Manu National Park to Boca Colorado Base Camp Expedition 7 Days

Duration
Difficulty
Adventure
Walking Distance
Boating Distance
Boating Duration
Comfort
Accomm
Water Quality
Bugs?

7D6N
1.5 of 5
6 of 10
5km/3mi(opt)
243km/151mi
1-2 hrs/day
6 of 10
Lodge/Hammock
Excellent
Yes

Day 1    Cusco - Paucartambo - Atalaya
We will leave your hotel in Cusco at 7 am in our private van and drive towards the south of Cusco then to the east up the mountains through Huambutio ascending for 1.5 hrs then leveling off, passing by the Ninamarca burial towers where we will descend to the town of Paucartambo to stop for breakfast and coffee. We continue along the Mapacho River through Challabamba then up again through altiplano scrub bushes, pine and euclyptus trees reaching the Acjanaco Pass at 3,502 m (11,489 ft) where we begin our descent along switchbacks along the eastern slopes of the Andes into high jungle and the beginning of the Amazon. We will take a 30 mins break to walk along the birding-famous "Manu Road" in search of quetzals, trogons, woodpeckers and national bird "Cock of the Rock". After another 1 hr descent in our van we will reach the port town of Atalaya where we will have a typical dinner prepared by the locals and check in to our quaint hostal/lodge with provided mesh windows, twin sized beds with mosquito nets. Night in Hostal.

• Hotel Reception
• Private Transfer to Atalaya
• Cloud Forest Birding Walk
• Meals - LD
• Accommodation - Hostal/Lodge

Day 2    Lake Machuwasi - Shintuya - Shintuya Hot Springs - Shintuya Lodge
This morning after breakfast of either fruit salad, eggs or traditional fish soup we'll board our outboard motorboat and head down the Madre de Dios River to a trail (20 min walk) to an old oxbow lake called "Machuwasi". We'll explore this lake by paddling log rafts in search of hoatzins, social flycatchers, limpkins, oropedolas and cacique birds. We may also see capybaras hiding in the water hyacinth while crossing the lake to climb an observation tower. Afterwards we'll return to the river, board our boat and head further down to the community of Shintuya where we have a few minutes to explore, buy snacks or drinks and meet the locals. Another 20 mins downriver takes us to our lodge and hot springs. In the afternoon we can enjoy the hot springs or hike up to the waterfalls for swimming and cliff jumping. At night we can build a riverside bonfire at the beach and enjoy a private dip in the hot springs until the early hours of the morning. Night in lodge, bed with mosquito net.

• Motorboat Transfers (2.5 hrs)
• Lake Machuwasi
• Shintuya Community
• Hot Springs
• Waterfall Hike
• Meals - BLD
• Accommodation - Lodge

Day 3    Shintuya Clay Lick - Alto Madre de Dios River Campsite
Early this morning, depending on the weather we will leave early in our boat a few minutes downriver to dock at a trail which leads us up the hill to Shintuya's clay lick where we can watch white-eyed parakeets, blue-headed parrots, mealy parrots, yellow-crowned Amazons and military macaws congregate in flocks before landing to lick the clay. The negatively charged clay helps in digestion of an acidic, positively charged diet of fruits and nuts. Afterwards, we'll return to the river for breakfast then boat down the Mother of God River winding through a long braided section where we can find giant great herons, cormorans, egrets and black vultures. After 1.5 hrs in our boat we'll reach our campsite positioned between the river and a creek which is known for otter sightings. Your guide, captain and chef will set up camp including your private hammock and tarp sleeping quarters and both dining and kitchen mesh mosquito tents. After lunch is served we have the afternoon to paddle the creek in packrafts in search of otters, caimans, flycatchers and taricaya turtles or bushwhack through undisturbed forest in search of leaf-cutter ants, squirrel monkeys, massive termite mounds, colorful butterflies, coatis and other species. After dinner we can play cards and chat over tea in the mesh tent or build a fire on the beach. As night falls you can enjoy the wonderful sounds of nocturnal crickets, night birds and see bioluminescent insects flickering by your hammock. Night hammock camping.

• Motorboat Transfer (1.5 hrs)
• Shintuya Clay Lick
• Creek Rafting
• Nature Walks
• Night Walk Option
• Meals - BLD
• Accommodation - Hammock Base Camping

