Sandoval Lake in Puerto Maldonado

After arriving in Puerto Maldonado (keep in mind that the flight ticket is not included in this package) you will be transferred from the airport to the local port on the Madre de Dios river. Before we set off on the boat you will enjoy a breakfast served to you by a local family at their house. Afterwards we will cruise down the river by boat for about 25 minutes. Then we have a pleasant 1-1.5 hour trek through the forest to a small canal that connects to Sandoval Lake. A small canoe will take us along this canal for 15 minutes, during which you will drift through a flooded forest while being surrounded by 100 ft (30 m) tall Mauritia palms.

At the end of the canal we will enter into Sandoval lake, continuing by canoe for another 15 minutes until we arrive at the lodge. Here we will enjoy a delicious dinner at around 6:00 – 7:00 pm. A short night walk will follow dinner, where we can see what roams the forest in the night. We can hope to encounter a variety of animals, including some tarantulas!

Max Altitude: 590 ft (180 m) above sea level
Overnight stay at the Sandoval Lake Lodge

On the second day we start bright and early at 5:00 am to explore some of what Sandoval Lake has to offer. Bring your binoculars! Around the lake we can spot a variety of beautiful birds and listen to the wonderful sounds they make. If we are lucky, we might even see some monkeys in action! After about 2 hours of taking in some sights around the lake, we will head back to the lodge for a nice breakfast. Afterwards, you will have a bit of free time to relax.

We will then go out for a hike that will last for about 2-2.5 hours. We will be walking in the sahdow of huge trees and have more chances to see some local birds and learn about some of the medicinal plants of the area. On this trek we will be learning more about what the local nature has to offer.

After our trek we will come back for lunch at the lodge and then have about 1.5 hours of free time. At around 4:30 pm, we will again venture out onto the lake by boat in search of Rio Giant Otters, Black Caimans, Turtles, Herons, Cormorants, Kingfisher, and the prehistoric bird, the Shansho (Hoatzin).

Max altitude: 460 ft (140 m) above sea level
Overnight stay at the Sandoval Lake Lodge

We will rise early in the morning again for 4:30 am breakfast. After enjoying our meal, we will travel out to the surroundings of the lake where we will find a large number of palm trees growing in the water. With the palms growing like this, a swamp area, called Palpa Collpa, is created and it invites a whole slew of different animals. Among these are several species of macaws and other parrots that come to enjoy the fruits of the palm trees, called wuallo. Wuallo is a good source of sodium, calcium, potassium, and other minerals that assist these birds with their digestion.

From Palpa Collpa, we will continue by canoe back to the canal that brought us to Sandoval Lake. From there, we will hike for about 1-1.5 hours to a checkpoint where will will transfer into a boat and travel for approx. 40 minutes down the Madre de Dios river back to Puerto Maldonado. Once in town, we will enjoy a lunch with a local family at their house. Afterwards, we will say our goodbyes and can transfer you to the airport.

Max altitude: 590 ft (180 m) above sea level