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Sandoval Lake 2D/1N
The Sandoval Lake trip is an adventure in wildlife observation and bird watching in the Sandoval Lake National Reserve of Peru’s Amazon Basin. The protected Sandoval Lake is in the Tambopata National Reserve and is home to the endangered Giant Otter, Black Caiman, six species of monkeys and a large variety of birds. Lodging in the comfortable lakeshore Albergue Sandoval Lake Lodge.
Itinerary
Day 1: Puerto Maldonado to Sandoval Lake.
Our staff will welcome you at the airport in Puerto Maldonado and drive you through the city to the boat port on the Tambopata River. We’ll travel aboard a motorized canoe to the nearby confluence with the mighty Madre de Dios River, one of the rivers in the Amazon River watershed. Another thirty minutes takes us to the landing where we disembark for Sandoval Lake.
We make our way to the lake, walking about three kilometers (two miles) and stopping to watch birds and butterflies. We reach our boats and row (no motors allowed on the lake) up a narrow canal – a flooded palm forest - to the open lake. Just under the surface we’ll see the huge Paiche, the largest freshwater fish in South America that can weigh up to 100Kg (220lbs). If we look carefully we begin to see heads popping up out of the water. These are Pteronura, the Giant Otter of the Amazon.
After a brief rest, we again board the boat to explore the entire eastern end of the lake. We follow the sound of hundreds of Blue-and-Yellow and Red-bellied Macaws as they return to the palm forest for the night. Our boat is quiet and allows us to get close to and carefully observe the wildlife on the lake. Especially entertaining are the Capuchin monkeys and the large troops of Squirrel monkeys.
We are back at the lodge by dusk. After dinner we get back in the boats to look for caimans that are now extremely rare in the Amazon but are still common in this protected lake. They grow up to four meters (about thirteen feet) long and compete with the otters for the fish in the lake. On clear nights we’ll take the boat into the middle of the lake where we can enjoy magnificent views of the starry sky and the Milky Way.
We spend the night at the Albergue Sandoval Lake Lodge, owned by local families. Enjoy private bathrooms, hot water, screened in facilities and unparalleled views of the lake.
Day 2: Sandoval Lake to Puerto Maldonado.
On clear mornings we’ll witness a glorious sunrise over the still lake. After breakfast we return to the palm swamps on the west end of the lake, retrace our route to the Madre de Dios River, head towards Puerto Maldonado and the airport.
Note: Our itineraries may vary slightly to maximize wildlife viewing and the availability of local staff and experienced naturalist guides.
