Bahuaja-Sonene National Park, Protected rainforest in Puno and Madre de Dios regions, Peru.
Bahuaja-Sonene National Park is a protected rainforest across two regions that encompasses river valleys, hills, and mountain slopes. The terrain rises from about 500 meters to around 2450 meters, creating varied landscapes with different ecosystems.
This park was established in 1996 as a protected area, and it later joined with Bolivia's Madidi National Park to form a transnational conservation zone. Together they represent one of the largest protected tropical forest reserves on the continent.
The Ese-Eja people gave names to the rivers that flow through the park: Bahuaja refers to the Tambopata and Sonene to the Heath. These names are woven into how people experience and understand the landscape today.
Access to the park is only possible by river routes, since the area has no developed road infrastructure and remains largely wild. Visitors should prepare for water-based travel and remote conditions.
The park is home to around 93 fish species in six separate water bodies, plus rare mammals including marsh deer, maned wolves, giant otters, and jaguars. This concentration of wildlife makes it a remarkable destination for nature observers.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
