Butterfly Watching in the Peruvian Amazon Refugio Amazonas

Refugio Amazonas – Butterfly Watching Tour 4 days / 3 nights

PERUVIAN AMAZON TOURS

From US$ ON REQUEST
* per person in double room *

Days 4 Dificulty I Lodge Refugio Amazonas
Type Nature Enthusiast Type group size With private guide Best season May - September


Day 1: Welcome!



  • Arriving in Puerto Maldonado, the capital of Madre de Dios, join the transfer of 1 hour by bus and 1 hour by boat to the lodge. Your first tasting of our Amazonian cuisine will be during the boat trip, while you leave the city behind and enjoy the incredible landscapes during the tour.

  • What to expect at Refugio Amazonas? – A charming refuge in the middle of a Brazil Nut forest, with a bar, massage room, and dining room service. With the Tambopata National Reserve behind him. This eco-lodge is the headquarters of Wired Amazon, the first citizen science project to turn its guests into citizen scientists.

  • What is included in the Accommodation? – A 45 m2 room, with mosquito nets over the beds, a private bathroom, and a window open to the forest, which maximizes contact with nature.

  • What is included during your stay? – Three daily meals, teas, coffee, activities guided excursions, welcome drink upon arrival at the lodge, and transfers to and from the airport. Guides are assigned in a ratio of 10: 1

  • Butterflies of the Tambopata beaches, which we will chance seeing from the boat at any point in our trip include Anteos menipps, Phoebis philea, Philaetria dido, Eurytides spp., Papilio thoas, Callicore cyanosura, Callicore astarte, Baeotus beoutus, Baeotus deucalion, and Uranius spp.


WORLD OF BUTTERFLES

Butterflies on the beaches in the Tambopata River




  • You will have the option of taking a night walk through the jungle when most of the mammals are active but difficult to see. Easier to find are frogs with shapes and sounds as strange as their natural stories.

  • A half-hour walk from the lodge takes us to the 35-meter-high canopy tower, a staircase with railings will provide us with safe access to the top of the tower, from which we can contemplate the impressive forest of the National Reserve of Tambopata. From the top, it is also possible to see different species of birds such as toucans, macaws, and raptors among other species.


Day 2



  • You can navigate around Lake Condenado, looking for wildlife such as the hoatzin or Shansho, which is said to be a pre-historic bird! Alligators, Martin fishermen among other species, if we are lucky will be able to observe a family of otters that inhabit its waters and are difficult to see. You will be able to discover the difference between the eco-system of a lake and a river and who knows, maybe you will be rewarded with macaws flying over the treetops.

  • Look for butterflies in the floodplain forest, along mature floodplain forest we will stand a chance of observing Morpho achilles, Morpho melenaus, Parides neophilus, Parides sesostris, and Parides vertumnus. At the farthest end of this trail, where it passes its only swampy portion, we may see any of the following butterfly species: Calligo eurolochius, Caligo ileoneus, Caligo idomeneus, Catoblepia xanthicles, Pierella hortona, Pierella lena, Cithaerias pireta, and Haetera piera.


blue morpho butterfly by Carl Safina

Morpho menelaus , blue butterfly in the Tambopata National Reserve, Peru



Day 3



  • A fifteen-minute boat ride and sixty-minute walk from Refugio Amazonas is a clay lick used both by parrots and parakeets. From a blind, you will see parrots and parakeets descend on most clear days to ingest the clay on a bank. Species such as Dusky headed and Cobalt winged Parakeet descend at this clay lick. With luck, we will also see some or all of the following species in the early morning rush: Mealy and Yellow-crowned Amazons, Blue-headed Pionus, Severe macaw, and Orange-cheeked (Barraband`s) Parrot. We visit the lick at dawn when parrots are most active, or in midmorning or early afternoon when they are active.

  • By the afternoon, take a twenty-minute hike to a mammal's clay lick. These wild rainforest pigs show up in herds of five to twenty individuals to eat clay in the late morning. The chances of spotting them are around 15%, but well worth the short hike. Other wildlife also shows up including deer, guan, and parakeets.

  • Before dinner, join our nightly lectures prepared by the Wired Amazon field researchers of Refugio Amazonas covering conservation threats, opportunities, and projects in the Tambopata National Reserve.

  • After dinner, the light glares against the sheet, highlighting its white color against the dark jungle night. As the bright light flickers, moths begin to flutter towards it. You study them carefully, noting their shapes and patterns. By the end of the night, you’ve discovered a species totally unknown to science. Now, you get to name it yourself!


Day 4



  • Our expedition came to an end. It’s time to say goodbye and say goodbye! We will return to the airport for your domestic flight.

