The Tahuayo Lodges

Why Two Amazon Lodges?

The Amazon Rainforest has some of the greatest biodiversity you can find within any single trip – but that doesn’t mean you’ll spot all those different species in one place within the rainforest. The Amazon has biodiversity because it is a complex mosaic of different ecosystems – and our two lodges, the Tahuayo Lodge and Amazon Research Center Lodge, have been strategically placed to help you to see the largest variety of creatures across those ecosystems. Read on to learn about our facilities and about the different kinds of animals you might spot at each of our lodges.

Our Rustic and Relaxing Center of Activity

The Tahuayo Lodge

Welcome to the Tahuayo Lodge – our main lodge located in the heart of the Amazon. Amazonia’s main lodge on the Tahuayo River is not a resort, nor a hotel, but a comfortable lodge, suitable for adventurous travelers wishing to experience the Amazon Rainforest. Our vision with the Tahuayo Lodge is to provide our guests with most of the comforts of home while still remaining deeply connected to the nature all around us. The main lodge offers our famous Canopy Experience, all-inclusive Peruvian/ International style buffet meals, private bathrooms, WI-FI, and electricity (limited) provided by solar panels. Please let us know ahead of time if you require special dietary accomodations.

A Cozy Stay In Our Screened Cabins

Your Room at the Main Lodge

There are seventeen cabins at our main lodge; some are honeymoon cabins, with a king-size bed, others are cabins with two beds and a few are family style cabins with two floors with a full bed on the first floor and several single beds on the second floor. More than half of the cabins now have new private bathrooms. The others, often used for student groups, have shared bathrooms. Each cabin is raised above the jungle floor on stilts and is connected to other buildings of the lodge by a raised boardwalk. Our modern flush toilets and warm water showers use a sanitary septic system.

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A Cozy Stay In Our Screened Cabins

Your Room at the Main Lodge

There are seventeen cabins at our main lodge; some are honeymoon cabins, with a king-size bed, others are cabins with two beds and a few are family style cabins with two floors with a full bed on the first floor and several single beds on the second floor. More than half of the cabins now have new private bathrooms. The others, often used for student groups, have shared bathrooms. Each cabin is raised above the jungle floor on stilts and is connected to other buildings of the lodge by a raised boardwalk. Our modern flush toilets and showers use a sanitary septic system.

Different Species Can Be Found At Each Lodge

Wildlife at the Tahuayo Lodge

From the Tahuayo Lodge we can explore several different ecosystems: igapo (actually several different categories of igapo as described by Dr. Randall Myster in his book Igapo forests of the Amazon Basin – he did much of his investigations for his research from our lodges); tahuampa (or flooded forest); terra firme forest and cochas (remnant oxbow lakes) in various stages of ecological succession. What this means in a practical sense is that from the Tahuayo Lodge you will be able to get into ecosystems that have pink dolphins, sloths, night monkeys, manakins, trogons, howler monkeys, poison dart frogs, jacanas, pygmy marmosets, neotropical river otters, harlequin toads, tamarins and other species not typically found in the ecosystems near the research center.

International and Peruvian Cuisine

Comforting Wholesome Meals

Classic Ceviche

Passionfruit Cheesecake

Salted Beef with Yuca

Catfish with Salsa

A Secluded Stay in the Heart of the Jungle

The Amazon Research Center Lodge

Formally registered as an official Research Institution recognized by CONCYTEC (Consejo Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación), the Amazon Research Center Peru Lodge (ARC) is located approximately 15 km upriver from the main Tahuayo Lodge. The ARC Lodge is smaller, quieter, more remote and in more pristine undisturbed forest with a different variety of wildlife. The centerpiece of the ARC is our trail grid system, the largest of its kind in the Amazon with 55 miles (75 km) of trails spread over more than 1000 acres (2200 ha) and slicing through four different ecosystems. While it is less opulent than our main lodge, the arc is cozy and quiet with private cabins, a hammock room, 24 hour electricity by solar panels, Wi-Fi through satellite connection, warm water showers and modern plumbing (in shared facilities) and delicious buffet-style meals.

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Delve Into The Depths Of The Trail Grid

Wildlife at the ARC

With the largest scientific trail system offered in the Amazon we have access to 4 different ecosystems as well as greater chances of seeing wildlife due to the ARC’s secluded location – 15km from the nearest man-made structure. The ecosystems near the ARC that you can’t access from the main lodge are the high and low restinga forest, bajial forest, aguajal (palm swamp), a different kind of terra firme forest, and also cochas in different stages of ecological succession. From these ecosystems, we can find giant river otters, sakis, capuchins, woolly monkeys, titi monkeys, blue and yellow macaws, tamandua, large caiman and other species not usually encountered near to the main lodge. 

 

Your Convenient Stay in Iquitos

Vista Amazonica Bed & Breakfast

For our guests convenience we also offer our bed & breakfast service in Iquitos city. A great addition to our main office and port complex, the rooms here are exclusively offered to our jungle guests, so you will not find much information about it online except on our website. It is located right on the riverbank and is only a few minutes away from the main plaza (tourist district) by motor taxi. If you have the time, it is a great place to stay for a few days before or after your visit to our lodges. These rooms fill up fast so please let us know well in advance if you wish to add a stay at “Vista Amazonica” to enhance your trip!

 

Explore More of the World

Specialty Tours

Here at Amazonia Expeditions, we have annual and unique trips throughout the year that you can join. Look below to find a trip that you can join before seats run out!

