Peru
Pacaya-Samiria Reserve
Pacaya-Samiria: Peru's Flooded Forest Reserve on the Amazon
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Visiting the Reserve
Entry to Pacaya-Samiria is possible only through an authorized operator, such as a river cruise, a lodge or a travel agency, so every outing is planned and guided by your boat's team. Most visitors arrive from Nauta, about two hours south of Iquitos.
- The reserve lies in the Loreto region of northeastern Peru and is the country's third-largest protected area.
- Eight areas are open to tourism. Lake El Dorado, in the Yanayacu-Pucate basin near Nauta, is the reserve's main tourist destination and one of its places with the most wildlife.
- The best time to visit is from May to January.
- Check vaccine recommendations at least 8 weeks before you travel; health risks in Peru include yellow fever, malaria and Zika.
People of the Reserve
About 40,000 people live inside the reserve, in more than 200 settlements, and many belong to the Kukama Kukamilla people. Organized community groups manage the turtles, fish and palm fruit of the reserve, and some also offer tourism services.
- Turtles: Community groups protect the eggs of the taricaya river turtle on nesting beaches and release the hatchlings into rivers and lakes. Since 2013 the population has risen from 0.3 to 9.1 turtles per kilometer, and more than 887,000 hatchlings were released in 2025.
- Palm fruit and fish: More than 388,000 hectares of aguaje palm forest are under sustainable management, and communities also manage fishing for paiche.
- Shared management: More than 90 communities take part in running the reserve.
- Kukama Kukamilla communities: At San Martín de Tipishca, at the start of the Samiria basin, a Kukama Kukamilla community offers routes on foot and by canoe.
- Souvenirs: Selling souvenirs made with wild animal parts is illegal in Peru, so do not buy them.
A Brief History
Pacaya-Samiria began in 1940 as a protected area for a single fish, the paiche, and grew in stages into one of Peru's largest reserves. It was among the first wetlands in the country listed under the Ramsar Convention.
- 2 June 1940: Part of the Pacaya River was set aside for the breeding of the paiche.
- 1944: The reserved area was extended to take in the Pacaya and Samiria river systems.
- 10 October 1968: A national reserve was created in the Pacaya basin to protect the paiche, the black caiman and the giant otter, and private logging, hunting and fishing were banned there.
- 25 February 1972: The whole Samiria river system was reserved, joining the Pacaya area to form the Pacaya-Samiria reserve.
- 4 February 1982: The national reserve was established at 2,080,000 hectares.
- 30 March 1992: The reserve was listed as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
- 2007: The reserve's limits were modified on 25 January.
- 2025: The reserve received more than 15,000 visitors.
Pacaya-Samiria with Children
Pacaya-Samiria is a wildlife trip, seen from the boat and from guided outings on the rivers and lakes, and the animal list works for every age. It is hot and wet, with temperatures often above 34°C, so plan for sun and rain.
- Younger children: Watch for pink and gray river dolphins, and for macaws.
- School age: Make a spotting list from the reserve's species: Amazonian manatees, giant otters, red howler and woolly monkeys, capybaras, black caimans and charapa and taricaya turtles. More than 440 bird species have been recorded.
- Teenagers: Ask about the turtle program. Communities move taricaya eggs to protected incubation beaches, and the hatchlings emerge in November.
- The seasons: From November to April the rivers rise and animals gather on the higher ground; from May to October the water falls, white sand beaches appear along the rivers, and turtles nest on them.
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