Amazon tour Puerto Maldonado: Sandoval Lake & rainforest

Two days in the Amazon: rainforest walks, a lake full of wildlife, and a night hunt for alligators

A 2-day tour from Puerto Maldonado into Tambopata National Reserve, staying overnight at a jungle lodge with meals included. You walk rainforest trails guided by a local expert, boat across Sandoval Lake to spot giant otters and caimans, visit Monkey Island on the Madre de Dios River, and search for white alligators by flashlight at night. The lodge sits an hour upriver by boat from the city.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and rainforest introduction

• Reception and transfer to lodge office
• Boat transfer to hostel
• Welcome meeting with fruit juice
• Room installation and rest
• Two-hour guided forest walk
• Lunch at the lodge
• Visit Monkey Island
• Night search for white alligators and capybaras
• Dinner and rest

Day 2: Sandoval Lake exploration and return

• Breakfast at the lodge
• 3 km walk to Sandoval Lake
• Rowing boat ride on Sandoval Lake
• Lunch at the lodge
• Return to city and transfer to bus station

The experience

The tour starts with airport or bus terminal pickup and a one-hour boat ride upriver to Monte Amazónico Lodge, where you settle into your room and meet the group over a regional fruit juice. That afternoon, a local guide leads a two-hour walk through dense rainforest on marked trails, pointing out trees over five hundred years old and the animals that live in them: toucans, macaws, orioles, monkeys, snakes, butterflies. The forest sits inside Tambopata National Reserve, a protected area of 278,000 hectares. After lunch back at the lodge, you cross the Madre de Dios River to Monkey Island to watch capuchin monkeys in their habitat. At night, you take a boat out with a flashlight to hunt for white alligators on the sandbars and spot capybaras, the world's largest rodents, which can weigh up to 60 kilos.

Day two centers on Sandoval Lake, one of the largest in the reserve and home to piranhas. After breakfast, you walk three kilometers through the rainforest to reach it, then board a rowing boat to drift across the water. The lake holds a variety of bird and monkey species: shansho, cormorant, jacanas, puma garza, monk friar, black machin, pichicos and sloth monkeys. Giant otters, nearly two meters long and endangered, sometimes appear here, as do the largest caimans on record, over four meters. You return to the lodge for a typical lunch, then transfer back to Puerto Maldonado and the bus station in the afternoon.

Breakfast and dinner are included both nights. The guide speaks English and Spanish. Pickup from the airport or land terminal is part of the booking.

What’s included

• Airport or bus terminal pickup in Puerto Maldonado.
• one night at Monte Amazónico Lodge.
• breakfast and dinner both days.
• a two-hour guided rainforest walk on day one.
• visit to Monkey Island across the Madre de Dios River.
• a night boat search for white alligators.
• a three-kilometer walk through rainforest to Sandoval Lake on day two.
• a rowing boat across Sandoval Lake to spot wildlife.
• transfer back to Puerto Maldonado and the bus station on day two afternoon.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (18 to 49 years) · Senior (50 to 60 years) · Youth (11 to 17 years) · Child (4 to 10 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupUp to 10

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 3 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 6 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Monte Amazonico Lodge

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English and Spanish, so you can follow the commentary comfortably in either language. The two-day format fits the main attractions (rainforest, Monkey Island, and Sandoval Lake) into a single overnight trip from Puerto Maldonado, without the time commitment of a longer expedition.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (11 to 17 years); Child (4 to 10 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What animals might I see on the rainforest trails and at Sandoval Lake?

The trails and lake hold macaws, toucans, orioles, and several monkey species including capuchins and sloth monkeys. Giant otters, nearly two meters long, live in the lake and are sometimes spotted. Caimans over four meters long inhabit the water, and piranhas live in Sandoval Lake itself. You may also see capybaras, the world's largest rodents, especially during the night search.

How long is the boat ride from Puerto Maldonado to the lodge?

The transfer from the airport or bus terminal to Monte Amazónico Lodge takes about one hour by boat upriver on the Madre de Dios River.

Is the rainforest walk difficult, and how long does it take?

The walk on day one lasts two hours and follows marked trails through dense forest. The walk on day two to reach Sandoval Lake covers three kilometers through rainforest. Both are guided by a local expert who sets the pace.

What happens on the night alligator search, and is it safe?

After dinner on the first night, you board a boat with a flashlight to search for white alligators on the sandbars of the Madre de Dios River. The guide leads the search and you return to the lodge afterward.

What meals are included, and what is the food like?

Breakfast and dinner are included both nights. On day two you also have a typical lunch at the lodge after returning from Sandoval Lake.

Do I need to arrange my own transport to Puerto Maldonado, or is it included?

Pickup from Puerto Maldonado airport or the land bus terminal is included in the booking. You are transferred to the Monte Amazónico office, then to the boat dock for the ride upriver to the lodge.