The Andean Cock-of-the-Rock (Rupicola peruvianus) is the strikingly-beautiful, national bird of Peru.
Here are some facts about this idiosyncratic species … and where to find them.
Wattled Curassow
Van Eeden & Duijnhouwer Testimonial - Gran Vilaya & Tambopata
Read the thoughts of an Anglo-US-Dutch couple who travelled to Peru in 2018.
PeruNorth arranged two sections of their trip:
an off-the-beaten-path Chachapoyas trek.
a classic Southern Peruvian Amazon jungle lodge.
Here is what they say:
Amazon Cuisine - Juanes
Juanes is a traditional dish widely consumed throughout the Peruvian Amazon, especially the High Amazon.
It is designed for travelling: pre-cooked food that is wrapped in a leaf, normally from the endemic Cachibou tree (Calathea lutea) - known locally as bijao - which acts as a picnic box for the contents. The leaf also infuses the food with a subtle, but distinctive flavour.
11 Best Amazon Experiences
Lagunas - The 'Other' Gateway to Pacaya-Samiria
Like Iquitos, Santiago de Lagunas (to give the full name) is a jungle town founded by missionaries, in the Amazonian province of Loreto; and like Iquitos, it is a jumping-off point for visiting the surrounding rainforest, especially the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve.
But, even though Lagunas is nearly 100 years older than Iquitos, having been founded in 1670 by a priest, Juan Lorenzo Lucero, it has a fraction of the population and receives a fraction of the visitors.
Amazon River Dolphins
A natural highlight of an Amazon cruise or lodge stay in Loreto is the interaction with Amazon River Dolphins (Inia geoffrensis), known in Spanish as boto or bufeo.
Mototaxis: The Amazon Jungle Transport
When thinking of movement in Amazonia, river transport probably comes to mind. Being home to the longest river in the world, with countless tributaries, it is certainly true that a myriad boats - ranging from dugout canoes to narrow peke-peke speedboats to luxury cruise ships - ply the waterways, carrying people and supplies.
And yet, when you step out of the airport in Iquitos, Tarapoto, Pucallpa, or any city in Peru's Amazon, you will be struck by the sight - and sound - of another form of transport: the mototaxi, which will generally outnumber cars by at least five to one.
Fitzcarrald: The Legendary Rubber Baron
Carlos Fitzcarrald was born to an Irish-American father and Peruvian mother in 1867, and raised in the city of Iquitos, which became the heart of the Rubber Boom.
Venturing deep into the Amazon in the 1890s, Fitzcarrald discovered a trove of rubber trees in the region of Madre de Dios that now holds Manu National Park.
Matses Trek
PeruNorth is delighted to be able to announce the opportunity to visit the remote Matses National Reserve on a remarkable 12-day journey, during which adventurous clients will be able to catch a glimpse of the unique lifestyle of the private Matses indigenous people, as well as enjoy the bountiful flora and fauna of this unspoilt corner of Amazonia.
New Addition to Historic Boat Museum - B.A.P America
Since December 2015, the Historic Boat Museum of Iquitos has had a highly significant addition to her armada: the second oldest gunboat in the world, B.A.P. America.
Built in Birkenhead, England in 1904, in order to serve in Peru’s Amazon flotilla, she measures 41 m (135 ft) in length and 6 m (20 ft) in width.
Visiting an 'Indigenous' Village - Good or Bad?
We recently received a comment from clients saying that 'a visit to an Indian community ... left us feeling rather uncomfortable: they performed a dance and then sold us trinkets, but we felt quite ambivalent about the whole set-up'. The community in question was that of an Amazonian tribe, the Yagua, visited as part of the Ceiba Tops - and many other Amazon lodge - itineraries.
In this blog, we examine the pros and cons of these visits.