Manu National Park

Do you know Manu National Park?

Manu National Park was established by decree on 29 May 1973 and recognised by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve and in 1987, as a World Heritage Site, In 2002. With an area of 1,716,295.22 hectares (17,162.95 km2). The massive altitudinal gradient has favoured an extremely broad range of ecological conditions and the evolution of highly diverse species and ecological communities. The landscape diversity ranges from high Andean grasslands to various forests types, including pristine montane cloud forests and lush Lowland Rainforest.

This huge 1.5 million-ha park has successive tiers of vegetation rising from 150 to 4,200 m above sea-level. The Tropical Forest in the lower tiers is home to an unrivalled variety of animal and plant species. Some 1200 species of birds have been identified and rare species such as the giant otter and the giant armadillo also find refuge there. Jaguars are often sighted in the Manu National Park.

How do you get to Manu National Park from Cusco?

It is located in Tropical Andes and the Amazon Basin in Southwestern Peru,  between Cusco and Madre de Dios región. Aprox. 4 hours by car until the beginning of cloud forest – peru amazon . 3350 m. which is located the sun rise view ( tres cruces de oro) in Paucartambo province.

By plane from Cusco arriving directly to the amazon lowlands. It will take about 40 to 45 minutes. (Boca Manu airstrip is not operational on 2023.

About the jungle indigenous familly 

Manu National Park have various indigenous tribes are the only permanent inhabitants. Some of them are sedentary and in regular contact with the “modern world”, while others maintain a semi-nomadic lifestyle as hunter-gatherers in so-called “voluntary isolation” or “initial contact” (Maskopirus), respectively

Santa Rosa Huacaria – Tribe 

This community is located about 45 minutes from the town of Pilcopata in the Manu reserve zone. Within its territory we will find inhabitants of the Wachipaeri and Matshigenga tribes and, to a lesser extent, the Quechuas. The Wachipaeri tribe, there is a record of its existence since colonial times, evidently they have been inhabiting the Amazon jungle for many years before the arrival of the Spanish. According to the Spanish chronicles, the Wachipaeri or also called Harakbut were part of an indigenous resistance against 1,500 men sent by the Inca Tupac Yupanqui, who gave up their rule due to diseases they contracted while trying to conquer the Amazon jungle. Later they continued to be invaded by the Spanish, who also perished in their attempt due to the diseases and dangers of the jungle.

In the following decades up to the present, they were progressively forced to leave their territory by foreign expeditions that sought resources such as rubber or gold extraction. Currently it is estimated that there are just over 600 inhabitants of the Harakbut.

In the case of the Matshigenga, it is a preserved tribe with the largest number of inhabitants, although most of them have an open relationship with the outside world, there is a considerable number that chose to live in voluntary isolation. Although there is not much pre-Columbian record of the Matshigenga, it is said that their relationship with the Incas was very close, mainly because they exchanged resources such as weaving, coca, tobacco, medicinal plants that were exchanged for bronze tools, gold, and tissue.

The people of the Matshigenga drew the attention of the Spanish early, due to the existence of the famous goldfish, which led Spanish expeditions to go in search of wealth within the territory of the Matshigenga. Years later, at the height of rubber exploitation, the Matshigengas were exploited as labor, many times as slaves by foreigners who were looking for this resource. Currently the Matschigengas are a tribe that occupies the southwest of the Amazon jungle of Peru, many of them having the possibility of studying primary, secondary and sometimes reaching higher education. Although modern society has influenced them for decades, they still maintain many customs that are passed down from generation to generation.

Teparo Palotoa – Community

This native community is located in the Manu national park territory in the Peruvian Amazon, belonging to the Arawak or Matshigenga linguistic ethnic group. In this area of the Peruvian jungle we will not find many inhabitants or the presence of humans, its extensive areas of tropical forest encapsulate a variety of flora and fauna. One of the main activities of the community, in addition to agriculture, fishing and hunting, is the sale of handicrafts, a product of the constant number of tourists in the area.

The main tourist site of this community are the Pusharo petroglyphs, it is a wall with anthropomorphic figures in more than 60 square meters. These figures symbolize animals such as snakes, jaguars, and the sun. Although at present it is not known what its function was, it is said that it was an ancient language even older than the existence of the Machiguengas, linked to astronomy. Some indigenous people in the area also say that they were instructions to Paititi, the last lost city of the Incas. Although petroglyphs do not have an exact connotation, today it is considered a cultural heritage in Peru and certainly a place that you must visit.

