AQUA - 04 DAYS / 03 NIGHTS - HIGH SEASON

DAY 1: IQUITOS/AMAZON RIVER
Embarkation and Check-In
From the moment you step on board, enjoy the AQUA AMAZON’s low-key luxury. As you settle into your handsomely appointed, generously proportioned suite, you will feel the vessel begin to move –the beginning of one of your life’s great adventures. We suggest you stand on the Upper Deck to take in the view, as the AQUA AMAZON leaves Iquitos behind.
Over the next three days, you will also sail along the two largest tributaries of the Peruvian Amazon, the Ucayali and the Marañon, as well as on the mighty Amazon itself. You are embarking on a spectacular journey to a place visited by only a very few of even the most experienced world travelers.
Safety Drill and Briefing on the Upper Deck
Before dinner we will perform a routine safety drill. Then it’s into the air-conditioned lounge, where you will learn about life on board, and will have the first nightly briefing about your next day’s Amazon adventure. You will meet our naturalist guides and your cruise director, who will use video, photos, and maps to introduce the details of your journey deep into the Peruvian Amazon.
Welcome Dinner
Sit down, relax, sip fine South American wine, toast the beginning of a beautiful journey and enjoy the innovative Amazonian cuisine, created by our Executive Chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, whose restaurant, Malabar, is the one of Lima’s top ranked dining experiences.
Schiaffino’s imaginative use of local products – fruit, fish, spices – makes every meal a delightful adventure. (The menu always offers choices, including a vegetarian option.)
Perhaps sip a nightcap on the Upper Deck, under the stars, before retiring.

DAY 2: AMAZON RIVER/ YARAPA RIVER / NAUTA CAÑO (PACAYA SAMIRIA NATIONAL RESERVE)
Amazon River Expedition
Wake up early to watch the sunrise for the first time on the Amazon River, a first, dramatic glimpse of your upcoming adventures. Return to the AQUA AMAZON Breakfast
Our sumptuous daily breakfast buffet features a wide variety of dishes, plus Peruvian specialties and fresh fruit juices.
Yarapa River Exploration and Fishing in Moringo Lake This morning you will board our comfortable skiff to sail from the Amazon River to the Yarapa River. Life jackets, ponchos, rubber boots, and fresh water are always available in our private boats. As you float down the Yarapa, past the occasional fishermen paddling in their canoes, keep your binoculars ready to spot wildlife: terns, tropical songbirds, black collared hawks and sloth share this wonderful world with us. Upon our arrival at Lake Moringo, use your hooks to try to catch some of the ferocious piranhas and other fish species. As you fish, trained naturalist guides will tell the story of the lake and its inhabitants.
Return to AQUA AMAZON
Cold towels await you back aboard the AQUA AMAZON. As the ship continues down the Amazon River, you have free time to rest or take a nap before lunch.
Lunch
Enjoy a light lunch in our dining room with air conditioning.
Lecture in the lounge by our naturalist guides.
Excursion to Nauta Caño
Nauta Caño is part of the Pacaya Samiria Reserve, also known as the Forest of Mirrors due to its dark lagoons, which reflect the scenery. In this area we will observe toucans, macaws, and iguanas, among many other species. In this area we may observe and hear toucans, macaws and iguanas. As we head back to the AQUA AMAZON, you will enjoy one of the most incredible sunsets reflected in the black water of the flooded forest.
Return to AQUA AMAZON
Before dinner, sip a pisco sour on the upper deck at dusk
Dinner

DAY 3: MARAÑON RIVER / YANAYACU – PUCATE RIVER (PACAYA SAMIRIA NATIONAL RESERVE)
Yanayacu – Pucate River Excursion with Breakfast This morning, we visit the Yanayacu – Pucate River in Pacaya Samiria National Reserve. On the black water river you can observe the vibrant flora and fauna while looking for macaws and several species of primates like the capuchins and squirrel monkeys as well as the famous Amazon River dolphins, either pink or gray.
Amazonian people hold the belief that these dolphins possess the magical power to turn into men and women of great beauty. We will enjoy a light breakfast on board, consisting of homemade baked goods, hot coffee and fresh juice.
We stop near a quiet place where you will see and hear quite a show put on by Mother Nature while you enjoy your meal.
Return to AQUA AMAZON
Cooking Lesson
Lunch
Marañon Exploration and Walk Along the Casual trail.
We sail along the Marañon River, watching the different species of flora and fauna as we approach the Casual community where we will hike on land. Here you will see a plethora of wildlife, so keep your binoculars ready to observe tanagers and orioles as well as various reptiles and amphibians. Keep an eye out for the beautiful and eye-catching but poisonous frogs along this fascinating trail, as well as trees and medicinal plants.
Return to AQUA AMAZON
Crew Presentation
Towards the Birth of the Amazon River and Dinner While you dine, we continue our journey upstream, toward the headwaters of the Amazon River, where the Ucayali and Marañon Rivers merge.

DAY 4: BIRTHPLACE OF THE AMAZON / VILLAGE VISIT/ NAUTA CITY /TRANSFER TO THE AIRPORT
Breakfast
Travel Briefing
Birthplace of the Amazon
This morning, the AQUA AMAZON skirts the edge of the vast Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, a flooded forest covering five million acres at the headwaters of the Amazon basin. Get up early to see one of the great spectacles of the Southern Hemisphere: the sun rising over the origin of the Amazon River. Here, the junction of two major tributaries, the Ucayali and the Marañon, form one of the greatest waterfalls in the world – certainly this is nature at its most captivating. Your morning excursion will be accompanied by abundant bird song, as you glide in our small boats past large-billed terns, laughing falcons, exotic short-tailed parrot, and dozens of other vibrantly hued birds.
Village Visit
We will travel by boat to a community located along the Marañon River, where you will meet and interact with local villagers in this remote part of the world and learn about their traditions and folklore. Walk around with our naturalist guides to see how Aqua Expeditions works with these communities to improve their natural resource management. You will also have the opportunity to shop for local handicrafts directly from the artisans.
Return to AQUA AMAZON
Light Lunch
Disembarkation / Manatee Rescue Center / Transfer to the Airport
This afternoon, we will take you to the Manatee Rescue Center, a kind of animal orphanage for Amazonian manatees to rescue, rehabilitate and release them back into the wild. Later, we stop at the Amazonian Indian Market San Juan, where, you may wish to shop for local crafts before leaving.
Guides will help with check in at the airport and stay with you until you have boarded your flight back to Lima.

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