Matsés Exploration: Isolated

Live an extraordinary adventure visiting an authentic Maloca (traditional longhouse) deep in the Amazon rainforest, where a Matsés family preserves their ancestral traditions while living in isolation.

Amazon Explorer is the only company with an exclusive agreement with the Matsés authorities, granting you unique access to this remote maloca.

The itinerary includes round-trip flights to the border between Peru and Brazil. Travelers should remain flexible due to possible flight changes caused by weather conditions. We recommend allowing extra days after the program for this reason.

For those seeking a greater challenge, we offer the Matsés Trek alternative: a 31-mile (50-kilometer) trek back to Iquitos over 12 days.

The Matsés belong to the Pano linguistic family and share cultural ties with ethnic groups such as the Matis, Korubos, and Marubos. Until the 1970s, they led a semi-nomadic lifestyle before settling in permanent communities. Their territory extends along the Gálvez, Chobayacu, and Yavarí rivers, with the Yavarí River serving as the natural border between Peru and Brazil.

Includes

• Transfer from Iquitos Airport.
• Land and river transportation throughout the itinerary.
• Air tickets between Iquitos and Angamos (round trip).
• Slow peke-peke motorboat (with stationary motor).
• All meals during the trip.
• Purified water.
• Permit from SERNANP (National Service of Natural Protected Areas by the Peruvian Government).
• Authorization from the Matsés Communities visited during the trip.
• Authorization from the Supreme Matsés Chief to enter their territory.
• Authorization to enter the Maloca (indigenous longhouse).
• Expert indigenous wildlife trackers and Amazon Explorer’s lead guide.
• Equipment: mosquito net and bed sheet.

Each participant should bring:

• Their own light camping mat.
• A personal water filter for hiking.
• Rubber boots.

Important

• Expedition start date: Only on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
• You must arrive in Iquitos at least one day prior to the start date of the program.
• The air transportation for this expeditionis subject to the schedule set by the Peruvian Air Force. Flights may be postponed due to adverse weather conditions.
• The Peruvian Air Force permits a maximum baggage allowance of 22 pounds (10 kilograms) per person.
• It is necessary to add additional days at the end of the itinerary as a precautionary measure against possible rescheduling of the return flight to later dates.
• Responsibility for Flights and Lost Days
  • Departure Flight: If the departure flight is postponed to a later date (e.g., from Tuesday to Wednesday), the total duration of the expedition will be reduced accordingly. For example, an itinerary originally planned for 8 days may be shortened to 7. Amazon Explorer is not responsible for any lost expedition days resulting from flight rescheduling due to circumstances beyond our control.
  • Return Flight: If the return flight is postponed to a later date, travelers will be responsible for any additional costs incurred, including extra accommodation, meals, transportation, or charter flights back to Iquitos. This may also lead to missed domestic or international flight connections. We strongly recommend including buffer days at the end of your itinerary as a preventive measure.
  • Important Notice: No refunds will be issued for lost expedition days, additional expenses, or any other consequences arising from circumstances beyond our control.
• Barbasco Fishing: This activity is available exclusively from June to November, during periods of low river levels.
• Reservations must be made at least 60 days in advance.

Day 1

• Departure by a light aircraft from the Iquitos Air Force Base or International Airport.
• One-hour flight to the town of Angamos located on the border with Brazil.
• Meet with our Matsés guides who will accompany us on this expedition.
• Overnight in Angamos.

Day 2

• Organization of supplies and logistics before navigation.
• Motor boat to one of the least explored areas of the Amazon rainforest, the Matsés Reserve (8 h).
• Bird watching.
• Hike to reach the genuine Maloca of the “Feline Tribe”.
• Camp in the jungle, next the genuine Maloca.

Day 3-6

• Enter to the Authentic Maloca (indigenous longhouse).
• Live with a tribal family.
• Learn their customs and way of life.
• Listen to ancient stories told by elderly Matsés.
• Harvest food from their “Chacras” (plantations and crops).
• Fish with “Barbasco” (toxic plant). Just during Low river season (June to November).
• Identify medicinal plants.
• Sniff “Nënë” (native tobacco) ritual (optional).
• Night exploration in search of the monkey frog (Phyllomedusa bicolor) used for the Kambô.
• Watch or participate in the Frog ritual “Kambô” (optional).
• Buy or barter for handicrafts and authentic weapons (optional).
• Overnight in a jungle camp, next to the Maloca.

Day 7

• Motor boat back to Angamos village.
• Overnight in Angamos.

Day 8

• Departure by light aircraft from Colonia Angamos to Iquitos.
• Arrive in Iquitos.