Shintuya – Community

It is one of the Amazon communities that still preserve the Harakbut tribe, one of the oldest tribes in the Peruvian Amazon. Its main activities in this area are banana cultivation, fish farming, hunting and fishing. Currently its population is made up of 61 families and in recent years they incorporated the activity of tourism, their cultural expression through their crafts is their main resource in tourism.

In the course of its history, Spanish expeditions arrived in Shintuya in order to evangelize its inhabitants. These so-called Dominican missions headed by the Dominican father José Alvares brought, in addition to the gospel, the smallpox disease, causing the decline of the Harakbut tribe, and at the same time the flight of the harakbut to places far from Shintuya.

Shipitiari – Tribe

One of the largest communities located in the Manu National Park, in the Madre de Dios region. Made up of 144 inhabitants of the Matshigenga town, its main activities are community tourism, agriculture, crafts, fishing and hunting.
Within the tourist activities, the vision of the people of Shipitiari is “Living in harmony in the community and in the Forest”, obtaining help from the local government for the conservation of its forests and ecosystems promoting sustainable tourism.

The people of Shipitiari made up of the Matshigenga tribe carry within their culture the worldview of the Matshigengas, the consumption of the Masato drink is one of their cultural expressions that are preserved to this day. The masato for the Matshigengas was only consumed at parties organized by the community in which large quantities of Masato were prepared for its inhabitants to strengthen their relations between neighbors or settle some kind of fight between them.

The contestants wore their best costumes with brightly painted faces. Although the masato was to enliven the relationship between humans, it is also said that they connected with ancestral spirits of the Matshigengas.

Diamante – Community

This community is one of the most organized, with electricity, water, drainage, and health services. Located on the right bank of the Madre de Dios river in the province of Manu park, Madre de Dios region. Its population is around 80 families originating from the Yine people.

The Yine were a people who traveled long distances to trade feathers, ceramics, fabrics, and some food with the Incas. They were considered good navigators, and they were also participants in social movements against the conquering missionaries. The Yines people were diminishing due to the height of rubber extraction, many of the Yines indigenous people were enslaved, performing forced labor leading them to death.

Currently, although the Yine population is small, there are still records of 2,821 people who claim to be descendants and belonging to the Yine people.

Mashco Piro – Tribe uncontacted

The Mashocpiro are a people who inhabit the Manu jungle, they live in voluntary isolation and are semi-nomadic. The Maschopiro are related to the Yine people, although not entirely, as their language differs in certain structures from the Yine language.

Like many indigenous peoples, the Mascho Piro were decimated by the rubber boom, being also enslaved in many cases by the rubber bosses, in addition to being infected by diseases and epidemics.

In view of their isolated condition, not much is known about the Maschopiro, since they are reluctant to contact foreigners; however, it has been observed that the Maschopiro inhabit lowlands near the river in very hot months (summer) and move to lands high during the rainy season, although it is also known that they sometimes move from one place to another to avoid contact with foreign people.

Manu rainforest Weather

The  rainforest Perú, have driest season takes place during the months from May to October, with November through to April being the wetter season, offering a high chance of precipitation. Roughly 80% of the area’s rainfall comes during these months. It is also the time of year that is the coldest, with lows of around 62°F (17°C), although there can be highs of over 90°F (32°C). There are occasional days where temperatures can drop all the way down to 45°F (7°C), so come prepared for all weather.

The two Manu National Park rainforest Seasons

Wet & Dry, In all parts of the Amazon, there are two seasons: the so-called wet (or rainy) season and the dry season. Despite the nomenclature, only a little more than half (60%) of the total rainfall occurs during the wet season, and it is hot in the Amazon any time of year, but nominally cooler during the wet season, with average temperatures of 86°F (30°C) compared to the dry season’s 98°F (37°C).

The best time to visit Manu National Park rainforest

In Manu National Park , the rainy season roughly runs from mid-December to mid-May. This time of year brings heavier winds, which cause increased rainfall around the Peruvian Amazon  and the largest tributarys of the Rainforest can flood when there is a lot of rain in the region. The rest of the year (June to December) is considered the dry season. For us the dry season is considered the best  time to spot animals, because the river banks are dry to find animals easy in wildlife.