Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica is the most comfortable way to add the Amazon to a Peru honeymoon. It is a riverside lodge of 35 wooden, thatched cabanas on the Madre de Dios River, about 45 minutes by boat from Puerto Maldonado. The cabanas are inspired by the building traditions of the Ese'Eja people and sit inside a 17,000-hectare private ecological reserve. A short flight from Cusco takes you from cold mountain air to warm rainforest in a single morning.
For honeymooners, the appeal is the mix of real wilderness and real comfort. Every cabana has a screened lounge with hammocks. The Tambopata Suites add a covered terrace with a private plunge pool, an outdoor shower and double basins. Days follow the forest's rhythm: early boat rides, guided walks, a siesta in the heat, then night walks when the frogs and insects take over. The lodge also has a canopy walkway about 30 meters above the ground and the ENA Spa.
Stays are usually sold as packages of two or three nights. Expect roughly $750 a night for two in a Superior cabana, more for a suite. It suits couples who want wildlife and adventure without giving up a good bed and a cold drink.
Highlights at a glance
- 35 thatched cabanas inspired by Ese'Eja design
- Tambopata Suites with private plunge pools
- Canopy walkway about 30 meters above the forest floor
- 17,000-hectare private ecological reserve
- Just 45 minutes by boat from Puerto Maldonado
Why Couples Love Reserva Amazonica
The contrast with the Andes is the first thing couples notice. After days of ruins and altitude, the warm air, green light and noise of the rainforest feel like a different country. Howler monkeys may wake you before sunrise. Parrots cross the river at dawn.
The lodge is polished for the Amazon. Cabanas have proper bathrooms, ceiling fans, screened lounges and hammocks. Lanterns and candles light the paths at night. Service is friendly and well organized, with naturalist guides who adapt outings to your interests.
The reserve itself is the other draw. Its 17,000 hectares give room for walking trails, a canopy walkway, a restored palm area and river channels. You can spend three nights here and still feel there is more to see. Couples often say the night walks, with a guide's flashlight picking out tree frogs and spiders, were the most memorable part.
Cabanas to Book
All 35 cabanas are built from wood and thatch, with ceiling fans, umbrellas, flashlights and kerosene lamps provided.
- Superior cabanas (38 square meters) have a screened siesta area with a hammock and a separate shower and toilet. They are listed with twin beds, so ask the lodge whether a double or king configuration is available for your dates.
- Superior Rio cabanas (36 to 38 square meters) add views over the Madre de Dios River from a screened lounge with hammocks.
- Tambopata Suites (78 square meters) offer a king or twin beds, a private covered terrace with a plunge pool and sun loungers, an outdoor shower, double basins and a screened hammock lounge.
For a honeymoon, the Tambopata Suite is worth the upgrade. A plunge pool in the afternoon heat, with the forest a few feet away, is pure luxury in the Amazon.
Food, Drink and the Spa
The restaurant serves dishes built on tropical flavors and fresh, locally sourced ingredients, including river fish, fruits and roots of the Amazon. Breakfast starts early, at 5:00 a.m., because the best wildlife viewing happens at first light.
In-house guests get a complimentary tea time each afternoon featuring Inkaterra's award-winning organic black tea. The bar opens at noon and stays open until midnight, with a cocktail hour in the early evening. Try a drink made with Amazonian fruit while the light fades over the river.
The ENA Spa offers massages and treatments, a good antidote to early starts and humid trails. Lodge packages usually bundle meals with river transfers and a selection of guided outings, but inclusions vary. Confirm exactly what your rate covers before you travel.
Why guests fall for it
Things to Do
The lodge offers a long list of guided outings. Shorter ones include the reserve's trail system of about 7.3 km, the Rainforest Garden near the cabanas, a twilight boat ride as day wildlife gives way to night creatures, a night walk in the forest, the organic Bio-Orchard and the Palmetum, a 30-hectare restoration area with native palms.
The canopy walkway, a system of bridges about 30 meters above the forest floor, gives you a monkey's view of the treetops. Longer excursions can take you to Lake Sandoval to look for giant otters and hoatzins. Ask the lodge which outings your package includes and which cost extra.
Couples with different tastes can split up easily. One partner can head out on a dawn bird walk while the other sleeps in or books a massage. Meet for lunch, a siesta in the hammocks and a night walk together.
Getting There
Fly to Puerto Maldonado (PEM) from Cusco, a flight of under an hour, or from Lima. Inkaterra staff meet you at the airport for a 10-minute drive to the jetty port, followed by a boat ride of about 45 minutes downriver to the lodge.
The boat journey is part of the experience. Watch for herons, kingfishers and capybaras on the banks. Pack a light rain jacket for the ride, since showers can come at any time.
Flights between Cusco and Puerto Maldonado are limited, so book them early and allow buffer time. Many couples add the Amazon at the end of a Peru trip, flying from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado and then out via Lima for international connections.
Is It Worth It?
For most couples, yes. Reserva Amazonica is one of the most comfortable lodges in the Peruvian Amazon and among the easiest to reach, just 45 minutes by boat from Puerto Maldonado. The cabanas are well designed, the guiding is strong and the Tambopata Suites add real romance.
The trade-off is wildness. Being close to town means the forest here sees more visitors than the deep reserves upriver. Big clay licks crowded with macaws are farther away. Serious wildlife enthusiasts may want more.
If wildlife is your top priority, consider the Tambopata Research Center, far up the Tambopata River near one of the largest clay licks in the region. Its facilities are more rustic and the journey much longer. For a balance of comfort, convenience and rainforest experience, Reserva Amazonica is the natural honeymoon choice.
Good to Know
The dry season, roughly May to October, brings lower river levels, fewer mosquitoes and easier trails. The wet season from November to April means heavy rain, mud and higher water, though the forest is at its greenest.
Mosquitoes are present year-round. Use repellent and long, light-colored clothing, especially at dusk. Talk to a travel medicine clinic about vaccines and malaria prevention before you go. If you're pregnant or hoping to be soon, check CDC travel health notices for Peru.
Pack breathable long sleeves and trousers for both of you, a hat, sunscreen, a headlamp and shoes that can get muddy. Electricity and Wi-Fi may be limited, so download anything you need before you arrive.
Insider tips
- Book a Tambopata Suite for the plunge pool and outdoor shower.
- Ask for a double or king bed in Superior cabanas, which are listed as twins.
- Do the canopy walkway early in the morning, when birds and monkeys are most active.
- Pack long, light-colored clothes and strong repellent for dusk outings.