Camping Adventure

Survival Expedition

Andes Adventure

Worldwide Expeditions

What Our Guests Are Saying

★★★★★

“Our time in the jungle was an absolute highlight on our trip to Peru! Truly amazing! …Again, we had the most wonderful time. Almost more than words can say. The jungle and the Tahuayo Lodge hold very special places in our hearts and CAN NOT WAIT to return. Thank you again for offering such an amazing trip.”

Erika

★★★★★

I saw tons of wildlife and it was fantastic being able to customize my experience with my private guide. A big thanks for all the work you do to benefit the community and the rainforest and for being an ethical tour company that doesn’t allow tourists to fondle captive wildlife.

 

Ashlyn H

★★★★★

“All the staff were so friendly and helpful. We appreciated that the staff is well paid with full social benefits (health, retirement, paid vacation)”

Brett C

★★★★★

Our trip was INCREDIBLE. The lodge was great, the food was amazing, and the staff were all so friendly. We loved our stays at the B&B, the main lodge, and the ARC.

Renee

Amazonia Expeditions, Inc., Travel Agency, Tampa, FL

Estefani Mishel Maytahuari

Mishel got her degree in tourism from Nauta Institute in 2016. After working as a guide with other companies, Mishel came to study with Amazonia Expeditions as a training guide in 2023. Mishel was promoted to head guide in 2025.

Leyner Arian Ijuma

Leyner got his degree as a tour guide in 2010 at the Nauta Institute and came to work at Amazonia Expeditions in 2021. He was promoted to head guide in 2023. He has biological field work experience from supporting Nicholas Gardner of the University of Florida who he helped study the adaptations of birds in seasonally flooded igapo forests. Birding is one of Leyner's strongest skills.

Julio Pacaya

Julio finished his studies as a tour guide at the Nauta Institute in 2016 and came to work as a training guide with Amazonia Expeditions in 2021. He was promoted to head guide in 2023. Nature photography and birding are among Julio's strongest skills. Julio is fluent in English and French, as well as his native tongue of Spanish.

Claudio Huayllahua Sánchez

Claudio was born and grew up in El Chino Village on the Tahuayo River. He studied primary school in El Chino and continued his education in Iquitos, earning a technical degree from SENATI Institute. He started working for Amazonia Expeditions in 2014 as a field research assistant with several biologists and as an assistant guide. Claudio was promoted to head guide in 2017 and is our camping and jungle survival specialist.

Hersog Chavez Yuyarima

Hersog first got the idea of becoming a guide after watching the tourist boats going by his village every day. He was fascinated that tourists would come to see his home and he loved the way that the guides he saw did their work. He knew that someday he wanted to be just like them. Hersog studied at technical school for 3 years leaning the basics of guiding. After graduating, Hersog worked as a guide for several years working with Peruvian tourists, later coming to work for Amazonia in 2017. Hersog was promoted to head guide in 2019. He has worked as a field research assistant in the study of the elusive pygmy marmoset. Hersog is known for his sharp eyes and his unique stories about the jungle.

Lander Juan Peña Ramirez

Lander was born in the remote jungle community of Santa Victoria. His boyhood dream was to become to best jungle guide in the Amazon. Lander studied at a local institute for several years where he learned basic English and the foundations of the being a tour guide. Later he worked for several years at other jungle loges as a guide, honing his skills as a survival camping guide. Lander came to work for Amazonia Expeditions in 2017 and along with a strong interest in birding and fishing is also one of our lead camping and survival guides.

Aladino Jr. Hidalgo

Aladino was born and raised in El Diamante Village along the Blanco River and attended school in the community of “Valentin” on the Tahuayo River. During this period, Aladino worked with his father as a trailblazer, assisting primate researchers who came to study at a local field station. Afterwards, he moved to Lima where he worked for several years while studying guiding & English. Upon returning in 2019, he was hired by Amazonia as a field assistant and actively supported researchers studying giant river otters, pygmy marmosets, and various bird species. He then joined Amazonia Expeditions as a guide assistant and was later promoted to head guide in 2022.

Jhony Hidalgo

Jhony was born and raised in El Diamante Village along the Blanco River. He attended primary school in his home village and high school in the community of “Valentin” on the Tahuayo River. Jhony later pursued further studies in Iquitos, where he obtained a guide degree from the Milagro Fe & Alegria Institute. After graduating, he worked at the Amazon Rescue Center in Iquitos (CREA), guiding visitors to the center. In 2021 he joined Amazonia Expeditions as a guide assistant and was promoted to head guide in 2023.

Sila Hidalgo

Sila was born and raised in El Diamante Village along the Blanco River. She attended primary school in Diamante village and high school in the community of “El Chino” on the Tahuayo River. Her family moved to El Chino so Sila could attend high school, as it was the closest village offering secondary education. Later, Sila joined our Angels (AoA) scholarship program to further her education in Iquitos, where she earned a guide degree from the Milagro Fe & Alegria Institute. She completed her internship at Tahuayo Lodge. After graduating, Sila began her career with Amazonia Expeditions as a guide assistant and was promoted to head guide in 2022.

Welister Perez

Welister grew up in the small community of Padre Cocha just outside of Iquitos City. He lived there for most of his life, and later worked at several jungle lodges before starting at Amazonia Expeditions. Welister has proven himself as both a talented jungle man and team player with an eagle eye for spotting wildlife. After several months of training with Amazonia he was promoted to a head guiding position in 2017.

Javier Anibal Alván Arévalo

Javier has worked at the Amazonia Expeditions lodges for 10 years, starting as a young teenager as an assistant in building repair, then moving up to motorboat pilot, then camping assistant and assistant guide, and after passing his guide exams with high grades was promoted to head guide in 2014. Javier is also our Canopy Zipline specialist and has taken professional certification classes in Costa Rica. Javier is also a fishing specialist and is beloved by families with children.