Manù National Park

From Cuzco you will have to travel 220km (minimum 10 hours by bus) towards Pilcopata, the gateway to Manù Park.

The Manù national park is divided into 3 zones:

• The national park (15320km²), completely preserved for the indigenous ethnic groups, some of whom have no contact with the modern world and maintain a "hunter-gatherer" lifestyle, such as the Yoras, Mashko-Piro, Matsiguenka, Harakmbut, etc.

Only a few agencies are licensed to take visitors to this part of the national park(Aecotur: Asociación de Empresas constituidas Operadores de Turismo al Parque Nacional del Manu). You should allow at least 7 days on site, as the area is much less accessible.

• The cultural zone (1200km²), where non-native populations live from various agricultural, forestry and fishing activities.

• The reserved zone (2570km²): where you can visit more easily over a few days, reserved for guided tourist activities and supervised research in the lower reaches of the Rio Manù between Pilcopata and Puerto Maldonado.

All the local tour operator agencies in the centre of Cuzco, Plaza de Armas or av El Sol offer this excursion, so you can compare offers and prices (from €300 to €800).

Don't be an arachnophobe or insectophobe if you want to explore the roads and rivers of Manù national park and the Amazon Basin in general, unless it's therapeutic!

Here's an overview of what you could see on a 4-day, 3-night trip.

Day 1: Depart Cuzco for Pilcopata via the cloud forest

The cloud forest is a high-altitude rainforest where you can spot the rock cockerel, the quetzal and, if you're lucky, the spectacled bear, as well as orchids, bromeliads and ferns...

Day 2: Pilcopata to Atalaya

From Atalaya, a river port, you will take a boat on the Madre de Dios River, surrounded by tropical jungle, to admire all kinds of birds, capybaras, monkeys and caimans...

Day 3: from Atalaya to Shintuya

Rafting and observation of the parrots feeding on the clay cliffs, as well as discovery of the waterfalls and hot springs.

Day 4: Shintuya - Atalaya- return to Cuzco

Return to Cuzco via Tres Cruces, a breathtaking panorama

Sailing along the Madre de Dios river, you can observe the wildlife: caimans, monkeys, Brazilian tapirs, jaguars, macaws, anacondas, spider monkeys, spectacled bears, American otters, Andean deer...

If you have chosen to travel alone, you will easily find small lodges between Pilcopata and Santa Rosa. Here are a few of them.

Manu Gallito de las Rocas

Av. Cusco s/n, Kosñipata, Pilcopata

Double room with breakfast, around €35

Oropendola Lodge Manu (Atalaya pilcopata, Pilcopata) has a terrace overlooking the river.

Double room with breakfast, around €30

Located in Shintuya, Shintuya hot springs (Shintuya, Santa Rosa) features a garden. The hostel has an outdoor pool, hot spring bath and shared kitchen.