Amarakaeri Communal Reserve, Nature reserve in Madre de Dios, Peru
The Amarakaeri Communal Reserve is a protected area in the Madre de Dios department of southeastern Peru, covering terrain that ranges from river valleys to highland forest. The landscape shifts from lowland rainforest to hills and mountains, forming a wide range of habitats across the reserve.
Indigenous communities campaigned for 18 years before the Peruvian government officially recognized this area as a reserve in 2002. That recognition gave those communities a legal framework to protect their ancestral lands from outside threats.
Three Indigenous peoples live in this territory: the Harakbut, the Matsiguenka, and the Yine, each with their own language and traditions still in active use today. A visit gives a sense of how their daily life is directly tied to the forest around them.
Access to the reserve requires coordination with local communities and the national authority SERNANP, as different zones have different visiting conditions. Planning ahead and contacting the managing organization ECA Amarakaeri before arrival is strongly advised.
Rangers and Indigenous patrol teams use a digital app called Mapeo alongside drones to monitor activity across the reserve. This combination of on-the-ground knowledge and modern tools allows them to document what happens in even the most remote parts of the territory.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