  • But first, a short walk from the airport is the Japipi Butterfly Farm and Exhibits, where farmed butterflies are displayed in a giant forest enclosure.

  • Thank you for your visit. This contributes directly to the Wired Amazon Project and its efforts to conserve and learn about the biodiversity of the Tambopata National Reserve.







  • What our guest say

    • Valuation Excellent
    • 5/5

Maria Carrero June 2026

Lauren Kuenstner June 2026

Adam C June 2026

Perry Killam June 2026

Brad Taylor-White June 2026

Sue_szb April 2026

Beam May 2026

David Staro May 2026

Serg Averkin April 2026

Carlotta May 2026

Asha S May 2026

Laurence W April 2026

We stayed last february for 4 nights in the TRC lodge. I never could have imagined that I would explore the amazon in such confortable and immersive way. The lodge itself is such a luxurious place, in the middle of nowhere! The food was nicely curated everyday to offer new bits and pieces of the Peruvian cuisine. The absolute highlight of our stay here was for sure the activities and our guide Carmen, who accompanied us everyday! We were able to choose our everydays activities with our very reduced group and our guide. Carmen guided us on very activity, spotting and explaining what animals we saw and interesting facts about our surroundings. Her knowledge and excitement were so infectious that it would even make the sightings even more special! Read all

One of the most unique experiences we’ve had! You are deep in the heart of the Amazon and truly feel immersed in nature. Our guide Dino was awesome and taught us so much about the rainforest-he is like a walking encyclopedia, and his love for the forest really shows. Also very unique to listen to nightly talks from the research team-it really adds to the experience. Food was great and staff very friendly. Bring lots of bug spray and an adventurous spirit! Read all

The lodge was fantastic; they were very attentive to our needs. The dining staff brought special bread for my wife because of her celiac disease and offered to prepare dishes specifically for her to meet her dietary needs. The lodge guides were truly knowledgeable and went out of their way to help us see all the local wildlife. I especially loved the mosquito net service they provided. I was worried we’d be eaten alive, but their setup is fabulous; I had no concerns once I saw how they installed the impenetrable nets and curtains. The meals were as good as—or better than—anywhere else we ate in Peru. We saw the following animals: macaws, parrots, parakeets, pale-winged trumpeters, tamarins, caimans, capybaras, and a ton of insects on our night hike. Read all

We had an excellent guide who was very knowledgeable about the local animals, birds, and plants. I learned a lot. We also participated in the Wired Amazon experience and just received the video clips of the animals that walked by - ocelots, agoutis, ... some amazing animals. It was fun to set up the camera traps, and now I'm inspired to get one for our backyard. Read all

Refugio Amazonas was one of the most memorable and immersive experiences of our entire trip to Peru. From the moment we arrived, it felt like we had entered a completely different world. Waking up to the sounds of the rainforest, exploring the Amazon with knowledgeable guides, spotting wildlife, and disconnecting from everyday life created an experience we will never forget. The guides and staff were exceptional throughout our stay. Everyone was warm, welcoming, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about the rainforest and the guest experience. Their enthusiasm and expertise added so much to every excursion and activity. For this type of Amazon adventure, Refugio Amazonas felt top-tier. The wildlife experiences were remarkable, the setting was beautiful, and the overall level of immersion was exactly what we were hoping for when we added the Amazon to our Peru itinerary. Read all

Wow what an experience! If you want to be fully immersed in Amazon life in a wonderful , comfortable eco lodge, and not have expectations of a 5 star city hotel (I'm not sure why you would, but some reviewers seemed disappointed it wasn't!) you will love this. You will be in a group, 6 in ours, but you don't all have to do the same activities, you just join another group. Plenty of spaces to chill and downtime if you need it...its hot and humid! There's a fan in the room and I heard the superior rooms have a fan under the mozzie net. Take a torch! We were never bitten, used deet repellent only. They provide rubber boots if you want them, some of the trails were very muddy, but we managed in our walking boots. We loved the open wall to the jungle, despite some bugs, but not too many surprisingly. Sooooo much wildlife, all sorts of monkeys, otters, turtles, caiman, different birds, capybara etc. Luis M was our guide, a local, and he could spot a spider from 5 metres I'm sure... great sense of humour and a wealth of knowledge, loved him. We spent 3 nights 20th-24th April, it rained on a couple of occasions but not much. Perfect holiday for an immersive wildlife experience! Read all

Beautiful lodge in the rainforest, very well maintained and clean. We had a lot of fun and excellent guides. The rooms and facilities were top-notch! Read all

