Peru Amazon Cruise 5 Days | Zafiro

Arrival from Lima (1 hour 25 minute trip to the capital of the Peruvian Amazon). Your guides will be expecting your arrival at the airport, and transfer all together in our comfortable private vehicle over paved road to the main wharf to board the Zafiro, your home for the next seven nights.

Embarkation and check in aboard the Zafiro. Our qualified staff will introduce you to your stylish suite, specially equipped with all the amenities for the experienced traveler as yourself. Comfortable beds, pure cotton sheets, pillows, cotton bathrobes, air conditioning, private bathroom with Spanish style hot water showers, and a private balcony on each suite in the upper deck.

During the next seven days the Zafiro will sail the Amazon, Ucayali and Maranon Rivers and their amazing tributaries bountiful in wildlife. While the Zafiro begins its primary navigation, enjoy the most fantastic panoramic views from the gracefully interior lounge located on the third deck. Our bartender will be waiting to serve you an exotic cocktail made with regional fruits and pisco, the national brandy liquor of Peru. Before lunch, your naturalist guide will give you an overview of your journey's schedule, activities, route, highlights, wildlife and vegetation, geographical and historical background, and other useful details. Moreover, should you have any doubts or questions, our guides are always at your disposal.

Our vessels have an open policy, so you are welcome to learn about the navigation systems and spend time with the driving captain at any time. Welcome Dinner at 8:00 pm. Salute your journey with our fine South American wine that accompanies the Amazonia-influenced cuisine of Jungle Experiences (our menu offers several choices, including a vegetarian option – please let us know any other specific dietary requirements in advance). After the welcome dinner we invite you to the third deck were you can enjoy starwatching while we cruise into the depths of the Amazon Rainforest, or else relax with live music performed by our band on board enjoying a varied repertoire of Amazon, national and international music.

Yanayacu of Yacapana Exploration. Board our comfortable excursion skiffs for your first adventure. Life jackets, ponchos, rubber boots, and plenty of cold drinking water are always available for you on board the skiffs. Early birdwatching into the native kukama reserve (yanayacu of yucapana). This reserve has about 17 black waters lakes, bountiful in wildlife and home of Ayacucho and San Juan native communities. This morning we will observe monkeys, parrots, macaws and learn more about nature.

Breakfast. Our lavish daily buffet breakfast offers a wide selection of traditional dishes, Peruvian specialties, homemade baked goods and fresh-squeezed juices.
Amazon birth place expedition. After breakfast, the Zafiro skirts the edges of Pacaya-Samiria Reserve, a flooded forest covering five million acres at the headwaters of the Amazon basin. Board our comfortable excursion skiffs for your expedition on the confluence where the Maranon and Ucayali Rivers join together forming the mighty Amazon River. Nature here appears especially dramatic: birdsong accompanies your morning excursion as you glide past river banks inhabited by large-billed terns, laughing falcons, gray tanagers, and sandpipers, five kinds of parakeets, the exotic short-tailed parrot, and countless other colorful birds. We will explore the first river into the Pacaya and Samiria National Reserve named: piranha creek, in searching of wildlife; this area is known as the parrot-parakeet paradise.

Return to the Zafiro at 11:30 followed by lunch, Peruvian inspired midday flares in our air-conditioning dining room, while we start to sail up the Maranon River. Amazonian Philosophy Lecture. One of our naturalist guides will introduce you about the idiosyncrasy, beliefs and deep thoughts of the Amazonian people, such as the spirituality that is everywhere and not only on human beings.
Late Afternoon excursions to Nauta Creek within Pacaya-Samiria Reserve which is known as the mirrored forest, which makes perfect sense as you gaze upon its glistening black water lagoons. Our naturalist guides use their eagle eyes to help you spot toucans, parrots and macaws overhead and iguanas, sloths and monkeys among the soaring trees. On the way back to the Zafiro, the glorious sunset is reflected in these glistening waters.

Return to the Zafiro. Perhaps sip a pisco sour on the observation deck with a live music concert from our local band followed by another Peruvian- inspired dinner.
Optional Nocturnal boat ride to enjoy the symphony from the night and constellations, as well as search for caimans, tarantulas, boa constrictors and more.

