National Parks

 Parque Nacional de Cutervo

It was the first Peruvian national park created in 1,961. It protects a group of caves where a bird called "guácharo" (steatornis caripensis) lives. This bird is unique in South America, and can be found in others parks of Peru (Tingo María), as well as in Venezuela. The most known cave is Cueva de San Andrés in the Cordillera de Tarros mountains mixed between transparent brooks and impressive ravines.

 In its 2,500 hectares we can also find other animal species like bats, huanganas (mammal), pumas, spectacled bears, owls, spiders, frogs and the pava de monte (bird). About plants, there are a great variety of timber trees and a good selection of orchids, that in most cases, act as a covering for the pre-inca archaeological remains found there. The last years have been decisive for this area due to the indiscriminated cutting down of the nearby forests, making the "guácharo" to enter to the animals-in-extinction list.

 Traveller´s information:

 Location: San Andrés district, province of Cutervo in Cajamarca (northern Peru).
Altitude: 2,200 - 3,500 masl
When to go: May - October (dry season). Average temperature: 13°C.
Access: By land: Cajamarca - Bambamarca - Chota - Cutervo - San Andrés de Cutervo or Chiclayo - Cutervo - San Andrés de Cutervo. By air, Lima - Chiclayo and then by road.
Lodging: Basic accomodation in San Andrés and Cutervo. Better in Cajamarca and Chiclayo.
Requirements: If travelling by scientific purposes, you need an special permission from INRENA (Instituto Nacional de Recursos Naturales). All visitors are subject of strict rules to protect the biodiversity there. Entry fee.
Others: Not necessary to use a guide. Locals can help you.

Parque Nacional de Tingo María

Known as Cueva de las Lechuzas, the main attraction of this park has a wrong name which means "Cave of Owls" but in fact it should be "Cueva de los Guácharos" because of the great colony of them that live inside it. Same as Cutervo national park, this place protects the community of guácharos (steatornis caripensis) and other different birds.

In this park of 18,000 hectares there is a protected hill called Bella Durmiente (Sleeping Beauty) that seen from the city of Tingo María seems like a green woman who rests in the forests near the Huallaga river. In its base we find the Cueva de las Lechuzas, which is a cave of 40m of height with four known halls. Inside is possible to view a lot of stalactite and stalagmite formations which have been named by locals. The birds sounds are impressive and there is a river coming out from the cave.

Traveller´s information:

 Location: Tingo María (province of Leoncio Prado) in Huánuco.
Altitude: 650 - 800 masl
When to go: From May to October in the dry season. Days are hot (30°C+/-) and humid. Cool nights.
Access: By land: Tingo María - park (25min) or Huánuco - Tingo María - park (2h30min). By air: Lima - Huánuco -Tingo María (1h30m).
Lodging: Hotels in Tingo María and Huánuco.
Requirements: If travelling by scientific purposes, you need an special permission from INRENA. All visitors are subject of strict rules to protect the biodiversity there. Entry fee.
Others: Camping is possible at the park, talk first to guardaparques. Use a repellent. Guides available. Recently, has been built a wood trail inside the cave. Do not forget your lantern!! Possible to make the return trip to Tingo María by boat (recommendable!!).

 Parque Nacional del Manu

This park is reknowned as a "Natural Heritage of Humankind" and "Biosphere´s Reserve" by the Unesco. It is a formidable place for watching the nature in its greatness. Millions of species are "displayed" here among reptiles, birds (1,000+ species), fishes, monkeys (13 species), mammals and felines. The flora (20,000+ species) is also exhuberant, for example, in one hectare there has been found more than 250 tree´s species. All these facts make the Manu national park to be the most biodiverse one in the world.

 Created in 1973, Manu is the biggest national park in Peru. With an area of 1'532,806 hectares it protects all the flora and fauna communities of the south-eastern rainforest. In its lands are settled some ancient native tribes like the Machiguenga, Mashco Piros, Amahuacas, Wachipaeri and Kugapakori, which are also protected. There is a Biological Station called Cocha Cashu where all the scientists from all over the world stay for months and is also an important spot in the park.

 Traveller´s information:

 Location: Paucartambo and Manu provinces, in Cusco and Madre de Dios respectively.
Altitude: 4,000 (highlands area) to 240 masl (rainforest and main area).
When to go: From May to October (dry season). Days are hot and raining, fresh nights. Lot of mosquitoes!
Access: By land, Cusco - Paucartambo - Shintuya (10-12 hours dirt road) or Cusco - Paucartambo - Atalaya (8-9 hours dirt road), then continue by boat to Boca Manu (8 hours) and from here to the Manu park (8 hours). By air, take a plane from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado (30min) and then to Boca Manu (30min). Here take a boat to the park.
Lodging: There are some lodges in the Zona Reservada of Manu national park. Basic hotels in Boca Manu and some others in the land way from Cusco.
Requirements: If travelling by scientific purposes, you need an special permission from INRENA. All visitors are subject of strict rules to protect the biodiversity there. Entry fee.
Others: Guided tours in the area, make groups to avoid great numbers!!

