Stories
Conquering Heights in the Canopy Tower at Tambopata Research Center
It’s lunchtime, and as if the forest is listening, the sounds change. The wildlife takes a nap too, as it’s the hottest time of the day. The playful sounds of parrots and macaws surround us, becoming the soundtrack to our meal looking forward to visiting the canopy tower at Tambopata Research Center
After a break, and waiting for the forest to cool down a bit, we set out to walk again. This time, our excursion is the new Canopy Tower.
Imagine being in one of the most remote lodges in the world, and now picture what it would be like to observe it from above.
Landscapes from the Tambopata River – Photo by Carlos Gonzales
Tambopata Research Center, inside the Tambopata National Reserve and in front of the Bahuaja Sonene National Park, continues to amaze us with its wonderful opportunities for wildlife observation and the breathtaking landscapes from the river. But what happens high up in the forest? That curiosity leads us to explore the new Canopy Tower.
Our guide awaits us at the entrance, gives us instructions, and the exploration begins. Walking through the forest is revitalizing inexplicably. Despite the heat and humidity, the contact with nature is overwhelmingly impressive. All my senses awaken; I run my hand over the freshly watered moss on the bark of a tree, take a deep breath, and a mix of pure scents fills my senses.
Connecting with nature – Photo by Carlos Gonzales
In the background, a symphony of parrots, macaws, other birds, insects, and occasionally monkeys engage in a well-orchestrated conversation. It feels like I’m inside one of the BBC documentaries or that the National Geographic photos come to life around me. By the way, a few of them were filmed just here.
After almost 40 minutes of walking through the forest, we climb a few staircases. The tower is on naturally elevated ground, surrounded by patches of bamboo, ancient trees, and a natural scarlet macaw nest. We walk a bit more and finally arrive.
I know Tambopata Research Center’s forest very well; I’ve been a guide in the area for many years and always find my happy place here. The forest can constantly surprise me, and I never tire of it.
Canopy Tower at Tambopata Research Center by Louis Guillot
The canopy tower is 30 meters high, and its structure is so well designed and developed by Architect Gengis Seminario and his team that the stability is impressive. There’s no sense of movement even if several people climb up at once.
Upon reaching the top, we are not only surrounded by an endless Amazonian forest but also on the other side of the tower, we can appreciate the Carabaya mountains of Puno. Our guide tells us that in winter, we might see the snow-capped peaks. I look over there and think: we are the last on this path, so close to that eminent mountain.
We stay for the sunset with a landscape that simply takes your breath away and fills you with an inexplicable energy.
Canopy Tower view at Tambopata Research Center by Louis Guillot
We return to the lodge through a new path. Monkeys, birds, and other forest creatures graciously escort us, ensuring they act as ambassadors of the forest.
We wash our boots and place them on the rack. With a heart full of emotions, we bid farewell to our guide for now until our next expedition, and all we can say is a big THANK YOU.
By Rocio Guzman
Banner photo by Louis Guillot
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What our guest say
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- Valuation Excellent
- 5/5
Jacob Shama May 2024
Yaacov May 2024
secaBoulder May 2024
Cecilia D May 2024
Andrea Breanna Apr 2024
A user Apr 2024
Niko Dietsch Apr 2024
Yuting C Apr 2024
Yuting Chen Apr 2024
Víctor Moscoso Apr 2024
Ari S March 2024
Dreamer627120 March 2024
The lodge is located in the middle of the forest accessible only by boat. The experience was very unique and exciting. Service is great, and the fun part are the nature activities and tours the hotel offers for free. We had an amazing tour guide that had a lot of knowledge and was fun to spend time with. The rooms are totally open to the forest which is really cool the struggle is the there is no privacy at all in between the rooms, also food was pretty basic. All together a very unique experience. Read all
This hotel is the perfect blend of comfort and hospitality, with the natural experience. The hotel is reached by a hours boat ride from Puerto Maldonado, expertly organized and accomplished. Most staff are members of the local Esa Ejja community. The food is good and plentiful. Hot water is always available and lovely bedding features mosquito nets. There is of course no air conditioning (one side wall is open in rach room) and the electricity is off for a few hours at night affecting overhead fans, so I was glad to have brought a small battery powered fan for sleeping. But the best of the experience is the wildlife. Our expert guide Oscar Mishaja introduced us to nearly 100 bird species, along with caimans, river otters, poison dart frogs and capybara. A trip of a lifetime. Read all
Excellent experience overall— really kind and welcoming staff at every point of the journey. All transfers were well organized and smooth. Excellent and educational excursions all around the rainforest. Delicious food for every meal. We had wonderful guides- Freet and Alvaro. Enjoyed our time here! Read all
We had a surreal experience at Refugio Amazonas. From the well organized transportation to the warm welcome, hospitality and the experience of living in nature - we loved it all. Huge shout out to our guide Boris who went out of his way to ensure we had a good experience and got to watch all kinds of wild life. The meals and cocktails were delicious. And even though this place is smack in the middle of the jungle there was super fast WiFi available. We made unforgettable memories. Read all
We had an amazing time in TRC. From the guide, tours, lounge staff, food and room, everything has exceeded our expectation and like an amazing dream came true. We highly recommend to directly book with the lounge website, so that you got a private guide for your group. Special thanks to our guide Saul, who made this experience extra special! We were so impressed by his knowledge about all the animals and the rainforest. Read all
We had an amazing time in TRC. From the guide, tours, lounge staff, food and room, everything has exceeded our expectation and like an amazing dream came true. This is the only lounge available in Tambopata national park, and this eco lounge takes environment seriously. We highly recommend to directly book with the lounge website, so that you got a private guide for your group. Special thanks to our guide Saul, who made this experience extra special! We were so impressed by his knowledge about all the animals and the rainforest. If you are a natural lover, you can’t miss this place Read all
Excellent and luxurious place, wonderful experience and our guide Boris was first class, he had a unique patience with my 8 year old son. An experience in the tropical rainforest that marks the life of its visitors. In addition to the scientific research that takes place in the place: a whole research center. Rooms: Very comfortable and luxuriou Read all
El mejor hotel para visitar la Amazonia peruana. Hotel eco turístico metido en medio de la selva, equipado para visitar y vivir la selva, su flora y fauna, en todas sus facetas. Todo incluido, con guías preparados y amables, resultó una experiencia increíble para mi familia. Dentro de las opciones no se debe perder el Canopy de 45 metros de altura para observar y escuchar la selva, así como el lago de las tres Chimbadas, lugar único para ver caimanes, nutrias gigantes, monos y aves exóticas. Recomiendo mínimo dos noches!!! Read all
Wunderbare lodge mit freundlichen Menschen. sehr persönliche guides, tolle Tourangebote und super kulinarische Verpflegung ! Wir wurden herzlichst von Caesar empfangen und unser guide JuanJo hat uns phantastische Dinge gezeigt. Wir können die lodge nur wärmstens empfehlen! Read all
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