MANU ROAD TOUR
Tour Overview
PERU
BIRDING TOUR
ANY TIME*
| Duration: | 9 days, 8 nights |
| Group Size: | 2-4 |
| 2-3 Price: | $3700 |
| 4+ Price: | $3500 |
| Single Suppl: | $300 |
| Est #Species: | 350-400 |
| Pace: | Easy |
| Difficulty: | Easy |
| Best Time: | May-Nov |
| * This tour is available for any dates of your choosing provided guide services and accommodations are available. | |
Manu Road links Cusco and with the remote port town of Atalaya Manulocated on the upper reaches of the Rio Madre de Dios. This famed birding route passes from high elevation paramo grassland through Elfin forest, cloud forest, and subtropical/foothill forest to lowland rainforest. The result is a bird-rich environment hosting some 590 different species of birds. Our 8-day Peru Manu Road Tour takes full advantage of this diversity. It can be combined with our Peru Highlands Tour and/or our Peru Lowlands Tour. It can also be combined with our Peru Tambopata tour with an intervening flight from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado.
The tour begins early in the morning in Cusco. The first stop is the high elevation Huacarpay Lagoon area. From there we continue on to Wayqecha Biological Station with birding en route, especially at the Acjanaco Pass. We'll spend 2 nights at this high elevation site before descending down Manu Road, birding our way eventually to San Pedro, where we'll stay at Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge for 3 nights. We then continue downslope into the foothills and subtropical region for a 3-night stay at the Manu Biological Station. The tour ends with a morning connection for our boat trip down the Rio Madre de Dios on our Peru Manu Lowlands Tour or return to Cusco, depending on your tour arrangements.
Tour Considerations
PACE - Mostly easy.
DIFFICULTY - Birding is mainly along the road and along fairly flat trails. One overnight stay is at higher altitude, about 2950m (9880 ft). The trails around Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge and Manu Biological Station are mostly easy but sometimes moderate through rolling foothills. Birding typically starts around dawn to take full advantage of bird activity, which quiets down during mid-day.
CLIMATE - Rainfall is possible at any time of year, but the heaviest rains are from November to April. Dry season is from May to October. Temperatures can be quite cold at night at higher altitude sites outside Cusco and at Wayqecha but are usually just cool during daytime. Temperatures are more moderate at the mid-elevation sites. It can be quite warm in the lowlands around Manu Biological Station.
BIRD ACTIVITY - Breeding season for many species is during November to April but bird activity is generally very good even during dry season. The transitional month of April-May and October-November are especially good for birding as they offer a good combination of bird activity and decent weather conditions. Andean Cock-of-the-Rocks display on their leks year-round.
PHOTOGRAPHY - Opportunities for bird photography are generally good but opportunistic. Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge has both hummingbird feeders and fruit feeders that are very good for photography.
TOUR NOTES
Can be combined with any of our other Southeast Peru tours based out of Cusco including our extension to Machu Picchu and also our Manu Lowlands tour.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Accommodations are in ecolodges catering to birders throughout this tour. Cock-of-the-Rock is very nice and perfectly comfortable. The lodge at Wayqecha Biological Station has been renovated and is nicer than it once was, but it is still somewhat rustic and is reached by a rather steep path down from the road. The accommodations at Manu (formerly Villa Carmen) Biological Station are in double cabins with private bath and is perfectly comfortable.