Yanayacu of pucate and Yanayaquillo exploration, followed by delicious breakfast aboard the skiffs. Early in the morning you will start cruising through the Yanayacu and Pucate Rivers, peeking into different creeks and lagoons. This is one of the best preserved and protected zones of the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve. Your guide will use his expert eye to pinpoint all the biodiversity of this region. This is also a popular dolphin feeding spot so we won´t be the only one enjoying our happy meal here.

Return to the Zafiro at 11:00 to enjoy a delicious lunch followed by heartwarming siesta.
If you want to interact directly with the waters of the Amazon, go out on one of our paddle boards. You will even have the opportunity to swim in the river along with the famous pink dolphins!

In the afternoon, enjoy a lecture about Geographical orientation in our air-conditioned Indoor Lounge. Learn about hydrography of rivers to explore sustainable species according to the natural resources of the area.
Perdida Creek Expedition. On this late afternoon excursion, you are going to have a skiff boat expedition into this beautiful creek, full of colorful birds, such us: Paradise tanager, masked crimson tanager, Wood peckers, awls, scarlet crowned barbet and enjoy the great symphony they create.

Return to the Zafiro for Dinner. Night excursion into Tiger River to a place called Nahuapa. Tiger River is one of most important tributaries that flow into the Maranon River owning hundreds of other small rivers flowing into the main Tiger River. We will explore one of those small rivers called Nahuapa to look for caimans, snakes, tarantulas, night monkeys, nocturnal birds such as boat billed herons-great potoos and more. Wildlife is always active early in the morning, late afternoon and night, turning out into an amazing experience.

Breakfast and visit to the community of San Regis, where we’ll learn about the local people’s way of life and traditions. We’ll also learn about their ancestral traditions from the community’s shaman. With our guides as interpreters, we’ll be able to ask questions about spiritual connections and curing the soul. We’ll then continue the ceremony by planting a tree as a positive contribution to the environment. There, we’ll also see a market set up by women from the community to sell their handmade crafts. Head back for lunch aboard the Zafiro.

After resting, the guides will tell us about the myths and legends of the Amazon. In the afternoon, we’ll head out on a skiff to the Shiriyacu stream. There, we’ll find a good spot to do some piranha fishing using local techniques and equipment. Back on the boat, we’ll enjoy the stunning colors of the sunset. Back on the Zafiro, you’ll have some time to relax and enjoy live music before the presentation by the crew and farewell dinner.

Pampa creek expedition. Before breakfast early birdwatching. We follow its shoreline, sure to surprise the many species of monkeys and birds, including terns, neo-tropic cormorants, egrets, herons, hawks, and our favorite horned screamers.
Return to the Zafiro followed by breakfast. At 09:00 am, begins your expedition for fishing the famous piranhas into Shiriyacu stream, and walk into the jungle to meet a local healer to learn about complementary medicine from the amazon and ancestral traditions that we have been losing. This experience will give us the opportunity to formulate questions to the healer and know a bit more about our former traditions.

Return to the Zafiro at 11:30 am followed by an early lunch. Share a last lunch with your fellow passengers, before beginning your homeward journey. Disembarkation/Manatee Rescue Center/Transfer to the Airport. On our way from Nauta back to Iquitos airport, you will visit the Rescue & Rehabilitation Center of River Mammals (ACOBIA) where you will have the chance to meet baby manatees and learn about these wonderful and docile creatures and why they are on the endangered species list. You will also have the chance to pet and feed these kind manatees. Likewise, there are also some other animals cared for by the center that have been rescued from capture for the intention of being turned into pets and other threatening conditions. We welcome you to donate to this ambitious organization and education center as you wish.

Our land personnel will wait you at the airport to deliver your boarding passes and assist you with departure formalities. Check-in at Iquitos International Airport at 4:30 pm. Our staff will be on hand to assist you with your luggage and check in at Crnl. FAP Francisco Secada Vignetta International Airport in Iquitos. The return flight will take you directly to the city of Lima, the capital of Peru.