Expedition Cruise: Nauta>Nauta

Arriving on a noon flight, receive a warm welcome at Iquitos International Airport by our crew. Board our private transfer and enjoy a pleasant light lunch as we head to Nauta port to embark on the Aria Amazon. Settle into your generously sized suite as you begin one of life’s greatest adventures. Following an introduction to our naturalist guides and a routine safety drill, gather at the restaurant for the first of many Amazonian cuisine experiences created by Aria Amazon’s renowned consulting chef, Pedro Miguel Schiaffino.

Begin the day’s adventures near the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, cruising along Yanayacu Pucate in our private skiffs. Here, fish for Amazonia’s notoriously ferocious piranhas while we keep an eye out for other exotic wildlife. Visit an Amazon village to interact with native ribereños (people of the river) and witness a demonstration of Aguaje palm harvesting. Canoe and swim in the area’s enchanting black waters, while staying on the lookout for the legendary pink dolphins. After lunch, take a jungle walk in Casual’s Forest and look for flora and fauna including medicinal trees, insects, and poison dart frogs.

This morning, visit the local fresh market with your guides who can identify the day’s catch by the Amazonian fishermen as well as the region’s exotic fruits. After breakfast, take a short boat ride along Marañon River where you will have the opportunity to visit a group of Amazonian artisans and learn the art of weaving palm fibers, as traditionally done in the Peruvian Amazon. In the afternoon, visit a beekeeper in the community of San Francisco before heading out on skiffs to witness one of the great spectacles of the Southern Hemisphere, the birthplace of the Amazon River. At night, meet the new passengers who have signed on for the four-night trip, as we start our journey along the Marañon River.

If you wish, get an early start and head out for a wildlife search along the Ucayali River. Later, head out on skiffs in search of pink river dolphins and witness the local farmers and fishermen go about their business. At dusk, ride along the black waters of El Dorado River, searching for the mysterious wildlife that comes out after dark. Finally, after dinner, board the skiffs again to cruise along Dorado Lake for a search of nocturnal animals amidst a clear sky full of stars.

Start the day with a hearty breakfast, before heading out to explore the Zapote River on skiffs. This will be a full-day river safari with a picnic lunch under the Amazonian shade. Walk in the floodplain forest and learn about the medicinal trees, insects, and frogs which inhabit the region. Later, cruise along the Ucayali River and enjoy the stunning sunset.

We start the day searching for wildlife along the Ucayali River. After breakfast, choose to go fishing for piranhas, canoe, kayak, swim in the black water Clavero Lake, or visit an Amazonian village. In the afternoon, we explore the Yarapa River by skiff, in search of different kinds of wildlife. This evening before dinner, meet the crewmembers who have been working behind the scenes to ensure your exceptional experiences aboard the Aria Amazon.

In the morning, take a guided visit to the local market and marvel at the regional produce of the Peruvian Amazon. Return to Aria Amazon for breakfast before disembarkation. En route to the airport, visit the Manatee Rescue Center, where orphaned Amazonian manatees rehabilitate before they are released back into the wild.