 Parque Nacional Huascarán

The paradise of climbers in South America and surely an special place in the world. That is this beautiful park crowned with a lot of snowcapped mountains that make the longest tropical range in the world, the Cordillera Blanca. No other place in Peru and the Americas has so many nature attractions for the adventurers. In its 340,000 hectares we can go climbing, trekking, horse riding, rafting, parasailing, hang gliding, fishing, MT biking, and a lot of other activities. We can hike between marvelous mountains and colorful lakes (more than 200 lakes) for days and feel the loneliness of this paradise.

 But this paradise is also composed by archaeological remains, which are spreaded along its border with the Santa valley. It has an special flora like the million-flowered plant Puya Raimondi, which reachs heights of more than 10 metres and lives near a century. Nowadays in danger of extinction, as well as some fauna living in the park like duckbirds, spectacled bears and pumas. That is why this park was chosen as a "Natural Heritage of Humankind" and "Biosphere´s Reserve" by the Unesco. An ecotravel spot by nature, the Huascarán national park receives its name from the highest peak of Peru located there (6,768m). Wandering by the area we will find the most beautiful mountain in the world, the Alpamayo (Munich World Exhibition) and peaks like the Huandoy, Pisco, Vallunaraju, Tunsho, Rurimachay, Pucaraju, etc.

 Traveller´s information:

 Location: Recuay, Huaraz, Carhuaz, Yungay and Huaylas provinces in Ancash.
Altitude: 3,500 - 6,768 masl (top peak of Peru: Huascarán).
When to go: May to September, specially in June (dry season). Sunny days and cold nights
Access: By road from Lima (7h) or Trujillo (10h) to Huaraz, or by dirt road from Casma (7h). Huaraz is located at the feet of the national park. Entrances by the Lake LLanganuco (1h) or Sector Carpa (1h30m) (near Pastoruri). Access is possible by other ravines and lakes. Starting point for climbers or hikers is usually 4 hours from Huaraz.
Lodging: The best hotels are located in Huaraz. Basic ones in the towns along the Callejón de Huaylas (Santa valley). There are some basecamps and refuges in the national park.
Requirements: If travelling by scientific purposes, you need an special permission from INRENA. If go for climbing, you must have an authorised guide and must register with the park managing. High skills in climbing and first aids are required for andinism expeditions. All visitors are subject of strict rules to protect the biodiversity there. Entry fee.
Others: If going only for trekking, ask for maps and trail recommendations. First acclimatize one or two days before your hiking. You can visit some areas of the park by road/bike or take a tour from any agency located in Huaraz.

 Parque Nacional Cerros de Amotape

Known as "Reserva de Biósfera del Noroeste" this national park was declared by the Unesco as a "Biosphere´s Reserve" with Coto de Caza El Angolo and the Bosque de Tumbes. This park is an equatorial dry forest, a unique environment in Peru and the best sample worldwide. It has an extension of 91,300 hectares. Its fauna and flora is varied. There are plenty of trees (100 species) like the algarrobo, palo santo, ceibo, gualtaco and sapote and flowers like orchids. Fauna species like the crocodile of Tumbes, deers, wildcats, jaguars, nutria del noroeste, anteaters, birds and condors.

 Traveller´s information:

 Location: Sullana and Contralmirante Villar provinces in Piura and Tumbes respectively.
Altitude: 100-1,500 masl
When to go: Nearly all the year, but best between July to November. Hot days, fresh nights. Tropical weather.
Access: By road 4 hours from Sullana. By air, Lima - Piura (1h) and by bus to Sullana (30min). Other access by Panamerican highway to Tumbes, way to Bocapán - Casitas - Huásimo (2h30m).
Lodging: Hotels in Sullana and Piura. Camping possible at the park.
Requirements: If travelling by scientific purposes, you need an special permission from INRENA. All visitors are subject of strict rules to protect the biodiversity there. Entry fee.
Others: A guide and car is recommendable, maybe essential.

Parque Nacional Río Abiseo

Another spot recognised as a "Natural Heritage of Humankind" because of its natural and archaeological richness. It was created to protect the Cloud Forests ecosystem and the mono choro de cola amarilla (lagothrix flavicauda), a kind of monkey in extinction that was "rediscovered" in 1974. The "Gran Pajatén" is a great archaeological site which is said to be ten times bigger than Machu Picchu. Stone-built and decorated with human and animal wood figures at the frontis, this fortress is so impressive and hard to find in the forest.

