The collpa
Macaws at dawn.
The Next Gen Scientist — CC BY 2.0 · Brian Ralphs — CC BY 2.0 · Geoff Gallice from Gainesville, FL, USA — CC BY 2.0 · Alvaro Becerra Figueroa — CC BY-SA 3.0
A vast stretch of Amazon rainforest in south-eastern Peru, made a national reserve in 2000, running from the Madre de Dios River to the Bolivian border. It is one of the most biodiverse places on Earth, with hundreds of bird species, jaguars, tapirs, spider monkeys and giant otters. Its most famous sight is the «collpa», a clay riverbank where flocks of parrots and red, blue and green macaws gather at dawn to eat the clay for its minerals. Hundreds of noisy birds on the bank is one of the finest sights in the Amazon. There are no roads inside the reserve, so you visit by staying at a lodge among the trees on the Tambopata River, reached by boat from Puerto Maldonado in one to several hours depending on distance. Programmes include day and night forest walks, canopy towers above the treetops and dusk boat trips looking for caimans. The dry season from April to October is best for walking, and sudden cold spells can blow in during June and July, so pack a jacket. Health authorities recommend a yellow fever vaccine for Peru's Amazon, so see your doctor before travelling, and bring strong insect repellent and long sleeves.
Macaws at dawn.
Above the treetops.
By boat only.
South of the Madre de Dios River, Tambopata province, to the Bolivian border; lodges by boat from Puerto Maldonado
At least three: reaching the lodges by boat takes time, and the macaw clay licks are only seen at dawn. The more remote lodges need four days or more.