3-Day Jungle Tour from Iquitos: Ecolodge and Monkey Island

This 3-day jungle tour from Iquitos is built around a stay at the Maniti ecolodge. You drive to the port of Nanay (Bellavista), where the Nanay meets the Amazon, then travel 70 km down the river by boat, around 2 hours, watching the banks for caimans, turtles, herons, snakes and pink dolphins.

Monkey Island, a short 15-minute hop from the lodge, shelters many monkey species in their natural habitat. Here you can hold large anacondas and boas and meet the rare mata-mata turtle. Back at camp there is dolphin watching, a swim with them if you are lucky, and a night walk looking for lizards, snakes and spiders.

The second day starts at sunrise on the river, followed by a boat excursion to watch animals, an afternoon of fishing for piranha and catfish, and a look at the Victoria regia, a giant among freshwater plants. After dark a canoe goes out to find caimans, and you can hold one and take photos.

On day three an early jungle hike looks for monkeys and birds and explains Amazonian plants, before a visit to a local native community and the transfer to the airport or hotel. Guiding in English and Spanish comes with the stay, along with rubber boots, fishing poles, a private room with bathroom, a swimming pool and two hammock rooms. Flights, a hotel in Iquitos and guide tips are left out.