 The Abiseo has an area of 274,520 hectares and the flora species are classified in more than 1,000, which 13 are new to science and 50 unidentified. Fauna: 132 species of birds, 15 species of amphibians and nearly 10 species in extinction and threatened situation like taruca, condor, spectacled bear, loro pecho naranja and pato cabeza castaña. In total we can find 36 archaeological sites, which are located in a range of 2,500-4,000masl.

 Traveller´s information:

 Location: Province of Mariscal Cáceres in San Martín.
Altitude: 320 - 4,200 masl
When to go: May - September (10-12 days minimum). Temperature: 4-5°C (highlands), 18-23°C (lowlands).
Access: By road, Trujillo - Huamachuco - Chagual - Pías and then by walking or pack mule to Chigualen - Puerta del Monte (park station). From here you need a trekking day to reach the Gran Pajatén. By small plane from Trujillo to Chagual and then the similar route as above. For "tourists" is better to travel from Tarapoto (San Martín).
Lodging: Nearest basic place is Huamachuco. Camping possible.
Requirements: If travelling by scientific purposes, you need an special permission from INRENA. You are hardly encouraged to have a guide and consider it as a serious expedition. All visitors are subject of strict rules to protect the biodiversity there. Entry fee.
Others: Try to have good maps and all the necessary equipment for these kind of trips.

Parque Nacional Yanachaga-Chemillén

This park was created to protect the ecosystem of the eastern Andes slopes that belongs to the area of the pleistocen Ucayali-Pachitea. It also preserves the high basins of rivers Palcazú and Huancabamba-Pozuzo. Near the park is the Yanesha Communal Reserve which is a place that protects an ancient native community (known as Yaheshas or Amueshas).

 In the 122,000 hectares of this park we can explore the different fauna and flora and reach the high areas where we can see the eastern and western slopes of the Andes ranges. It really offers one of the best views in the Peruvian Andes. The richest area of the park is in the cloud forest where orchids, uña de gato or cat´s claw (uncaria tomentosa) and sangre de drago can be found. The "favourite" animal of these forest is the spectacled bear (tremarctos ornatus) within a group of 100 mammals and 456 species of birds available there.

 Traveller´s information:

 Location: Oxapampa province in Pasco.
Altitude: 4,000 - 200 masl
When to go: May to October (dry season). Sunny days, fresh nights.
Access: By road: Lima - La Oroya - La Merced - Oxapampa (12h). From here by walking, dirt road or mule.
Lodging: Medium-basic in Oxapampa, best in Tarma. Camping possible.
Requirements: If travelling by scientific purposes, you need an special permission from INRENA. All visitors are subject of strict rules to protect the biodiversity there. Entry fee.
Others: Talk with guardaparques about different trekking and watching routes.

 Parque Nacional Bahuaja-Sonene

Bahuaja-Sonene is the last park created in Peru (1995). These are the names of the rivers Tambopata and Heath in the Ese'eja native language. The Ese'ejas are a native ancient ethnical group who lived there for centuries and now they are near to extinction. This fact and its remarkable biological quality made the Bahuaja-Sonene to be established. In this park have been registered more than 2,000 vascular plant species, 1,200 buterfly species, 1,000 different birds, more than 100 species of mammals and unknown species of reptiles, amphibians, fishes and insects (73 horsefly sp., 29 beetlees sp., 150+ dragonfly sp.).

 The area of this park -1 million of hectares approx.- includes the former Santuario Nacional Pampas del Heath (102,109 h)and a great part of the Zona Reservada Tambopata-Candamo, originally with a surface of 1'478,942.5 hectares (which once included the old Zona Reservada de Tambopata of 5,500 h). Like Manu national park, this place is one of the most biodiverse zone in the planet. It is also the best place for scientific studies in the tropics area because of its species diversity without any parallel in our world. We hope this explosion of life can go on for more centuries as the Ese'ejas people has survived until today.

 Traveller´s information:

 Location: Tambopata (Madre de Dios), Sandia and Carabaya provinces (Puno).
Altitude: 2,000 - 200 masl.
When to go: May - October (dry season). Hot and sunny days.
Access: By boat: From Puerto Maldonado, 4-8 hours upriver by the Tambopata to the villlages of Infierno, Filadelfia, Baltimore or Astillero. By air: Cusco - Puerto Maldonado (30min) and then the same route by boat.
Lodging: There are several lodges near Puerto Maldonado and along the rivers.
Requirements: If travelling by scientific purposes, you need an special permission from INRENA. All visitors are subject of strict rules to protect the biodiversity there. Entry fee.
Others:Try to go to the former Zona Reservada de Tambopata, near Pto. Maldonado, worth a visit (60km, 3h). For the park use a guide, some scientists will do it for you (in groups).