Zafiro 3 nights – Low Water Season

Iquitos - Nauta

  After your flight to the capital of the Peruvian Amazon, our guides will meet you at the Iquitos airport—waiting for you with a sign with the name of Jungle Experiences. We will then go to the Doubletree by Hilton Iquitos Hotel, the meeting point, to receive your first briefing about the trip and where you will enjoy a delicious welcome lunch. Then you will be transported by a private vehicle to the main dock of the city of Iquitos to board El Zafiro, your home for the following three nights.   Boarding El Zafiro. Our staff will take you to your elegant suite, specially equipped with all the comforts for an experienced traveler like you. Comfortable beds, sheets made from pure Peruvian pima cotton, pillows, cotton bathrobes, air conditioning, a private bathroom with a beautifully accentuated walk-in shower, amenities, and a private balcony in each suite on the second deck. During the next eight days El Zafiro will sail the Amazon, the Ucayali and Maranon rivers and their impressive tributaries full of wildlife.   While El Zafiro begins its initial navigation, you can enjoy the most fantastic panoramic views from the observation area that is elegantly equipped for your enjoyment and located on our third deck. Enjoy the fantastic panoramic view from our elegant indoor and outdoor lounge that is also located on the third deck. Our bartender will be waiting for you to serve you an exotic cocktail prepared with fruits from the region and pisco, the national liquor of Peru. Before the welcome dinner, your naturalist guides will give you an overview of the travel program, activities, routes, important moments, wildlife and vegetation, the geographical and historical background, and other useful details. If you have any questions or doubts, our guides will always be readily available to help you.   Our boats have an open-door policy so you are welcome if you want to learn about navigation systems and spend time with the captain in charge at any time.   Welcome dinner. Begin your trip with one of our fine South American wines accompanied by excellent Peruvian gastronomy prepared with a delicious Amazonian-influence.   (Our menu offers several options, including a vegetarian option - please let us know of any special food requirements in advance).   After dinner, we invite you to the third deck where you can a spectacular view of the stars as we enter the depths of the Amazon rainforest, or relax with live music by our band on board and enjoy a varied repertoire of Amazonian, national, and international music.  

Birth of the Amazon – Vista Alegre – Yarapa

    Before breakfast we will head towards the expedition boats and then we will be in route to the confluence of the Marañón and Ucayali rivers; in this union there is the birth of the majestic Amazon River—the perfect place to see different types of birds and the famous pink dolphins. Return to El Zafiro, to enjoy a full and delicious breakfast     View the Vista Alegre Community. After breakfast, we will visit the community of Vista Alegre, where we will meet the inhabitants of this Amazonian community through our guides, who will act as interpreters. We will have a culinary demonstration by a local inhabitant, who will expand his knowledge about the local cooking techniques of this community. Before returning to El Zafiro, we will visit the Vista Alegre butterfly farm project, where you will learn about butterflies in the Amazon and their importance to the environment.   Return to El Zafiro and lunch. Once aboard El Zafiro we will share a new lunch and take some time to rest.     Expedition to the Yarapa River. After lunch, we will continue exploring the waterways in the expedition boats— sailing towards the place where the pink and gray freshwater dolphins swim. We will take a walk in Yarapa, where you will have an unforgettable experience looking for wild life enjoying the incredible panorama that the jungle has to offer.   Return to El Zafiro to enjoy a delicious dinner.   Later, we will make a nocturnal excursion in search of black caimans, fireflies, tarantulas, snakes and countless specimens that I have never seen before.  

Isla Yacapana – San Joaquin de Omaguas -Amazon River – Zona Tamishacu

    Breakfast. We will start the day with a full breakfast on board El Zafiro.   Expedition to Isla Yacapana and San Joaquin de Omaguas. After breakfast we will continue exploring the water paths in the expedition boats in search of monkeys such as the capuchin monkey, choros monkeys, marmosets and other primates. We will enjoy a unique landscape of the tropical humid forest, in which we will explain the arboreal species in the riverbanks and aquatic plants and their function within the environment. Also, during the expedition, the guides will sharpen their senses to locate the sloths in the trees, macaws that fly over the area, the curious dolphins that gather near the confluences, and whirlpools of fish formed by the river currents. During the tour you will find fishermen and residents in different activities with which they will interact and show us the fruits of their day's activities.     Return to El Zafiro. While El Zafiro continues to sail, we will have a cooking demonstration by our Chef where we will learn first-hand about the local cuisine and taste the Amazonian culinary art.   Amazon River Expedition. After lunch, we will explore the Amazon River. Wildlife sighting. We will admire the creatures that inhabit the banks of the Amazon River.   Return to El Zafiro. Once on board, the ship will continue its course downstream, sailing towards Iquitos through the night. We will have a small information session in the interior lounge and recapitulation of the itinerary. Dinner.   After dinner, your naturalist guides will introduce you to the crew members you may not have met during the trip.

Check Out – Desembarkment in Iquitos - Manati Rescue Center- Transporte al Aeropuerto

  Before breakfast you will have your last boat trip to the Bellavista Market, during the tour we will admire the houseboats. Exhibition and tasting of local products.   Return to El Zafiro to share the last breakfast with the passengers before their trip back home. Disembarkation.     On the way to the airport, you will visit the Amazon Rescue Center (CREA), where biologists and volunteers take care of the endangered species of manatees that the authorities have rescued. See how the manatees are cared for, and prepared for their reintroduction to their natural habitat.There are also other animals that have been rescued from captures with the intention of turning them into pets and other dangerous conditions. Check-in at the international airport of Iquitos. Your guides will assist you with the Check-in and the departure formalities to board your return flight.