Puerto Maldonado

Puerto Maldonado is all about the surrounding rain forest. The city itself is a little rough around the edges, but it’s an important base for exploring the nearby Manú National Park, Tambopata National Reserve and Bahuaja-Sonene National Park. These protected areas attract birdwatchers and wildlife spotters from around the world. To cater for these often upscale tourists, a number of eco-lodges have dotted up outside Puerto Maldonado and within the reserves -- a happy swing towards environmentally-conscious tourism and away from the logging and gold dredging that has seen the area stripped and abused over the last 50 or so years.