Iquitos Travel Forum

We would like to spend some time (about in total a week, including the trip) in the Pacaya Samiria park.
It should be possible to travel to the park from Yurimagas.
As we are travelling on a tight budget (we are a family of six): can anyone tell us what is the best thing to do> we would like to visit virgin jungle (ok, almost virgin) to observe wildlife life capybara, cayman, giant otters, jaguar, and sachavaca (tapir) and not to forget birds.
Has anyone suggestions (how, costs etc. or alternatives)
tks in advance!
Jan Duine/The Netherlands.

Tks for your info!
In hope you will be willing and able to answer some more questions I have.
Is the jungle 'near virgin' jungle and is the wildlife in the P.S. really so abundant (mammals, birds, reptiles) as mentioned in various stories (I have spent some time in the Tambopata Reserve, which was really beuatiful)
Are there good possibilities to enter into the park (also with a view to the fact that we are travelling with our three children 9,13,15 years).
what would it cost to go by boat from Yurimagas to Lagunas (rented boat or cargo-boat stopping ar Lagunas); how to organise the trip back to Yurimagas.
Are there any lodging possibilities in the Pacaya Samiria near Lagunas, what are the prices and how could I contact them. Thank you again!!

Sopaseca is right travel to Pacaya Samiria, Lima / Tarapoto 24 hrs Tarapoto Yurimaguas 6 hrs Yurimaguas / Pacya 10 hrs we spent about 300.00$US for the charter boat trip around trip Yurimaguas / Lagunas ( Pacaya Samiria ) / Yurimaguas, the boat is private, there is Cargo ship take 10 hrs to get ot Lagunas its cost about 25.00$US but sleep on your own Hammocks

You can get to Yurimaguas via bus from Chiclayo, I don't remember the cost but it was pretty cheap. From Lima take a bus to Trujillo and another from there to Chiclayo. The bus ride is long (~36 hours), half unpaved, rough, and bathroom facilities are few and far between. Very little food is available along the way so bring your own. If you and your family are of strong constitution you'll be fine. The bus is no place to be with digestive trouble if you know what I mean.

From Yurimaguas you can catch a cargo boat to Iquitos and either ride to Iquitos or get off at Lagunas. If you're getting off at Lagunas ask someone who works on board when you'll be reaching Lagunas because it won't be announced. Hopefully one of you speaks some Spanish.

I visited the Pacaya Samirina out of Iquitos. I stayed with native Cocama descendents who still live there. You can arrange to stay with them through the tourism office in central Iquitos or look them up on the internet. Their organization is called ASIENES ( I think)

Have fun
-Joe

Thanks Joe for your information!
As we are a family with three children (9, 13, 16) I think the journey by bus is not realy advisable. So maybe we have to go by plane to Iquitos and fromthere on travel by boat to Lagunas. Unfortunately the plane trip is quite expensive (as we are five). Is a stay in the P.S. reserve really worthwhile, does it offer the things we are looking for (nature and culture). What are more or less the prices you pay (travel from Iquitos to P.S. and stay).
I have had quite some hits at 'Cocama' , so I'm trying to get some info from that as well.
If you have some further advice, plse let me know.
Tks. in advance!
Jan Duine

Jan,

I've heard good things about the Manu reserve in the southern Amazon outside of Cusco and I belive it is more easily accessible although I've never been.

The Pacaya Samirina is as good as it gets. Wildlife is there in abundance, I saw caimans, several kinds of monkeys, zillions of birds including gorgeous macaws, pink river dolphins, piranahs, and more I didn't recognize. My guide, Tulio, showed me all kinds of plants as well, pointing out the uses of dozens as we passed. Part of the stength of the Amazonian ecosystem lies in its incredible diversity. Despite the homogenous appearance of the forest, you'll seldom see the same type of tree twice. Tulio showed me a vine called una de gato (cat's claw) out of which flows cool clean water when cut in two. It was the best and purest water I drank in the whole country.

Culturally you will get a very authentic experience with the people there. They are descendants of the indigenous Cocama people and although they all speak Spanish now, not Cocama, they are still very different from mainstream Peruvians. They don't run around in loin cloths and shoot blowguns at monkeys any more, but they do live in huts roofed with leaves and paddle around in dugout canoes. Be sure to treat them as people not curiosities when you are there, be respectfull because in Peru there is a very big social gap between "Indians" and "Peruvians".

I think I paid something like $40 a day with the Cocama. That covered food, lodging (camping mostly), access to the reserve, and my Tulio, my personal guide for the duration I was there. You can negociate the price down if you want to. It was the only time that I didn't bargain at all. I am a big supporter of responsible tourism as an alternative to exploiting the jungle for its natural resources and despite my college student budget, I felt that the cause and the experience were worth it.

To sum up, it was amazing, one of the best experiences I've ever had. Do what you have to in order to see the jungle, it is worth it.

-Joe

forgot to mention--You arrange your tour with the Cocama in Iquitos, not Lagunas. Go by the tourist office in the main square in Iquitos for contact details.

Tks again Joe!
I'll see whether I can find the Iquitos Tourist Office at the internet so that I can make some preparations in advance.
I presume that there are more or less regular boats from Iquitos to Lagunas.
I've been in the Tambopata reserve a couple of years ago, something I really enjoyed so I'm looking forward to this experience!
regards
Jan Duine