Bahuaja Sonene National Park was created on July 17, 1996, under Supreme Decree No. 012-96-AG with the mission of protecting the only sample of the tropical wet savanna ecosystem of Peru and its exquisite characteristic fauna, such as the maned wolves and the deer of the swamps, emblematic species of the pampas of the Heath river that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the country. Today we celebrate 24 years since its foundation.
This Amazonian beauty has an extension that exceeds one million hectares and is located in the north of Puno and in the south of Madre de Dios, between the provinces of Carabaya, Sandia, and Tambopata.
In this destination, we can find islands formed by aguaje palms, small bushes and fruit palms such as huasaí or açai (used to make the famous acai bowls), as well as ungurahui, an Amazonian fruit with invaluable nutritional properties that have come to equate it even with meat, legumes and cow’s milk.
In addition, within the park, there have been sightings of more than 600 species of birds, among which are 7 species of macaws, the roseate spoonbill known as ajaia ajaja, the jungle condor and the harpy eagle.
But that is not all. There have been registered more than 50 species of amphibians and reptiles, among which the black caiman, the taricaya, and the famous anaconda stand out. The presence of 180 species of fish and the presence of 1,200 species of exotic butterflies were also reported.
To get to this earthly paradise it is necessary to make a trip to Puerto Maldonado, capital of Madre de Dios, where we’ll have to take a boat that will take us to Bahuaja Sonene in approximately 4 hours.
The ideal season to visit Bahuaja Sonene is from April to November since it doesn’t rain during these months. But if you want to practice canoeing on the Tambopata River, whose rapids are grades I, II, and III, you must travel only from June to September for safety reasons.
To observe the variety of wildlife you can camp on the beaches of the river and you can also visit Heath’s collpa, which is 7 hours from Puerto Maldonado. To get there you must navigate the Madre de Dios River and the Heath River too. The reward will be to be able to appreciate a great variety of multicolored macaws, parrots, parakeets, ronsocos among other animals.
One-day admission costs 15 Peruvian soles for adults and 8 Peruvian soles for children.