Amazon Rescue Center

The Basics

On a guided tour of the center, learn about the process for rescuing manatees, and also reptiles, monkeys, and birds. Visits are only possible by guided tours. If you have more time, multi-day tours allow for a deeper immersion into the jungle. Some tours navigate the Amazon and Yarapa rivers in a luxurious ship, during which time you’ll have opportunities to observe howler monkeys, macaws and pink dolphins as well as making intimate visits to local indigenous villages inside the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve.

Things to Know Before You Go

• Manatee Rescue Center is an ideal spot for nature and wildlife lovers and those interested in ecotourism, animal protection, and environmental education.
• Book your tour in advance, as visits must be pre-arranged.
• There are walkways through the jungle, but they’re not accessible to strollers and wheelchairs.
• Wear appropriate clothing for walking on jungle trails: long-sleeved clothing, mosquito repellent, and sunscreen.

How to Get There

Manatee Rescue Center is located in Iquitos, roughly 8 miles (13 kilometers) southwest of the city center, at KM 4 on the Iquitos-Nauta Carretera. The best way to get there is via taxi; the journey takes approximately twenty minutes. You can also take bus #49 from Plaza de Armas on Arica Street and let the driver know where to drop you off. The bus ride takes approximately one hour.

When to Get There

The center is open daily year-round. Come in the morning when the animals are fed to see them at their most active. The climate in Iquitos is hot and humid, with the wettest months falling between October to April and the driest months, between June and September.

Iquitos, Gateway To The Amazon

Iquitos is the jumping-off point for several attractions in Peru’s northern Amazon. The city is also home to one of the largest butterfly sanctuaries in South America, the Pilpintuwasi Butterfly Farm and Amazon Animal Orphanage; and La Isla de Los Monos, or Monkey Island, which is a 490acre ((200-hectare) reserve where monkeys roam freely. And the indigenous settlement of the Yaguas is a short boat ride away from the city center.