AGUAMARINA: Amazon River Cruises
Although in operation for many years out of Iquitos on the Amazon River in Peru, the M/V Agua Marina was overhauled and remodeled in mid-2019. The ship offers affordable first-class Amazon River cruises of 4-Days, 5-Days and 8-Days. The ship has 14 cabins and is perfect for private charters in addition for independent travelers to join scheduled departures. The air-conditioned cabins are spacious, with private bathrooms and large floor-to-ceiling windows for incredible views. The large upper deck offers plenty of space for relaxing and viewing.
With a private charter, we can arrange 8-Days, Tres Fronteras (Three Frontiers) cruises from Iquitos, Peru to Leticia, Colombia & Tabatinga, Brazil and back.
Your Amazon Cruise on the M/V Agua Marina
Explore a small tributaries looking for a variety of primates, colorful and unusual birds unique to the Amazon River basin and a wide variety of primates, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and rainforest plants. Our wildlife sightings and experiences will swell as we continue into the Pacaya-Samiria reserve, the largest wetland reserve in the world and home to over 500 species of birds,
Venturing deep into the rainforest, we will spend the entire day wandering through the island mazes and twisted tunnels of the the igapo (seasonally flooded forest) where the dense plant life is dramatically different than what we see from the river’s edge and harbors a whole new variety of exotic wildlife. As water levels allow, we will hike through the reserve for close up viewing and discovery lead by our expert and knowledgeable guides. Examine and learn first-hand about the jungle plants – their unique survival tactics as they compete for sun and nutrients in the dense rainforest, the part they play in sustaining the complex balance of life in the jungle and the important medicinal value they offer.
Explore the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve and
Meet the locals: You will visit homes and villages along the river for a chance to meet and learn about the lives of the “Ribereño” people who call the river’s edge their home. It is an excellent opportunity to ask questions (practice your Spanish if you like!) and gain a deeper understanding of how people live in this remote part of the world. You will learn about their cultural traditions and beliefs in addition to seeing how they have adapted to life in a tropical rainforest. In some villages, a wide variety of handmade handicrafts and delightful folk art will be available for your viewing and purchase.
Explore the beginning of the Amazon River: In the morning we slowly meander up-river toward the confluence of the Marañon and Ucayali Rivers, famous for marking the beginning of the mighty Amazon River. Observe small villages that dot the river’s edge and catch a glimpse of the locals’ activities as they go about their day.
AGUA MARINA CRUISES RATES
Contact us for Dates & Special Rates on available departures throughout the year.
Discounted Group Rates are available for 10 or more.
* Email us as soon as possible to set dates for current promotions and private charters.
Children Discount: 8 years minimum on all programs, children under 13 years receive a 25% discount.
Single Supplement: Plus 25%
Rates include: all excursions, all meals, house wines with dinner, all non-alcoholic drinks, transfers from/to Iquitos airport on recommended flights, entrance fee to the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve.
Rates do not include: air flight cost Iquitos, cost of medical emergencies (including evacuation), premium alcoholic drinks, gratuities to guides Deposit & Payment: 35% of the cruise per person deposit for reservations with balance due 90 days prior to departure.
M/V AQUA MARINA, 4 days / 3 nights Amazon River Cruise
(sample itinerary - as the weather may dictate changes)
Day 1
Arrive to Iquitos (Arrival transfer included) then transfer by a private car 1 hour and 20 minutes to the town of Nauta and board the M/V Aquamarina. A welcome drink will be provided soon as you get to the ship, then our Naturalist guide will provide your cabin and explain all facilities of the ship and programs for the next days, we start to navigate upstream of the Marañon river. Dinner and overnight.
Day 2
05:30 Wake up call.
06:00 We start early today and set out to explore the impressive biodiversity of the área unusual ecosystem. Look for a quiet spot to enjoy a delicious breakfast. Head out on a fishing trip like no other! Cast your line to see if you can catch "the most ferocious fish in the world” – the piranha. (Piranhas aren't terribly selective about what they eat, making piranha fishing fairly easy.) They are a dietary staple for many of the Amazon rainforest’s indigenous people, and, while fearsome, piranhas also esteemed as some of the best eating fish in South America. Also will have the opportunity to spot the Pink and Grey Dolphins.
11:30 Return to the ship
12:30 Lunch
15:00 Explore an interesting creek riding our Kayaks in this interesting natural scenic area spotting birds, huge trees, monkeys and river people while you paddle, a unique opportunity to be in touch directly with the rain forest by yourself.
We will ride this afternoon with the daylight into the National Reserve exploring this interesting area, explore riding our Skiff in this interesting natural scenic area spotting birds, huge trees, monkeys and river people while you paddle, a unique opportunity to be in touch directly with the rain forest by yourself.
we will take advantage of this until nighttime boat ride in the wild, and watch the forest become a different domain. Be on the lookout for bats, night birds, frogs, caimans, poison frogs, and a vast number of another species. See if our flashlights will reflect the ‘red eye shine’ of the caiman which will be caught by our naturalist.
19:00 Return to the ship
20:00 Dinner
Day 3
8:00 Breakfast.
