32 Best Hotels in The Amazon Basin, Peru

This bare-bones camp operated by the tour company Pantiacolla is near Cocha Salvador, an oxbow lake in Manu's Reserved Zone, which is home to an amazing array of wildlife. Platforms under palm-thatched roofs and surrounded by mosquito screening are just big enough to fit two single beds; shared toilets and showers are housed in a separate structure. Meals are served in a screened dining hall with a thatched roof. The reward for enduring such spartan accommodations is the chance to see more than 100 bird species, various types of monkeys, and countless other animals.

At the edge of the cloud forest in the Manu Cultural Zone, affording an amazing view of the lush Kosñipata River valley, InkaNatura’s property takes its name from Peru's red-and-black national bird, which can usually be seen nearby, along with dozens of other avian species, among them 35 types of hummingbirds. The bungalows are the most comfortable in Manu, with balconies, good beds, and private, hot-water bathrooms. It is usually combined with the Manu Wildlife Center on a one-week trip.

A short boat ride down the Madre de Dios River from Puerto Maldonado, this lodge provides an affordable introduction to the rainforest and easy access to beautiful Lago Sandoval. Thatched, wooden bungalows with private baths and balconies provide more privacy than rooms at most of the area's lodges, as well as easy access to a main building with a bar, restaurant, and swimming pool. In addition to the lodge's resident macaws and toucans, the surrounding forest holds an array of other animals. Guests will see even more wildlife on a trip to nearby Lago Sandoval, which is included in two- and three-night stays.

A good option for travelers who want to experience the rainforest in comfort or are short on time, this lodge is in a 2,000-acre private nature reserve with a small lake and plenty of wildlife. Guest rooms are removed from the jungle, sharing the main lodge with the restaurant and bar. Spacious, thatched bungalows with screened walls and a sitting area with a couch and hammock offer more exposure to the rainforest. Rates include guided tours to Lago Sandoval, the Reserva Amazonica Canopy Walkway, and other local attractions.

The spacious screened bungalows at this InkaNatura-owned lodge are among the most comfortable accommodations in Madre de Dios, and they're in a remote area where you often see such rare animals as tapirs or jaguars. Located on the river at the edge of a protected forest traversed by miles of trails, the center offers access to a collpa visited by hundreds of parrots and macaws. A 90-minute hike takes you to a savannah-like ecosystem that's home to animals found nowhere else in Peru. The tour that combines a stay here with one at the Sandoval Lake Lodge is highly recommended.

Although a major expansion has diminished the charm of this hotel, once a tranquil spot with wooden bungalows, it is still Puerto Maldonado's second-best accommodation. The air-conditioned bungalows, with wood floors, double beds, and picture windows are pleasant enough, but doubles and triples are uninspiring. Rooms with ceiling fans are quite inexpensive, though cramped. There's a large lounge with several computers for guest use and a small pool. The restaurant is good and serves popular lunch specials. The hotel offers free airport transfers.

Located deep in the wilderness of the Manu Biosphere Reserve, this InkaNatura property has elevated bungalows, each with screened walls, two single beds, mosquito nets, and a private bathroom with cold-water shower. It's rustic, but the focus here is less on creature comforts and more on seeing rare creatures such as tapirs, peccaries, and various monkey species. The nearby oxbow lake Cocha Salvador is home to giant otters. This lodge is combined with other InkaNatura properties on four- to seven-night tours.

Though outside the Manu Biosphere Reserve, the Manu Wildlife Center is still a great place to see animals, since it is close to macaw and tapir collpas and has 48 km (30 miles) of rainforest trails. The center is jointly operated by InkaNatura Travel and Manu Expeditions, both of which are known for their expert guides and attention to details. Raised, thatched-roof bungalows have screened walls and tiled hot-water baths. Electricity is available in the main building for a few hours each night. The lodge can be visited on tours that travel from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado or shorter tours that begin and end in Puerto Maldonado.