Day 4    Clay Lick - Cocha Limonal - Manu River Campsite
Early this morning we leave our campsite and boat downriver 15 mins to a pair of clay licks on the eastern cliffs over looking the Madre de Dios River. With any luck we can see the usual parrots and parakeets and possibly red and green macaws or blue and yellow macaws. After the show we will continue downriver 1.5 hrs to Boca Manu, a small community near the entrance to Manu's Reserve Zone. Here we can stop for snacks and cold drinks before we boat upriver reaching the Manu River where we continue further up to our campsite. There, we'll set up camp and have lunch in our spacious mesh dining tent. After lunch and into the late afternoon we'll bushwhack 1 km to the nearby Cocha Limonal lake carrying our packrafts (5 lbs each). At the lake we'll inflate our boats and spend a few hours paddling the lake in search of the wattled jacana, hoatzins, caimans, monkey species, rails, grebes, spix's and blue-throated piping guans and others. In the early evening we'll being our way back to our campsite where dinner will be waiting for us. At night we can return to the lake looking for nocturnal species with the possbilities of tapirs, peccaries, agoutis, night jars and potoos or paddle Cocha Limonal at night with lanterns which reflect off any watching eyes. As a group we will return to our campsite for a late night tea and conversation under the mesh tent or early to bed hammock relaxation. Night hammock camping.

• Motorboat Transfers (2 hrs)
• Madre de Dios Clay Licks
• Nature Walk
• Oxbow Lake Rafting
• Night Walk / Night Paddling
• Meals - BLD
• Accommodation - Hammock Base Camping

Day 5    Rio Blanco - Lago Blanco - Rio Blanco River Campsite
This morning after breakfast we'll take our boat downriver returning to the Madre de Dios River, passing Boca Manu and into a series of winding turns. The river meanders as the rate of descent now decreases. On the beaches we can find pairs of horned screamers and shore birds such as the pied lapwing and lesser yellowlegs. We also now begin to see new bird species soaring above us such as kites, greater yellow-headed vultures, capped herons, pairs of red and yellow macaws crossing the river and flocks of squawking blue and yellow macaws in the trees. We are also sure to see black skimmers who will threaten to dive towards us as they are very protective of their nearby young. After 1 hr of meandering the river we'll reach the Rio Blanco river where we will make a right turn and travel up 2 km to our next campsite situated between the Rio Blanco and Lago Blanco. After camp is set up we have options to relax, have a cool dip in the river, fish for piranhas or we can hike to the lake to explore using our packrafts. In the evening we'll have dinner at camp with options for a night walk, campfire or card games in the mesh tent with any rustling from any critters just within earshot. Night hammock camping.

• Motorboat Transfer (2 hrs)
• Nature Walk
• Oxbow Lake Rafting
• Meals - BLD
• Accommodation - Hammock Base Camping

Day 6    Rio Chilive - River Detour - Oxbow Lake Campsite
Today after breakfast we will continue down the Madre de Dios River. In addition to red and green macaws we have the chance to see caimans resting on the banks or spider monkeys swinging through the canopies. Soon we will pass the Chilive River confluence, a river which orginates and passes through the Amarkaeri tribal region. We will turn to the left and into a Madre de Dios River detour which is much more narrow and about 200 ft across. Along this stretch we can find wildlife which has escaped from the noise and boat activity of the main river. We will wind through 7 miles of this detour arriving back at the Madre de Dios until we reach an oxbow lake outlet channel where our capitan will carefully manuever our boat up and against the flow. After 20 mins of navigation we will arrive at our oxbow lake / canal campsite location where our crew will set up camp and prepare lunch. In the afternoon we can paddle this oxbow lake which is some 2.5 kms long and now offers a home for lower jungle species such as the wood stork, roseate spoonbill, anhinga, sungrebe, red-capped cardinals as well as mammal species such as the ocelot, sloth, tapir, capybara and repitles such as the boa constrictor, black caiman and taricaya turtle. In the afternoon we will return to camp for dinner followed by group activity under the mesh tent, night packrafting or simply relaxing in the hammock, bug-free while surrounded by colorful insect buzzing and night bird calls. Night hammock camping.

• Motorboat Transfer (2 hrs)
• Nature Walks
• Oxbow Lake Rafting
• Meals - BLD
• Accommodation - Hammock Base Camping

Day 7    Boca Colorado - Cusco or Puerto Maldonado
Today after breakfast we will boat a short distance (30 mins) passing the Puquiri River confluence, a river which flows out from a gold mining hot spot called "Huepetue" to arrive at the gold trading town of Boca Colorado. We will have an hour or more to explore the town, buy snacks, cold drinks or have a cold shower at the local hostal. Midmorning we will take a car to the Inambari River where we will cross by ferry to Puerto Carlos where our private van will be waiting to take us back to Cusco or Puerto Maldonado. During today's long car ride of 8 hours (to Cusco) we will be able to see the transition from lower jungle at 244 m (800 ft) to altiplano at Tinki near Ausangate at 4,435 m (14,550 ft) until we reach Cusco at 3,414 m (11,200 ft). We will return to your hotel in Cusco. * For those continuing from Boca Colorado to Laberinto we will stay the night in a local basic hostal in Boca Colorado while the crew replenishes gas and supplies.

• Motorboat Transfer
• Boca Colorado Town
• Inambari River Ferry
• Private Transfer - Lower Jungle to Altiplano
• Meals - BL