Travel Tips: What to Do and When to Travel to Tambopata

Tambopata is a fascinating, complex destination. You could easily spend several weeks exploring the area’s beauty, culture, and wildlife! But few people have that much time when they first visit Tambopata. Here, we give you crucial travel tips on when to travel to Tambopata, and what to do once you’re there.

When To Travel To Tambopata

Tambopata is slightly seasonal, although this is nothing like the drastically different seasons you probably have back home. Tambopata’s Dry Season goes from April to November, although it does rain somewhat during this time. The rainiest months are January and February, but even then, travelers are rarely rained out.

• What are the pros of visiting in the Dry Season? There’s is very little chance that your activities will be affected by rain. Hikes will usually be drier and less muddy as well.
• What are the pros of visiting in the Wet Season? In the rainy season, Tambopata’s many Macaws are nesting, and visit the Clay Licks (see more info on Clay Licks further down on the page) much more. This gives you fantastic chances of seeing dozens of Macaws, and even seeing chicks and nests!  If you love Macaws, come between December and February, when nesting season is in full fledge.

What To Do in Tambopata

No one goes to the Amazon to stay inside the lodge, so it’s important to plan your top activities. Most lodge and tour providers, including our Rainforest Expeditions lodges, include activities in their per-night fees, so you get the whole package. In Tambopata, you don’t wake up and choose a path to take (that’s for Paris). Nor do you sit back and do nothing (that is for Cancun). Nor do you follow a single trail to reach a destination (that’s for the Inka Trail)!

Instead, in Tambopata, your lodge or tour provider offers a variety of activities you can choose from each day. Most of them should be included in your room fee. There are tons of activities to discover in Tambopata, and you can check them all out here. But you should stay in Tambopata for at least three nights, giving you time to experience the top sights.

Here are Tambopata’s Must-Do Activities:

• Visit an Oxbow Lake: Most oxbow lakes in Tambopata have wildlife like Hoatzin and Anhinga around the lake, Palm and Fig trees, and Piranhas inside of it. Tres Chimbadas Lake (near our Posada Amazonas lodge), Lake Sandoval, and Lake Cocococha also have families of Giant Otters living in them!
• See the View from a Canopy Tower or Walkway: Canopy towers and walkways are a key feature at some lodges, including our Posada Amazonas and Refugio Amazonas lodges. They really enrich your trip, giving you spectacular views of the rainforest stretching to the horizon. Canopy Towers are also amazing for birdwatching is great, providing close-up sightings of multicolored Tanagers, Toucans, and Parrots.
• Go to a Clay Lick: Clay Licks are exposed clay riverbanks that many birds and mammals visit. At the cliffs, the animals actually eat the clay, most likely to get more salt in their diets. Check out whether your lodge takes you to a Parrot Clay Lick, a Macaw Clay Lick, a Parakeet Clay Lick, or a lick that attracts a variety of animals. A number of lodges, including all of our Rainforest Expeditions lodges, have the most coveted Macaw Clay Licks nearby, and these also attract other species.
• Other Tambopata Activities: For a full list of activities available at our Tambopata lodges, check out our Jungle Activities page here!

What Else Should I Know About Tambopata Travel?

• Now that you’ve learned when to visit and what to do in Tambopata, maybe you’d like to know how to get there from your country, or how to visit during a longer Peru trip. Learn how to get to Tambopata here, and see maps of Peru and the area here!
• Tambopata is a fascinating region with its own history, culture, and ecology. Read all about Tambopata here!
• You might also be interested in learning more about the Tambopata National Reserve, the area’s most pristine stretch of rainforest. Check out more info on the Reserve here!
• Finally, Tambopata has become a top tourism destination due to its natural beauty and the rainforest’s incredible biodiversity. Discover some of Tambopata’s top wildlife here!