Tambopata National Reserve, Madre de Dios, Peru · Amazon ecolodge
Tambopata Research Center
Open-walled rooms and clay lick visits deep in the Tambopata reserve
In short
Tambopata Research Center is a small Rainforest Expeditions ecolodge inside Peru's Tambopata National Reserve, facing Bahuaja Sonene National Park. It has four room types with open walls to the forest, 300 meters of elevated walkways and a 30-meter canopy tower. Guests visit the Colorado and Chuncho macaw clay licks. Access is by road and river from Puerto Maldonado airport.
- Size
- Not yet checked
- Airport
- Puerto Maldonado airport (PEM), drive time not yet checked
- Dining
- Buffet meals
- Plus 2 more on site
- Wellness
- Massage service
- Check-in, check-out
- 12:45 hrs, out by 7:30 hrs, leaving from the lodge
Facts checked 5 November 2026 · sources at the foot of the page
About Tambopata Research Center
Tambopata Research Center is the most secluded of the three Rainforest Expeditions lodges, set inside the Tambopata National Reserve and facing Bahuaja Sonene National Park. Researchers have worked from here since 1989, and guests can join citizen science activities and talks in the Open Lab. Elevated walkways, 300 meters in all, run between the forest floor and the canopy, and a 30-meter tower looks out over the treetops.
Rooms come in four types, from the 21 m² Standard beside the shared areas to the 84.8 m² Deluxe Suite with a private terrace and outdoor tub. Walls open onto the forest, beds have mosquito nets and every bathroom has a hot shower. Meals are served buffet style, and a coffee station and a fruit station are open all day. The lodge also has a bar, a gift shop and a massage service.
A stay includes the Colorado and Chuncho clay licks, where macaws and parrots gather to eat clay. Excursions run in small groups, and each day you choose from the activities on offer with a guide. Getting here takes a road and river transfer from Puerto Maldonado, so the operator's suggested itineraries run three to five nights. Partition walls stop about two meters high, so night sounds and neighbors carry.
Perfect if you are
- Nature and wildlife
- Birding
- Adventure
Good to know
- The Standard room is the smallest and sits next to the shared areas, so ask which room type your itinerary includes.
- Rooms are open to the forest and partition walls stop about two meters high, so you will hear neighbors as well as wildlife at night.
- On the last day the boat leaves the lodge at 7:30 and reaches Puerto Maldonado around 10:00, so the operator advises booking a flight after 11:30.
Rooms
Rooms to ask for
Deluxe Suite
Sleeps 2 guests, extra person possible · 84.8 m² · Open wall facing the rainforest view
The largest room: private terrace with outdoor tub and shower, plus a hammock and indoor sitting area.
Suite
Sleeps 2 guests, extra person possible · 54.8 m² · Open wall facing the rainforest view
Two queen beds and an indoor sitting area, without the Deluxe Suite's terrace and outdoor tub.
Premium
Sleeps 2 guests, extra person possible · 44.5 m² · Open wall facing the rainforest view
Two double beds with a ceiling fan and minibar; no indoor sitting area is listed.
How it compares
How it compares in Tambopata
From Peru's national register of classified hotels and each hotel's own website. "Not yet checked" means we have not looked, never "no". Nothing here is a price.
| Fact | Tambopata Research Center | Amazon Lodge Tambopata | Corto Maltes Amazonia | Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Official stars | Not on the register | Not on the register | Not on the register | Not on the register |
| Rooms | Not yet checked | Not yet checked | 27 bungalows | Not yet checked |
| Pool | Not yet checked | Not yet checked | Yes | Not yet checked |
| Spa | Not yet checked | Not yet checked | Yes | Yes |
| Restaurant | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
On the property
Eat, unwind and settle in
Dining
Buffet meals
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served buffet style, with snacks between meals.
Dining
Coffee and fruit stations
A coffee station and an organic fruit station stay open around the clock.
Dining
Lodge bar
A bar serves drinks on site.
Wellness
Massage service
A massage center is on site.
On site
Elevated walkways
300 meters of raised walkways set between the forest floor and the canopy.
On site
Canopy tower
A 30-meter tower for spotting monkeys, toucans and macaws above the treetops.
On site
Open Lab
The lodge's field research space, used for science and conservation talks.
On site
Bar and gift shop
Both sit on site; drinks and shop items are paid separately.
Getting there
In Tambopata
- Airport: Puerto Maldonado airport (PEM), drive time not yet checked
Questions we get
Tambopata Research Center, answered
How do guests reach Tambopata Research Center?
Guests fly to Puerto Maldonado, where the operator's team meets them. A fixed daily shuttle then goes by road and by boat up the Tambopata River; the operator asks guests to arrive before 13:00.
Is the lodge a good choice for children?
The operator suggests this lodge for children of about 8 and up who are used to walking for more than an hour. It advises against bringing children under 3 and points younger children to its other two lodges.
Which macaw clay licks do guests visit?
A stay includes the Colorado and Chuncho clay licks. Guests watch from a viewing spot set back from the cliff as macaws and smaller parrots come down to eat clay.
Is there Wi-Fi at the lodge?
Yes. The operator lists Wi-Fi at about 25 Mbps at the lodge, though speed can vary with weather and the number of guests. Electricity in the common areas runs around the clock.
Also in Tambopata
If Tambopata Research Center is full, we would look at
Your Peru, starting in Tambopata
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Sources: the hotel's own website, read 5 November 2026 · Facts checked 5 November 2026