Sandoval Lake tour: Giant otters & canopy walk

Watch giant otters play at sunset and drift to the jungle’s night chorus by the lake

A 3-day tour from Puerto Maldonado into Tambopata National Reserve, ending at Sandoval Lake with two nights in a jungle lodge. You hike through old-growth forest on day one, paddle the lake on day two to spot giant river otters and monkeys, and walk the canopy bridges on day three before returning to the city.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and jungle exploration

• Reception and transfer to lodge office
• Boat ride to lodge and welcome drink
• Two-hour guided forest hike
• Visit Monkey Island after lunch
• Night caiman search by river
• Dinner and overnight at lodge

Day 2: Lake Sandoval and night walk

• Early breakfast and boat to Lake Sandoval entrance
• Walk 3 km to Lake Sandoval
• Rowing boat tour to observe wildlife
• Return to lodge for lunch
• Evening night walk to see nocturnal animals
• Dinner and rest

Day 3: Canopy walk and departure

• Early morning canopy walkway tour
• Breakfast after walk
• Return to city

The experience

The tour starts with airport or bus station pickup and a one-hour boat ride upriver to the lodge. After settling in, you walk two hours through dense tropical forest with a local guide, passing trees over five hundred years old and watching for toucans, orioles, parrots, monkeys, and snakes. In the afternoon you cross the Madre de Dios River to Monkey Island to see brown capuchins, squirrel monkeys, and tamarins. At night the guide takes you along the riverbank with a flashlight to search for caimans and capybaras, the world's largest rodents.

Day two moves to Sandoval Lake itself. After an early breakfast and a short boat ride, you walk three kilometers through the forest to reach the lake, one of the largest in the reserve. Once there, the guide rows you across open water to spot hoatzin cormorants, puma herons, eagles, howler monkeys, and sloths. If conditions align, you may see the giant river otters (nearly two meters long and endangered), or the massive alligators that live in the lake. The evening brings a night walk to observe insects, amphibians, and nocturnal reptiles.

Day three starts at 5:30 a.m. with the canopy walkway: a series of bridges suspended roughly 30 meters above the forest floor, offering a view of the rainforest from above and a panoramic sight of the Madre de Dios River. From the platforms you watch for toucans and macaws. After breakfast you return to Puerto Maldonado. The tour includes all pickups, lodge accommodation for two nights, and a bilingual guide in English or Spanish. Entrance fees to Tambopata National Reserve are paid separately.

What’s included

• Airport or bus station pickup and return transfer to the lodge.
• two nights of accommodation in the jungle lodge.
• a specialized bilingual guide in English or Spanish throughout the three days.
• all boat rides on the Madre de Dios River and Sandoval Lake.
• access to the canopy walkway on day three.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

GroupUp to 12

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 16 pickup points.

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

Paid on siteUS$ 20

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effort

Operated by IZI PERU

Is this one for you?The 3-day length fits travelers who want to move beyond a single day trip and spend real time in the rainforest watching for wildlife and exploring different zones (the river, the lake, and the canopy) without committing to a longer expedition.

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

What animals might I see on the boat ride across Sandoval Lake?

Sandoval Lake holds hoatzin cormorants, puma herons, eagles, howler monkeys, squirrel monkeys, black capuchins, tamarins, and sloths. Giant river otters nearly two meters long live here and are endangered. Large alligators also inhabit the lake, with the largest on record over four meters long.

How high is the canopy walkway on day three?

The canopy walkway runs approximately 30 meters above the forest floor. The bridges let you see the rainforest from above and look out across the Madre de Dios River, with views of toucans and macaws in the canopy.

What happens on the first night after the two-hour forest hike?

After lunch and the Monkey Island visit, you go on a caiman search along the Madre de Dios River at night with a flashlight. You may spot capybaras, which can weigh up to 60 kilos and are the world's largest rodents, before returning to the lodge for dinner.

How far is the walk from the Sandoval Lake entrance to the lake itself?

The walk from the checkpoint to Sandoval Lake is three kilometers, roughly two miles through the forest. A short boat ride gets you to the entrance after an early breakfast on day two.

Is the tour suitable if I'm not very fit?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. The walks are paced by the guide, and you can rest at the lodge between activities.