Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve

The Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve (PSNR) is the largest government-protected area in the floodable Amazon rainforest (ecosystem named várzea) in South America with an area of 2'080,000 ha or 5'139,792 acres, an area slightly larger than Slovenia or a half part of Denmark, Switzerland, Netherlands or Costa Rica. It is considered as a RAMSAR site since 28 August 1986.

The reserve is triangular shaped by Marañón River in the North and Ucayali River in the South, just before their junction originating the Amazon River. There are around 50,000 inhabitants within its buffer area, most of them descendants of the Cocama Cocamilla tribe.

The PSNR is the habitat of 527 bird species, 102 mammal species (among them the pink and the grey dolphins), 69 species of reptiles, 58 species of amphibians, 269 fish species, and 1024 species of wild and cultivated plants. The reserve is a refuge for different endangered species like the charapa turtle (Podocnemis expansa), the spider monkey (Ateles sp.), the giant river otter (Pteronura brasiliensis), the red macaw (Ara Macao), cedar trees (Cederla odorata), and others.

Most of the local population is involved in protection and natural resource management projects as repopulation river turtles taricaya and charapa and paiche fishing.

In the Amazon there are 2 seasons: the flood season from November to April and the dry season from May to October. During the flood season is easier to spot birds, monkeys and anphibias and during dry season there are river beaches to swim and is easier to observe alligators and river turtles.

To reach the PSNR is mandatory to has a guide or company registered on the SERNANP, the Government Authority for Protected Areas. It is nost possible to visit alone or with non-registered guides.