Alto Mayo Protection Forest, Protected forest in San Martín Region, Peru

The Alto Mayo Protection Forest is a protected area in northern Peru, covering steep mountain regions where dense cloud forest grows. The landscape shows numerous slopes, small valleys and watercourses that run through the entire territory, supporting high biodiversity.

The Peruvian government established this protected area in 1987 to secure the tropical yungas forests and the water sources of the Mayo River basin. Since then, the region has been protected against clearing and land conversion, while promoting sustainable use at the same time.

Local communities participate in conservation agreements, receiving agricultural training and resources in exchange for protecting the forest and implementing sustainable farming methods.

The area lies in remote mountain regions, reached mainly on unpaved roads, so visitors should bring weatherproof clothing and sturdy footwear. The best time to visit falls in the drier months, when trails are easier to walk and wildlife is more visible.

The yellow-tailed woolly monkey was rediscovered here in 1974, after decades without a confirmed record, which drew researchers to the forest. Road crews had hunted it for meat in the 1970s. The forest also holds the greatest number of orchid genera recorded in any Peruvian protected area: 1,300 morphospecies in 164 genera.