9:00 After breakfast, our Naturalist guide will do an introductory of the traditions of the people living in the rainforest. Touch upon the spirit realm, a visit to a river people village visit will be perform and enjoy the confluence of the two rivers of Marañon and Ucayali where the Amazon starts.
11:30 Return to the ship
12:30 Lunch on board
15:00 This afternoon you will pack your personal things as we will keep exploring this interesting area by motorized skiff. In the waters of this important tributary, you will see the wonders of the rainforest. Keep an eye out for monkeys, sloths, and a variety of birds while exploring.
* Tonight you will have the experience a night walk. You will hear the symphony during the jungle walk and look for night animals as poison frogs, insects, bats and many others species of the jungle.
Day 4
08:00 Breakfast and transfer to Iquitos hotel or airport for flight out.
M/V AQUA MARINA: 5 days / 4 nights Amazon River Cruise
(sample itinerary - as the weather may dictate changes)
Day 1
08:45 Reception at the Airport and then transfer to Nauta city (1 hour 25 minutes by car). A welcome drink will be provided onboard the ship, then our Naturalist guide will provide your cabin and explain all facilities of the ship and programs for the next days, we start to navigate upstream of the Marañon river.
15:30 explore the Marañon River area by our Skiff looking for wildlife of this area.
19:00 Dinner on board. Overnight.
Day 2
06:00 Time to get a cup of coffee or tea before a bird watching program.
08:00 Breakfast
09:00 After breakfast, we start today and set out to explore the impressive biodiversity of the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve and its unusual ecosystem.
12:00 Return to the ship
13:00 Lunch on board.
15:00 We will ride this afternoon with the daylight into the National Reserve looking for a good spot for our fishing program and fish your own Piranha.
18:00 Our Naturalist will take you for the night excursion in the wild, and watch the Amazon become a different domain. Be on the lookout for bats, night birds, frogs, caimans, poison frogs, and a vast number of another species. See if our flashlights will reflect the ‘red eye shine’ of the caiman which will be caught by our naturalist.
19:30 Return to the ship
20:00 Dinner and overnight.
Day 3
8:00 Breakfast on board.
9:00 This morning you will have the opportunity to make friends in a river people village where our Naturalist will explain us how these people survive and live in harmony with the jungle..
11:30 return to the ship
12:00 Lunch on board
15:00 This afternoon you will see the wonders of the rainforest. Keep an eye out for monkeys, sloths, and a variety of birds while exploring. This afternoon you will have the experience in the area of Casual where you will have a rainforest walk in this primary jungle and will spend around two hours in contact with the nature.
19:00 Dinner
Day 4
08:00 Breakfast on board
09:00 Then we will navigate to the confluence of the Marañon and Ucayali rivers which most cartographers label as the beginning of the main Amazon river, in this area we will observe interesting animals as the gray and pink river Dolphin. The naturalist guide will present enthralling lecture about the Amazon on everything from the history and culture of the region to the Amazon’s prolific flora and fauna. Walk along the banks of the Ucayali River to explore this important tributary of the Amazon. The naturalist guide will give lectures, and point out unique species of medicinal plants, Orquids, bromeliads, different insects and other natural attractions of this area.
11:30 Return to the ship
12:30 Lunch
15:00 Full exploration to the Ucayali River
18:00 Return to the ship
19:00 Dinner and overnight
Day 5
08:00 Breakfast and transfer to Iquitos hotel or airport for flight out.
M/V AGUA MARINA: 8 days / 7 nights Amazon River Cruise
It is possible to combine the 4-Day and the 5-Day Cruises to allow more discoveries n the Amazon!
There are also special 8-Days, Tres Fronteras (Three Frontiers) cruises from Iquitos, Peru to Leticia, Colombia & Tabatinga, Brazil and back - see below.
THREE FRONTIERS CRUISE, 8 Days & 7 Nights - PERU, COLOMBIA & BRAZIL
Contact us for available charter departures
Similar to the cruises we used to operate in the 1980’s, called the Tres Fronteras Cruise on the ships Rio Amazons and the Arca, this sample itinerary offers a wide variety of experiences and beautiful sailing on the Amazon River.
