It is located southeast of the Peruvian territory, is the third largest department, and the least populous, being its capital Puerto Maldonado. Here you will make a mandatory stop before immersing yourself in the tangled forest. Madre de Dios is shelter of more than 50% of the Peru’s biodiversity, throughout its extension we can find a mega diversity of forests, flora, fauna, rivers, and wildlife refuge which are in danger of extinction.
WHAT MAKES MADRE DE DIOS SO SPECIAL?
NATURAL DIVERSITY: Two National Sanctuaries are waiting for you, crammed with nature and exotic destinations. Tambopata National Reserve is the perfect place for all nature lovers, and spreads its richness through its sounds, colors and life. This protected nature reserve has one of the greatest biological diversity. There are 648 bird species, including: the harpy eagle, the razor-billed curassow, among others; 108 species of mammals being the most seen: the river wolf or giant otter, the puma, the howler monkey, the collared peccary, the red brocket deer, among others; 103 species of reptiles, represented by the emerald tree boa, the black caiman, the yellow-spotted river turtles, among others; 323 species of fish, highlights the boquichico (black prochilodus), the zúngaro saltón (kumakuma), the red-bellied pacu, among others. Similarly, there are 1,200 varieties of butterflies, 93 species of amphibians and 1,713 species of trees. It offers a wide range of habitats such as: aguajales (the moriche palm), collpas (clay licks), castañales (brazil nut), terrace forests, riparian forests and lakes in their pristine condition.
Manu National Park, for its biological diversity was recognized as a Natural World Heritage Site and Core Zone of the Biosphere Reserve. It is a zone that covers different ranges of climates from the frigid highlands that exceed 4000 meters above sea level (13,123 feet) to the lowland rainforest. Here you can find ecosystems lightly touched by humans. Manu is home to a large number of wildlife species. It has registered 160 species of mammals such as the jaguar, the little spotted cat, the tapir; more than 1000 bird species; furthermore, it is estimated that there are 30 million insects, 140 amphibians, 50 species of snakes, 40 species of lizards, 6 turtles, 3 caimans and 210 species of fish. It also protects 10% of the world’s plant species. It is an exceptional place and it is full of mysteries, but, at the same time, you will definitely fall in love with this spot.
CULTURAL DIVERSITY: Throughout this protected area there is an enormous cultural wealth represented by its indigenous peoples who preserve their ancestral customs and traditions; others work in agriculture, timber extraction and nut gathering; some native communities live in voluntary isolation.
CUISINE: The secret of every journey is to taste the delights of each region. Madre de Dios is characterized by the using of ingredients in the zone such as fruits, fish and bushmeat. So awaken your sense of taste by enjoying these delicious typical dishes such as Patarashca, fish wrapped in bijao leaves and cooked on the grill. Sarapatera de Motelo, made with turtle meat, grated plantain, yucca, and to provide a distinctive flavor, sacha cilantro. Juanes de Gallina, cooked rice with hen meat wrapped in bijao leaves in a bain-marie. Tacacho, made with boiled or fried plantains with cracklings, salt and lard. Asado de picuro, made with picuro meat, parboiled yucca, salad and ají de ojito de pescado (hot pepper), among other traditional dishes from the southeastern jungle of Peru.