Guest rooms are in long buildings with high, thatched roofs, and wide, screenless windows; mosquito nets protect sleepers, and kerosene lanterns provide light at night, though the bar/restaurant and superior rooms have electricity. The lodge is owned by the Ese'Eja Indian community of Infierno, but operated by Rainforest Expeditions. Activities include nature walks in a 14,820-acre protected rainforest, a boat tour of Lago Tres Chimbadas, an observation tower, and a medicinal-plant tour led by an Ese'Eja shaman.

Nestled in the cloud forest of the Manu Biosphere Reserve Cultural Zone, midway between Cusco and the Pantiacolla Lodge, this small lodge offers earthy accommodations amid extraordinary scenery and bird life. It is an obligatory stop on trips to Pantiacolla's lodges deeper in the reserve and is an excellent base for seeing colorful hummingbirds, tanagers, and the incomparable cock-of the-rock. Basic rooms are in four thatched, wooden duplexes, near which are a building with toilets and hot-water showers and a simple dining room.

One of three lodges on the Tambopata River run by Rainforest Expeditions, the refugio lies within a 500-acre protected forest that is contiguous with the Tambopata National Reserve, so it has plenty of wildlife. Spacious rooms are separated by cane walls, with screenless windows and drapes instead of doors. The romantic Amazon Villa is by far the nicest room in this region. Comfort rooms and above have Wi-Fi, and all have electricity. Activities include visiting a macaw clay lick, hikes, an observation tower, and kayaking.

With a massive thatched restaurant and airy bungalows overlooking the Madre de Dios River, Reserva Amazónica is this region's fanciest lodge. Its 42,000-acre private nature reserve is traversed by trails and features a canopy walkway with suspension bridges strung between treetop platforms, but it has much less wildlife than most lodges' reserves. It is home to jungle rodents called agoutis and an array of birds; but you'll see more wildlife on the (recommended) half-day trip to nearby Lago Sandoval. Dinners feature excellent regional cuisine and attentive service.

Offering comfortable accommodations inside the Manu Reserved Zone, several hours by boat up the Manu River, the Romero Rainforest Lodge provides access to impressive natural attractions (including two oxbow lakes). Rooms in thatched, wooden buildings have private bathrooms with hot water, screened windows, and small porches. You might see several species of monkeys and such rare birds as the agami heron and black-faced cotinga here. It is visited on InkaNatura Travel's six- and seven-day tours into the Biosphere Reserve.

Despite its relative proximity to Puerto Maldonado, this lodge sits deep in the rainforest, overlooking lovely Lago Sandoval, inside the Tambopata National Reserve, so there is plenty of wildlife. Small but comfortable rooms have private baths, hot-water showers, fans, and electricity during certain hours. A stay includes excursions on the lake and into the surrounding forest to see monkeys, macaws, herons, caimans, and rare giant otters. To get here, you take a 30-minute boat ride down the Madre de Dios River from Puerto Maldonado, hike 3 km (2 miles) down a muddy forest trail, then get into a canoe for a 30-minute paddle across the lake.

In the heart of the Tambopata National Reserve, this remote, rustic lodge is one of the best places in Peru to experience the wildlife and diversity of the Amazon rainforest. You can expect to see dozens of bird species, several kinds of monkeys, peccaries (wild pigs), and, if lucky, a jaguar or puma. All rooms have private bathrooms and electricity, at least part of the day; some have Wi-Fi. Due to the distance, stays here are combined with overnights at the Refugio Amazonas on four- or five-night tours.

Bungalows at this unique jungle lodge are perched high in the branches of tropical trees, providing an unforgettable bird's-eye view of the rainforest and a 24-hour jungle soundtrack. Circular treehouses, with thatched roofs have screened walls and curtains, are reached by suspension bridges and are surrounded by greenery. You may spot monkeys, toucans, and other wildlife in nearby branches. Bungalows have comforts you might not expect to find in a treehouse, like lights, ceiling fans, toilets, and cold-water showers. Three-course meals, often featuring fresh river fish, are served in a large, thatched restaurant with screened walls and a second-floor lounge. Daily tours include forest hikes, opportunities to see river dolphins, and fishing.