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Head Office Cusco - Perú : |
GRAND AMAZON ADVENTURE CRUISE FROM
IQUITOS TO BELEM, 17 days/ 16 nights
by Andean Origins
INTRODUCTION TO THE AMAZON RIVER WORLD
The Amazon River is the largest river in the world by volume, with a total river flow greater than the next eight largest rivers combined, and is probably the longest one.
The Amazon basin covers about 40 percent of South America, an area of approximately 6,915,000 square kilometers. The quantity of water flowing into the Atlantic Ocean is enormous: up to 300,000 m³ per second in the rainy season.
The Upper Amazon has a series of major river systems in Peru and Ecuador, some of which flow into the Marañón and others directly into the Amazon proper. The most distant source of the Amazon was firmly established as a glacial stream on a snowcapped 5,597 m peak called Nevado Mismi in the Peruvian Andes. While debate as to whether the Amazon or the Nile is the world's longest river has gone on for many years, a study by Brazilian scientists claimed that the Amazon, 6800 kilometers long, is actually 105 kilometers longer than the Nile.
If you are looking for an adventurous expedition-style trip to the heart of the Amazon, we help you find the real Amazon River cruise adventure, starting in Iquitos, and going as far as Belem, near the Atlantic Ocean.
Accommodation in the ship cabins is comfortable, but gets more basic in the Brazil vessels: food in the Peruvian ship will be more elaborated, in the Brazilian part will follow strictly the local gastronomy, simple but nourishing and using local products from the Amazon area. Included private cabins in the program are for two people with private shower and toilet, and most of the times air conditioning works... From Manaus to Belem there are a limited number of suite cabins which can be booked on request.
In cities like Iquitos, Manaus and Belem we offer you the choice of comfortable tourist or first class hotels, and to do interesting tours in Iquitos and Manaus revealing the past and the present in this less known region. Impressive buildings in Iquitos (like the Iron House made by Eiffel) and Manaus (like the Opera House) represent the wealth of the golden Caucho times; On the other hand, Belem boasts many beautiful buildings from the colonial time and the splendour of trade during the Caucho boom, and this city can be visited booking an optional tour.
The exploratory Amazon River cruise travels the Upper Amazon River by an expedition vessel from Iquitos, Peru to Tabatinga at the Brazilian border. Along this first part of this exciting journey, you will do several excursions on Amazon river tributaries by Zodiac or even local canoes, and you will be able to spot exotic wildlife (pink dolphins, monkeys in the forest, many birds, and if you are lucky, caimans and different mammals); you will search the many kinds of trees and exotic vegetation in the forest and enjoy the view of water lilies, and visiting communities and small villages you will contact a vast array of indigenous people; you will also visit ports like Pebas (the oldest city in the Peruvian Amazonas) and Santa Rosa in Peru, Leticia in Colombia and Tabatinga, Manaus, Santarem and Belem in Brazil.
From Tabatinga on you will get immersed in the 21st century real life and culture along the Amazon. You will have to use ships operating as local passenger and cargo vessels. There will be not real stops for tourism, except a very nice local excursion in Santarem on the way from Manaus to Belem. The ships in Brazil will stop at several villages along the river to embark and disembark local passengers and cargo, which will be quite interesting to watch. Most local passengers and backpacker tourists travel sleeping every night on hammocks and use common facilities. You will be able to contact locals and other tourists, and exchange ideas and experiences with them.
A great, fascinating trip in a totally different world like yours.
- TRIP ITINERARY 16 DAYS / 15 NIGHTS