Day 1
Upon arrival, we will start our cultural visit to the famous floating town of Belen. Later, we will go back to board our modern and newly remodeled river boat, the M/V Aquamarina. After taking some time to settle in, we will relax and have a drink as we get to know our fellow passengers. This will allow us the opportunity to make friends. As safety is our priority, we will conduct a safety drill and explain everything you need to know about the M/V Aquamarina in order to have a safe and exhilarating adventure. We will then savor the first of many authentic freshly prepared dinners by our talented chef as we begin our journey through the Amazon to the Three Frontiers! (Dinner)
Day 2
A bird watching activity by skiff will be the early excursion. We will then return to the ship to have breakfast and relax in comfort aboard, followed by a skiff ride along the Napo River, where we will visit Orellana town. After this great activity it will be time to get back onboard for a nourishing lunch and review the day’s discoveries. Later, we will go for another skiff ride along Orán creek, and then a night excursion to discover the home species. After an invigorating day filled with once-in-a-lifetime experiences, we will go back onboard to enjoy our expertly prepared dinner and information on the activities of the following day. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 3
The early morning offers another opportunity to watch the world awakening in the rainforest with a nice skiff ride along the Ampiyacu River, while enjoying one of many sunrises. After our nourishing breakfast, we will go for a cultural visit to the Boras or Witoto Indian people. There will also be an optional Visit the art gallery House to meet Francisco Grippa. Later, we will get back onboard to relax and have a lunch prepared by our talented chef. In the afternoon, we will go and have an introduction rainforest walk to witness a brilliant Amazon sunset as we return to the ship. This will serve as an opportunity to savor a glass of wine or a pisco sour with your expertly prepared dinner. Information on the following day activities will also be available. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 4
We will start with an early activity by skiff ride to observe macaws in their natural habitat and take some pictures. Then we will reboard to have breakfast and have a rest. Our next adventure will be to visit Paranaquiro river Village to interact with the local people. After lunch, we will go Pirahna fishing in a Black water lake and swimming with Pink Dolphins (Sun downer at Caballococha Lake) and an exciting visit to Caballococha town. Then a mototaxi ride around the city to enjoy the beautiful scenery under the nice sunset as we return to the ship, where we will enjoy a delightful dinner and a farewell briefing about Colombia and Brazil. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 5
Early breakfast will be ready for our departure to Colombia and Brazil, where we will do a city tour of Leticia, Colombia and Tabatinga, Brazil. We will then head back to the ship where you will savor another expertly prepared dish by our talented chef. Later in the afternoon, we will go to the Monkey island exploration activity to enjoy the rainforest sunset. Then back to the ship for a nourishing dinner and information on the following day activities. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 6
Our day will start with an early skiff ride exploration all along the Amazon in search of wildlife. After our nourishing breakfast, we will be ready for a rainforest walk in high ground Terra Firme as we go back to the ship to have lunch. Our skiff will be ready for our next activity: a skiff ride under a glorious sunset to enjoy one of the most beautiful sceneries of the night and the rainforest symphony. Later in the night, we will go back to the ship to get comfortable and share our experience of the last activity at dinner time. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 7
The day starts with an exploration activity by skiff, looking for wildlife to witness how incredible it is. Then, in the afternoon, after breakfast, we will go for a cultural visit to the Yaguas Indian people. After this, we will enjoy a warm goodbye from the people as we return by skiff to the ship to relax and have lunch. Later, we will go Piranha fishing at Apayacu lake and sun downer, where you will have the opportunity to take pictures of the last sunset as we go back to the comfort of the ship. As we cruise slowly back toward Nauta, we will join the crew and all our new friends in a farewell dinner of authentic Peruvian cuisine and a celebration of your great experience. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 8
Our last day start with nourishing breakfast before the goodbye from the crew members as we do the disembarking procedures and get ready for the transfer to the airport, which will mark the end of this adventure to the three frontiers.
NOTE: Activities may change depending on weather conditions
WILDLIFE
Amazon wildlife that you are likely to see include during your explorations include: pink dolphins, the smaller grey river dolphin, pre-historic looking hoatzin birds, sloths, monkeys, colorful tree frogs and toads, iguanas, toucans, parrots, macaws, kingfishers, horned screamers, herons, terns, hummingbirds, caiman, leaf cutter and army ants, piranhas, primeval looking catfish, strange looking insects and of course, a myriad of beautiful butterflies such as the iridescent blue Morpho. More rarely encountered are river otter, manatees, capybaras, anteaters, electric eels, the large tapir, and jungle cats. You can also experience perhaps the strangest wildlife of all; the nightlife on a ship in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest!
PACAYA SAMIRIA NATIONAL RESERVE
This National Park is the largest Protected Natural Area in Peru (2´080,000 ha), located at 300 km / 190 miles from Iquitos and is accessible only by waterways.
The wealth of the low lying Virgin Rainforest gives this area an enormous bio-diversity. The National Reserve has many lakes and lagoons and vast swamp areas. Practically unexplored and uninhabited except for protected species in the interior, it offers an astonishing potential for research studies and observation of wild life, particularly of certain species in danger of extinction in other areas.
This area has more than 85 lakes and exuberant vegetation with a great variety of flora species such as the Lupuna Tree, measuring up to 160 feet tall with a diameter of 10 feet in four forest types. It also has 130 species of mammals such as the Jaguar, Ocelots, Giant River Otters and Capybara (the world's biggest rodent), and several species of monkeys in danger of extinction, like the black Maquisapa or Spider Monkey, the Yellow breast and the Common Woolly Monkey.
A cruise to the Reserve offers the opportunity to know new cultures and to explore the mysterious and magic world of the Amazon forest. It offers a variety of activities, as diverse as the forest itself. Along with excellent bird and wildife viewing, you can witness a countless variety of flora and fauna, go fishing, save memories with photographs, admire the Pink River Dolphins, learn about Shamanism and medicinal plants, all while observing life on the Amazon River.
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