Aqua Nera Explorer - 5 Day Amazon Cruise

After arriving on a noon flight, receive a warm welcome at Iquitos International Airport by our crew. Board our private transfer to downtown Iquitos for a city tour and welcome lunch. Next, we head to Nauta port to board Aqua Nera. Settle into your generously sized suite as you begin one of life’s greatest adventures. Following an introduction from our naturalist guides and a routine safety drill, gather at the restaurant for the first of many Amazonian cuisine experiences created by Aqua Nera's renowned consulting chef, Pedro Miguel Schiaffino. Group transfer between airport and port if booked on our recommended flights.

Rise with the sun for an early morning birdwatching session along the Marañon River and enjoy breakfast in the middle of the jungle. Next, visit an Amazonian village where you’ll be able to interact with native riberenos and witness an Aguaje palm harvesting demonstration. Later, go swimming, kayaking, or canoeing in the Yanayacu-Pucate River and keep an eye out for the legendary pink river dolphins. Finally, board the skiffs again to cruise along Yanaquillo River for a dusk excursion in search of nocturnal animals.

The rewards for our early start today are plentiful: a full day excursion including a picnic lunch orchestrated to the tune of the jungle symphony, fishing along the black waters of the Samiria River, and an option to go canoeing, kayaking, swimming, or on a jungle walk inside the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve. On the way back to the Marañon River after lunch, we venture out by skiff keeping an eye out for pink river dolphins.

As the day begins, embark on a morning wildlife excursion on the extraordinary black water Nauta Caño River. If you wish, embark on a bike ride from Puerto Prado Village to Santa Cruz Village along the riverbank. In the afternoon, take a jungle walk while looking for flora and fauna which may include medicinal trees, insects, and poison dart frogs. Learn more about the different rainforest strata and ecosystems. Before dinner, meet the incredible crew who’ve been working behind the scenes to ensure your exceptional experience aboard Aqua Nera.

In the morning, take a guided visit to the local market and marvel at the regional produce of the Peruvian Amazon, and sample exotic snacks if you wish. Return to the Aqua Nera for breakfast before disembarkation. En route to the airport, visit the Manatee Rescue Center, where orphaned Amazonian manatees rehabilitate before they are released back into the wild. Group transfer between airport and port if booked on our recommended flights.