Sea
Aqua Nera — Peruvian Amazon
Pacaya-Samiria, from Iquitos
Black water, morning mist and a ship quieter than the forest.
From Iquitos the route runs into the Pacaya-Samiria reserve, one of the largest flooded forests on earth. Excursions go out by skiff, early and late, when dolphins, sloths and hundreds of bird species are active.
The ship itself is surprisingly restrained: dark timber, wide glass, sixteen suites. At night it lies still in a side channel and the forest is louder than you expected.
Peru completes the journey: Lima, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu — and then the Amazon as a counterweight to the altitude.
Our view
Why we recommend it
Because in the Amazon a ship reaches places a lodge cannot stand. You change territory daily and still sleep in the same place.
- Best time to travel
- High water December to May (deep into the forest); low water June to November (walking and sandbanks).
- Suggested duration
- Three to seven nights, added to ten days in Peru.
- Who it is best for
- Naturalists, families with older children, travellers coming from Machu Picchu. Not for anyone who struggles with insects and humidity.
Pure Voyage note
Put the Amazon last. After the altiplano the heavy warm air is a relief; the other way round it is oppressive.
Along the way
Houses along the way
The addresses we suggest most often for this journey — as a starting point, not a fixed route.
Explora Valle Sagrado
Sacred Valley
Acclimatising and walking before Machu Picchu.
Palacio Nazarenas
Cusco
A 16th-century convent, now the quietest house in the city.
Hotel B
Lima, Barranco
Two final nights of art, cooking and sea air.
And then
Journeys that sit well beside it
Aqua Mekong
A small ship on a river that carries half the life of two countries.
Belmond Andean Explorer
South America's highest rail journey, taken slowly.
Galápagos by Private Yacht
Sixteen guests rather than a hundred — the same islands, an entirely different experience.
Whether this journey suits you is settled fastest in conversation.
Season, length and the houses before and after shape the result more than the route ever does.
Speak with the conciergeWhat surprises guests on the Amazon?
How little you see and how much you hear. Wildlife appears in moments rather than scenes — the skiff outings at dawn and dusk are the journey itself. High water, May to July, takes you deep into the flooded forest; low water opens sandbanks and walks. Both are good, simply different.
Noted by Pure Voyage
Common questions
What guests ask us about this
- Private yacht or small ship?
- A yacht gives you freedom over route and rhythm; a small ship removes the organising and the cost. From roughly eight people the yacht starts to make financial sense too.
- How far ahead should you book?
- Six to twelve months for the Mediterranean summer. Good crews and the sought-after weeks in July and September go first.
Continue through Pure Voyage
Where to go from here
Not a catalogue, but a next step: the houses, routes, countries and essays we would mention at this point in a conversation.
Hotels
Addresses that belong beside this page.
Destinations
The country at a glance.
Recommendations
What we suggest for this occasion.
Journal
Further reading before you decide.
An Invitation
Once a month: hotels, new openings and travel ideas
One hotel that convinced us, with our advice on suite and season. The openings that actually matter. And a destination at its best right now. No offers, no advertising.