Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica

Few eco-lodges can claim quite so colorful a backstory as Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica. Founder José Koechlin von Stein produced Werner Herzog’s Peruvian films, including Fitzcarraldo (in which Klaus Kinski hauls a steam ship over a mountain), and since establishing the Amazonica lodge, has sponsored a fair bit of scientific research regarding the site and its ecology. Point being, plenty of lodges talk a good game about science and adventure, but this one is the real deal.

Your stay is carbon-neutral, and a portion of the rate goes to fund Peruvian conservation. The accommodations are an impossible mix of rustic luxe and tent-camp minimalism, the thirty-five cabañas exceedingly comfortable but never too soft — you might not be on a Fitzcarraldo-esque forced march, but you’re still on an extraordinary excursion, deep in the Peruvian rainforest. Especially if you’re in the Canopy Tree House, 90 feet above the jungle floor (complete with a ground-level extra bedroom, in case you chicken out).

The adjoining Canopy Walkway, however, is open to all, and gives a front-row view of the treetop flora and fauna. Not everybody’s cup of tea, perhaps, but if it’s not yours, then Inkaterra might not be exactly your bag — the sleeping arrangements are sublime, but it’s for the excursions that the Reserva Amazonica is famous. Come prepared to explore the trail systems and the Madre de Dios river and you’ll be rewarded with an experience that’s impossible to match.

Please note: There is a 2-night minimum stay requirement at Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica.

How to get there: Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica is located adjacent to the Tambopata National Reserve. The nearest aiport is Padre Aldamiz and rates include a 15 min car transfer to the port and a 45 min boat ride to the hotel.