickly to primary jungle anywhere else in Peru than from our rainforest lodge on the banks of the Tambopata River. We are situated on the edge of Tambopata National Reserve, one of the most important and biologically diverse places for Amazon wildlife spotting and scientific study anywhere in South America. And it is in the National Reserve, as well as in our own Private Conservation Area, that we offer our guided ecotourism experiences to the travelers who come to stay with us in our rainforest home.
So, if you have just 3 or 4 days to spend in the jungle as part of your Peru vacation, and you want to see and experience as much as possible in that time, visit us and we’ll introduce you to the countless wonders of the Amazon basin!
