Los Amigos Biological Station
Welcome to Los Amigos
Located five hours by road and river northwest of Puerto Maldonado, or a two-day boat trip from our Manu lodge, Los Amigos is situated where the Los Amigos and Madre de Dios Rivers converge. Adjacent to the Los Amigos Conservation Concession, with world-famous Manu National Park to the west, Los Amigos is part of a watershed that includes millions of acres of protected wilderness in southeastern Peru. The landscape is a mosaic of terrestrial and aquatic habitats, including palm swamps, bamboo thickets, oxbow lakes, and various types of flooded and non-flooded forests. Wildlife is abundant, including 12 globally threatened species and abundant Amazonian fauna including giant otters, harpy eagles, spider monkeys and jaguars, with over 570 birds on the bird list. The area also contains 12 species of primates. By way of comparison, all of Costa Rica holds only four.
Get ready for some serious birding, with species such as Pavonine Quetzal, Rufous-fronted Antthrush, and the Pale-winged Trumpeter. A whopping 308 birds were logged here at the 2015 Global Big Day!
What kind of visitor are you?
Tourist
| Simple cabin with private bathroom – SWB |
$ 165.00 |
| Twin cabin with private bathroom – TWIN |
$ 120.00 |
| Cement dorm with private bathroom (4 beds) |
$ 80.00 |
| Wooden bedroom with shared bathroom (6 beds) |
$ 70.00 |
- Price per person and night
- Include three meals a day (lunch, dinner and breakfast). Due to our commitment to the environment, our menus are made based on vegetables and white meats. We avoid the consumption of red meats to minimize the environmental impact and promote sustainable practices.
- Wifi.
- Access to Cocha Lobo Oxbow, Viewpoints and trails.
- Electricity through a 24-hour photovoltaic system.
- Check in 12:00 pm / Check out: 9:00 am.
Course
| Simple cabin with private bathroom – SWB |
$ 85.00 |
| Twin cabin with private bathroom – TWIN |
$ 75.00 |
| Cement dorm with private bathroom (4 beds) |
$ 70.00 |
| Wooden bedroom with shared bathroom (6 beds) |
$ 65.00 |
* If your visit is for studies, please fill out the following link and our Science Department will approve your request.
Course and Workshop Application
- Price per person and night
- Include three meals a day (lunch, dinner and breakfast). Due to our commitment to the environment, our menus are made based on vegetables and white meats. We avoid the consumption of red meats to minimize the environmental impact and promote sustainable practices.
- Wifi.
- Access to Cocha Lobo Oxbow, Viewpoints and trails.
- Electricity through a 24-hour photovoltaic system.
- Check in 12:00 pm / Check out: 9:00 am.
Researcher
| Simple cabin with private bathroom – SWB |
$ 80.00 |
| Twin cabin with private bathroom – TWIN |
$ 65.00 |
| Cement dorm with private bathroom (4 beds) |
$ 60.00 |
| Wooden bedroom with shared bathroom (6 beds) |
$ 45.00 |
* If your visit is for research, please fill out the following link and our Science Department will approve your request.
- Price per person and night
- Include three meals a day (lunch, dinner and breakfast). Due to our commitment to the environment, our menus are made based on vegetables and white meats. We avoid the consumption of red meats to minimize the environmental impact and promote sustainable practices.
- Wifi.
- Access to Cocha Lobo Oxbow, Viewpoints and trails.
- Electricity through a 24-hour photovoltaic system.
- Check in 12:00 pm / Check out: 9:00 am.
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Facilities
Los Amigos is our most remote location and features 5 cabins with basic accommodations: comfortable beds (your choice of single or double) with mosquito nets, private bathroom, luggage and clothes rack, a deck with lounge chairs, and 24-hour solar powered electricity. Internet connection is available 24/7, however, given natural conditions it’s limited. On the other hand, the cellular signal of the Claro company reaches the gardens in front of the cabins. Smoking is prohibited indoors.
Los Amigos is not handicap accessible; there is a staircase of over 100 steps from the boat dock up to the lodge facilities, paths are fashioned from a variety of materials including loose gravel or dirt. Physical limitations should be considered when contemplating hikes or other excursions.
Meals include local, fresh Peruvian cooking, with some ingredients grown on site in the kitchen garden. If you have special meal requirements (vegetarian, gluten free, etc.) please inform the reservation staff prior to your arrival to the station. Given the location of stations, it may be difficult to accommodate all dietary preferences and the variety of food may be limited.
Getting Here
Los Amigos is located five hours by road and river from Puerto Maldonado, or a two-day boat trip from our Manu station (with a stop over at Manu Wildlife Center). From Puerto Maldonado, a shuttle can pick you up from the airport or your hotel, and take you on the 45 minute drive to the port town of Laberinto, where you will board a boat for an almost four-hour trip up the Madre de Dios River to Los Amigos.
If you are coming from Manu, a shuttle takes you to the port town of Atalaya, where you board the boat for Manu Wildlife Center where you stay one night, then continue your journey to Los Amigos the following day.
We can arrange for the ground and boat transportation for your trip.
Travel Tips
BEST TIME TO VISIT
The best time to visit our three lodges is May through November. At Los Amigos, mean annual temperature is 73° F, with the daytime temperature generally in the high 80s. There are occasional “friajes” or cold fronts that bring cooler temperatures June and July. The rainy season is roughly December through March. During the rainy season, expect drenching rains.
LOCAL GUIDES
We highly recommend that a guide accompany you throughout your trip. Please let us know at the time of your reservation if we can arrange one for you.
HEALTH PRECAUTIONS
Visiting Los Amigos should be done at your own risk. You should schedule an appointment with a travel clinic at least four to six weeks prior to travel. We encourage talking with your doctor to decide what is most appropriate for you given your health history. We also encourage you to take precautions against leishmaniasis by wearing pants and long-sleeved shirts from dusk onwards. Though there have been no known reported cases of yellow fever or malaria at Los Amigos, you should make the decision that is right for you regarding vaccination and medication. Please see more information on our Traveler’s Health Info.
PACKING LIST
Highlights of a stay at Los Amigos
- Over 570 birds listed
- Private baths, hot-water showers
- Internet (limited connectivity)
- Friendly staff
- Local, fresh Peruvian cooking
- Oxbow lakes
Sounds of Los Amigos
What Travelers Say
We were not disappointed! Without even trying to run up a list we enjoyed ~300 species of birds (plus another ~30 heard-only-or-not-seen-well-enough-to-count species), and 20 mammals (of which ten were primates)! Among those many species were some significant regional specialties, rarities and spectacular creatures.