Duration: 3 days / 2 nights
Price: 380 €
Highlights:

Paucartambo Colonial Town.
The Manu Biosphere Reserve.
The Cock-of-the-Rock dance
Woolly monkeys.
Visit to a parrot’s clay lick.
Exploration of a small ox-bow lake.
Jungle trekking to observe primary and secondary forests.
Bird-watching

Atalaya Tour

This three-day tour starts in Cusco and takes you through the breathtaking landscapes of the Andes into the lush Amazon jungle. On the first day, you ascend from Cusco to the Manu Biosphere Reserve, starting in the high Andes and descending into the cloud forest, a realm of misty tree canopies and vibrant wildlife, including Peru’s national bird, the Cock-of-the-Rock. Overnight is at a lodge in the cloud forest. The second day involves a boat journey from the fluvial port of Atalaya, exploring river confluences, a parrot’s clay lick, and the diverse ecosystems of the Amazon, including primary and secondary forests. The day ends at the Palmaceda lodge. The final day begins with a jungle walk and concludes with a return to Cusco, encapsulating an immersive experience in both Andean and Amazonian environments.

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Day 1: Cusco – Cloud Forest

You wake up early to leave Cusco and begin a winding ascent into the Andes. The road eventually winds down to the town of Paucartambo Colonial Town, where you will stop briefly to stretch your legs. Leaving Paucartambo you begin your ascent through eucalyptus groves, cultivated fields, and remnant patches of native vegetation. Forty minutes from Paucartambo you reach Acjanaco at 3,500 meter atop the Eastern Cordillera of the Andes. At this point you have entered the Manu Biosphere Reserve where you are above the clouds gazing below into the lush jungle of the Amazon. As you ascent down from Acjanaco, the baron Paramo starts to change to an elfin forest.

Here you will stop for lunch to admire the view. As you descend further into the cloud forest where the tree canopy covered by mist gives life to numerous epiphytes, moss, luscious green ferns and the kur-Kur (high land bamboo). This area is a natural playground for a vast number of birds. You make your way to an observation post where, with a little luck, you will be able to watch the fascinating dance of Peru’s National bird, the Cock-of-the-Rock and hopefully spot the Woolly monkey. We will spend the night in our lodge in Chontachaka.

Day 2: Chontachaka – Puerto fluvial de Atalaya

At dawn we shall walk aroun 30 min along Gallito Trail until Cock of The Rock watching point. The Cock of The Rock is the Peru national bird and, every morning, several specimens gather in the watching point. You can observe them and enjoy their movements on the top of the trees.

After that, we comeback to the lodge and have breakfast. Then we walk again, this time following Monkey Trail along which we will observe the rich biodiversity of the zone. Later, we walk until the Waterfall, where we will be able to swim. Comeback to lodge and lunch.

Then we will go by road until the small town of Atalaya. We will have the dinner in a local family’s house.

Day 3: Atalaya - Madre de Dios River

Before dawn, we start to sail river down by boat from Atalaya’s river port. We shall visit a parrot clay lick. We sail further river down and visit different point of natural interest, like the Machuwasi lake.

We comeback to Atalaya and have our lunch with the local family. Comeback to Chontachaka with a stop in Dos Loritos Animal Recovery Center.

After lunch, we shall take our last walk through the jungle. Leaving behind the cloudy forest, we'll go for the last part of our trip which takes us back to Cusco, the Inca capital.