Discover the Amazon through its birds and rural life — a 2-day, 1-night program combining horseshoe-trail hikes, birdwatching, and an authentic stay with a local farming family.
The Madre de Dios Amazon is home to hundreds of bird species that turn every sunrise into a unique natural spectacle. This program combines horseshoe-trail hikes, birdwatching, life on an Amazonian farm, and an authentic experience with local families.
Over two days you will walk through secondary forest and farmland, learn about traditional Amazonian crops, and watch birds at the two times of day they’re most active — early morning and late afternoon — while spending the night with a local farming family.
Difficulty level: Easy to Moderate. Style: ecotourism, birdwatching, and community-based tourism.
Highlights
- A real overnight stay with a local farming family, not just a day visit
- Guided birdwatching at dawn and dusk, the two most active times of day
- A guided tour of traditional Amazonian crops — cacao, coffee, cassava, and more
- A night walk in search of frogs, insects, and other nocturnal wildlife
- Easy access from Puerto Maldonado — no long river journey required
- Ideal for families, students, and first-time birdwatchers
Itinerary
Day 1 Welcome – Walk to the Amazonian Farm – Birdwatching
7:30 a.m. Reception in Puerto Maldonado and welcome from your naturalist guide.
8:00 a.m. Departure by private transport to the trailhead.
8:45 a.m. We begin a roughly 45-minute walk along a horseshoe-shaped trail through Amazonian forest. Along the way you may spot tanagers, toucans, woodpeckers, woodcreepers, flycatchers, oropendolas, macaws in flight, and monkeys if conditions allow, while our guide points out medicinal plants, giant trees, food plants, and wildlife tracks.
10:00 a.m. Arrival at the Amazonian farm, welcomed with a drink made from local fruits, followed by a tour of the crops — cacao, coffee, banana, cassava, pineapple, papaya, copoazú, citrus, and sugar cane — with an explanation of traditional sustainable farming techniques.
12:30 p.m. Amazonian lunch, a typical menu prepared with fresh farm produce.
2:30 p.m. Afternoon birdwatching. Crop edges and small patches of forest are excellent spots to see trogons, manakins, hummingbirds, caciques, woodpeckers, and hawks, using binoculars, an illustrated bird guide, and a telescope when available.
5:30 p.m. Amazonian sunset — an excellent moment for nature photography.
6:30 p.m. Dinner.
7:30 p.m. Night walk in search of frogs, insects, spiders, lizards, and other nocturnal wildlife, with interpretation of the forest’s nighttime behavior.
9:00 p.m. Rest, in a private or shared room depending on your reservation.
Day 2 Amazonian Sunrise and Grand Birdwatching
5:30 a.m. Departure before sunrise — the first hours of the day are the best time for birdwatching. Frequent species include macaws, toucans, aracaris, trogons, manakins, oropendolas, parrots, woodpeckers, hummingbirds, and falcons, with our guide helping identify calls, behavior, feeding habits, and habitat.
8:00 a.m. Amazonian breakfast.
9:00 a.m. Visit to a natural viewpoint and a final walk around the farm, with interpretation on Amazon conservation, sustainable agriculture, biodiversity, and climate change.
11:00 a.m. Free time for photography.
12:00 p.m. Lunch.
1:30 p.m. Return on foot along the horseshoe trail.
2:15 p.m. Transfer back to Puerto Maldonado. End of our services.
- Reception in Puerto Maldonado
- Ground transportation
- Guided hike
- Guide specialized in birdwatching
- 1 night of accommodation on an Amazonian farm
- 2 lunches
- 1 dinner
- 1 breakfast
- Purified water
- First aid kit
- Shared binoculars
- Illustrated bird guide
- Night walk
- Environmental interpretation
- Alcoholic beverages
- Personal expenses
- Tips
- Travel insurance
Start: 7:30 a.m. reception in Puerto Maldonado.
End: 2:15 p.m. transfer back to Puerto Maldonado.
- Yellow-billed toucan
- White-throated toucan
- Blue-and-yellow macaw
- Scarlet macaw
- Aracari
- Amazonian woodpecker
- Crested oropendola
- Yellow-rumped cacique
- Hummingbirds
- Trogons
- Multicolored tanagers
- Flycatchers
- Falcons
- Hawks
- Herons
- Kingfisher
Sightings depend on the season and weather conditions.
- Neutral-colored clothing (green, khaki, or brown)
- Trekking or rubber boots
- Rain jacket
- Cap or hat
- Sunscreen
- Insect repellent
- Personal binoculars (optional)
- Camera with zoom lens
- Headlamp
- Reusable water bottle
- Birdwatchers
- Nature photographers
- Families
- Researchers
- Students
- Ecotourism lovers
- Travelers looking for authentic experiences