Peru Amazon family adventure with teenagers

Planet

The lodge is located within a 200-hectare private reserve in the buffer zone of the Tambopata National Reserve. It works with local families who harvest Brazil nuts from the surrounding rainforest, providing an opportunity for local communities to benefit from tourism alongside their existing forest-based livelihoods.

The lodge provides access to the Tambopata rainforest while incorporating traditional local construction materials. Guest accommodation has three walls and the communal areas are open-sided, providing views and sounds of the surrounding forest. The lodge uses materials including wood, palm fronds and clay in its construction.

The Tambopata National Reserve covers approximately 275,000 hectares and was established by the Peruvian government in 1990 to protect the watersheds of the Tambopata and Candamo rivers. It is adjacent to Bahuaja-Sonene National Park, which covers approximately one million hectares. Together, these protected areas conserve extensive areas of lowland and premontane tropical forest.

The Tambopata region supports a high diversity of wildlife and plant species. Recorded species include approximately 600 species of birds, 32 species of parrots, 200 species of mammals, 1,200 species of butterflies, 90 species of amphibians and more than 10,000 species of vascular plants.

Revenue from guests contributes to the operation and development of the lodge and its conservation and local community activities.

People

The lodge is owned by the Ese’eja Native Community of Infierno. Approximately 170 Indigenous and ribereño families are involved in the lodge and share in the benefits generated by its operation.

Communities in the wider area around the Tambopata National Reserve have traditionally relied on a range of livelihoods, including small-scale agriculture, Brazil nut harvesting, timber extraction, hunting and fishing. The lodge works with a local Brazil nut operation to support the continued use of forest resources for Brazil nut harvesting alongside tourism.

The development of transport infrastructure, including the Interoceanic Highway connecting Peru with Brazil, has increased access to the region and is one of the factors affecting land use and economic activity around Tambopata.

Tambopata National Reserve and Bahuaja-Sonene National Park are part of wider conservation initiatives in the Andes-Amazon region. These initiatives bring together protected areas and local communities and support approaches including participatory planning, sustainable businesses and agroforestry.

By staying at the lodge, guests contribute to the local tourism economy and support a business owned by the Ese’eja Native Community of Infierno. Tourism provides income and employment for local families while supporting the continued operation of the lodge within this protected forest landscape.