Discovery Cruise

Your journey begins with a warm welcome from our crew at Iquitos International Airport (we recommend arriving on a midday flight). After a relaxed lunch at a local restaurant, we transfer you to the Aqua Nera. Once settled into your designer suite, our naturalist guides provide an introduction to the days ahead. The evening culminates in the dining room with the first of many Amazonian culinary experiences curated by renowned chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino.

We start early to explore the calm waters of Clavero Lake by skiff. Here, where locals still rely on traditional dugout canoes, you can swim in the fresh water or visit a welcoming riverside community to learn about life in the rainforest. The afternoon is dedicated to exploring the majestic Marañón River, scanning the banks for diverse wildlife. Before dinner, you will meet the dedicated crew members who work behind the scenes to deliver this exceptional service.

Our final morning features a guided visit to the local market in Nauta to see the region’s exotic produce, with an optional visit to a local beekeeper in the San Francisco community. After a final breakfast on board, we disembark. On the transfer back to Iquitos airport, we make a special stop at the Manatee Rescue Center to observe how orphaned Amazonian manatees are rehabilitated for release back into the wild.

We board our private skiffs to navigate from the main Amazon channel into the Yanayacu Yacapana River. This is a prime location for birdwatching—keep your binoculars ready for black-collared hawks and tropical songbirds—as well as spotting three-toed sloths in the canopy. You will also have the chance to line-fish for piranhas. In the afternoon, we sail to the Yarapa River, a black-water tributary of the Ucayali. As night falls, we remain out to search for nocturnal wildlife and enjoy stargazing away from any light pollution.