Inkaterra’s Canopy Walk: A Birdwatcher’s Paradise in the Peruvian Rainforest
Inkaterra is a renowned luxury hotel chain in Peru, always closely linked to wildlife and conservation. Their lodges and hotels are spread across different regions of the country, with a strong presence in the Amazon rainforest of Madre de Dios. In this region, they own three lodges along the banks of the imposing Tambopata River.
One of my favorites in the Peruvian rainforest is the Amazon Field Station, the only Inkaterra lodge that is not luxury, making it accessible for budgets like mine. It is a biological station adapted to receive visitors, offering a unique connection with nature at a very reasonable price, yet with the quality and guarantee of a company with decades of experience in ecotourism like Inkaterra.
Well-preserved forests and understory birds
The trails at Inkaterra’s Amazon Field Station run through an excellently preserved forest, providing the opportunity to observe understory birds, many of which are difficult to find elsewhere. Among woodpeckers, antbirds, and manakins, one can spend an entire morning—or even several days—immersed in the richness of this biodiversity.
Hanging bridges in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon
But if there is something that truly fascinates me about Inkaterra’s Amazon Field Station, it is its canopy walkway system: more than 400 meters of hanging bridges suspended between 35 and 40 meters high, offering a privileged view of the forest canopy. From there, surrounded by lush and well-preserved vegetation, you can spot spectacular species such as trogons, woodpeckers, motmots, owls, woodcreepers, toucans, and toucanets, all posing for our cameras and binoculars.
BECAREFULL: The only «problem» with Inkaterra’s Amazon Field Station
If there’s a «problem» with the canopy at Amazon Field Station, it’s the time you’ll need afterward to select the best shots from the hundreds—or even thousands—of photos you’ll take. Yes! Get ready to spend days sorting through incredible bird images.
I vividly remember my first visit in September 2014. Oscar, an excellent guide from the Inkaterra team, tirelessly pointed out the mixed-species flocks passing around us. I could hardly keep up, struggling to capture everything happening around me.
On another occasion, I traveled with my family in a more relaxed plan. My daughter Abril, who was just four years old at the time (and has been birdwatching with me since she was two), enjoyed the experience to the fullest. During that trip, we spotted toucans and toucanets, three species of macaws in flight (Ara ararauna, Ara militaris, and Ara macao), nearly a dozen tanagers, as well as motmots, trogons, and various woodcreepers. However, the highlight of the trip was the variety of cotingas we managed to see, particularly the Black-faced Cotinga.
A hundred percent recommended. And let’s not forget its outstanding facilities, delicious food, and fantastic staff.
Check a little about this paradise in this episode: