Pure Amazon 3 Nights – High Water Season

A warm welcome in Nauta

Your gateway to Amazonia is the bustling port city of Iquitos – the largest mainland metropolis in the world that can only be reached by air and river, not by road. From there it is a 1 hour 45-minute drive with your guide to Nauta, a remote town on the banks of the Marañón River, where you are welcomed aboard Pure Amazon, an A&K Sanctuary.

Once checked in, relax in the Explorer’s Lounge as you are briefed about the next day’s activities and, time and energy levels permitting, dine in the restaurant on innovative dishes prepared by talented onboard chefs.

Your scenic introduction to the Rainforest

If you wish, set out at sunrise (between 5.30am and 6.20am, depending on the time of year) on a birdwatching adventure by skiff in the area around Nauta Caño, a creek known for its wildlife, dense vegetation and mirror-like “blackwater”. This is a hotspot for early-morning bird activity, and you might spot black-collared hawks, flamboyantly colored tanagers and oropendolas – large birds with a long tail which is at least partially bright yellow.

After breakfast onboard Pure Amazon, set off by skiff around 9am. This time, you might head to Yanayacu Pucate – one of the most beautiful tributaries in Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, an 8,000-square-mile protected area. Camera at the ready, look out for wildlife which might include squirrel monkeys, tamarins (another small primate) and iguanas, a type of lizard, or try your hand at fishing for piranhas on a catch and-release basis.

After lunch, wait until 3pm (when the heat begins to subside) before exploring Yanayaquillo – a quiet stream overhung by trees and home to myriad birds and animals. Paddle along its narrow creeks in a double, sit-on kayak, or board a skiff to observe wildlife pointed out by your guide, starting in daylight and ending in darkness. When the light fades, see the reflective eyes of caimans glowing in the beam of a spotlight, or look out for night monkeys and insects.

End your evening with a recap of today’s triumphs and a look ahead to the following day, followed by dinner and, weather permitting, stargazing before bed.

Meet the “river people” of Nueva Arica village

Leave Pure Amazon early to visit Nueva Arica – a welcoming riverside village where water levels vary by 30 feet depending on the season. Meet local people, learn how they adapt to life in the low- and high-water seasons, visit their homes and see how A&K Philanthropy is supporting them in the innovative use of forest resources to derive a sustainable income. There are opportunities, too, for kayaking or swimming in calm blackwater with little or no current. In the afternoon, set out on a guided walk to the Samiria River, known as “the jungle mirror” because its smooth blackwater reflects the forest and sky all around it. On the way, your wildlife guide spots and shows you not just A-lister sloths, monkeys and birds but fascinating flora and smaller animals such as frogs, ants and spiders. Afterwards, return to Pure Amazon for your nightly debrief and a celebratory farewell dinner.

Your Amazonian adventure ends

After a final breakfast onboard as Pure Amazon returns to Nauta, disembark and relax in a comfortable vehicle en route to Formabiap, an educational project supported by A&K Philanthropy. There, around 200 young people from indigenous communities study to become teachers – honing their skills in both Spanish and their local language. After a musical welcome, learn about longhouse-building and participate in a spiritual cleansing session with an elder, then listen to a presentation on the use of medicinal plants.

Afterwards you are transferred privately to your hotel in Iquitos, or the airport.