We stayed at Posada Amazonas Lodge in May 2026, and it was a truly unique experience. It’s important to note that the concept is unlike a traditional hotel: the rooms (the lodge has around 30 in total) are built entirely of wood and open completely to the rainforest, with no windows. The walls are about two meters high, and everything is open-air, meaning you can hear your neighbors as well as the sounds of the forest throughout the night. There is a hot-water shower with drainage flowing through wooden beams beneath the floor, and the beds are protected with mosquito nets. The food is delicious and nutritious, and one pleasant surprise was the excellent Wi-Fi connection (Starlink) available both at the lodge and on the boats. The logistics are flawless from the moment you land in Puerto Maldonado, including a short car ride (accompanied by a security company) followed by a forty-minute cruise along the Tambopata River. The staff is incredibly friendly. Our guide, Luis M. (a member of the local community that manages the lodge), was simply outstanding, with eagle-eyed vision for spotting wildlife and always wearing a smile. Tour highlights: Canopy Tower: a 42-meter tower rising above the treetops with panoramic views. We loved seeing the river, the rainforest, and even the distant Andes Mountains on the horizon. We returned at night during a nocturnal wildlife tour, where we spotted tarantulas, white sloths, and tree frogs. Lake Tres Chimbadas: a peaceful catamaran ride (without a motor) where Luis showed us a group of red-bellied monkeys, giant otters, and caimans. The scenery and tranquility are incredible. Trek to the “Great Tree”: a forest hike where we saw deer, jaguar tracks, a three-toed sloth, and more wildlife. At the end of the trail, we reached the gigantic ceiba tree: around 500 years old, approximately 60 meters tall, and with an impressive 11-meter base diameter. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to experience the true Amazon! Read all

An exceptional experience that truly exceeded all expectations. What impressed me the most is that here they genuinely want to make your stay as comfortable as possible — and that, to me, is what real high-level service is all about. The guide really tries to fill every excursion with emotions and memorable moments, turning simple activities into meaningful experiences. The kitchen team puts great effort into variety and introduces you to Peruvian cuisine — it feels like a small гастрономic journey. Housekeeping works like invisible bees — you don’t notice them, but everything is always perfectly taken care of. Another big highlight is the comfort level: stable electricity and surprisingly good internet both on the way and at the lodge, powered by Starlink. Having this level of connectivity in the middle of the jungle is something truly special. From reception and the bar to the boat driver — everyone is genuinely warm and happy to have you. You can really feel that each person is a small but important part of one big system delivering outstanding eco-tourism service. Bravo — achieving this level of service in the wild is not easy, and it shows. This experience was very valuable for me and my family. I won’t get tired of thanking you for the emotions you gave us. Highly recommended. Dear travelers — don’t hesitate. Go, enjoy the incredible nature and the level of service. This is something you will remember for a lifetime. Read all

We had the most amazing time at Refugio Amazonas for 3 nights, with a huge thanks to our guide Juan Carlos! On the first afternoon we sat down and planned our activities, which we loved! We came face to face with hundreds of birds, tarantulas, leaf carrying ants spanning 10 meter motorways to work and deliver the leaves to the ant house for food, parasites, and even leaves that cause natural dyes on oxidation - we learned so much. Carlos was genuinly interested in showing us everything the jungle had to offer, humorous and caring too. Carlos knew anything and everything about what was around us, pointing out things and creatures that the untrained eye would miss, carrying a telescope at all times for us to see the birds, ensuring we got magical videos on our phones using the telescope! Read all

Many thanks to Refugio Amazonas for an unforgettable experience! Brenda and team were so wonderful and accommodating, and Alan was a great guide. Thank you for a memorable experience! 🙂 Read all

We had an excellent time at Tambopata research center. We are tourists like most who now visit the center, but it’s great to know that you can support research and the local community by visiting a place like this. Our guide for our trip, Esau, was extremely knowledgeable and showed great passion for his job. He described it as a hobby and he would get very excited if you spotted a specific bird or a tree. His specific knowledge about each and every creature in the forest was very impressive and I would recommend asking for Esau to be your guide in the future if you plan to visit. The hotel itself is unique. You are in the middle of the Amazon rainforest - the accessibility to nature is second to none. There are no windows in the hotel rooms. We had bugs in our room, of course, but the mosquito nets keep everything out and, actually, we both slept very well. The bar staff, Harrison, is very knowledgeable with drinks and works very hard. The food isn’t the best you’re ever going to have, but you have to remind yourself you are in the middle of the rainforest and that it takes a 6 hour round trip to get to the nearest town, and so the job that the hotel does in respect of the food is actually intuitive and very good. I would recommend this hotel to my peers and I would love to visit again in a few years time. Read all

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