Libertad Jungle Lodge is the Best Amazon Experience in Peru

Peru is an amazing country with so much to see and explore. One of the most interesting places to visit is Iquitos and the jungle surrounding this isolated little city. Most likely you want to immerse yourself in the Amazon Jungle and experience the unique wildlife and way of life in the jungle. Selecting the right accommodation or jungle lodge is difficult and there are a lot of options. I can 100% recommend the Libertad Jungle Lodge for your trip to the Amazon! It is a reasonably priced, all inclusive, and fully customizable way to experience the best of the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest

Arriving to Libertad Jungle Lodge

What is the Libertad Jungle Lodge

The Libertad Jungle Lodge is located on the Eastern Bank of the Ucayali River (a tributary to the Amazon River) and is about 150 kms from Iquitos. Libertad Jungle Lodge is part of the village of Libertad which consists of 28 houses and 350 inhabitants. The lodge is 100% community based and all of the guides are from the local area and the proceeds go directly into the community. The lodge itself is built on stilts over the river and private rooms are arranged for each group. Libertad Jungle Lodge is located near the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve and allows you to explore all the incredible flora and fauna of the region. 

The Libertad Village

Libertad Jungle Lodge: Book Your Stay Here

How to get to Libertad Jungle Lodge

There are no roads that lead to Iquitos so you must fly or take a long boat up the river. Iquitos is the only major city in the area and it feels a lot different to the rest of Peru. Everyone drives around on tuk tuks and most of the roads are not paved. Once you get to Iquitos the Libertad Jungle Lodge will arrange all your transportation to the actual lodge. You can decide to get picked up from the airport or from your accommodation if you want to spend a few days in Iquitos before you head into the rainforest. 

Once you are picked up by one of the Libertad Jungle Lodge’s employees you will take a taxi for 2 hours to the small town of Nauta. From here, you will get on a river boat which takes 1-2 hours to reach the Libertad Jungle Lodge. 

Taking the Boat Transport to Libertad Jungle Lodge

What Activities Can You Do?

The best part about the Libertad Jungle Lodge is that you get to fully customize your stay. Each group is assigned a guide (who speaks english) and a boat driver. When you arrive there is a whole list of activities (20+) that you can choose from and create your itinerary! The guides are very adaptable and great at adjusting to each group’s needs. All the activities are included in the price! It is the adventurer’s dream! Here are some of the examples:

List of Activities:

• Sunset swim with pink river dolphins
• Search for Sloths
• Visit the Primates
• Piranha Fishing
• Giant Lily Pad Adventure
• Boat to the Amazon River
• Spend a night camping in the jungle! 
• Learn about natural medicines (see my first hand experience below!)
• Tour the Village and shop local crafts
• Night time spider hunting
• Night Time Cayman Catching
• Multiple Jungle Hiks

And so much more….

Anteater

Accommodation and Food:

The Libertad Jungle Lodge is not a luxury stay, and is more rustic with the basic essentials. Most jungles lodges are not going to be very fancy. We were pleasantly surprised by how nice the facilities were and how yummy the food was! They have a variety of room types depending on your group size and the rooms have their own bathrooms. The rooms are open air but completely sealed off with mosquito netting. In addition, every bed has a mosquito net too. The rooms are simple and comfortable which allows you to rest up for the next day. There is power available from 6-9 pm to charge your phones and cameras. 

Our Room at Libertad Jungle Lodge

The Food at the Libertad Jungle Lodge

All the food was really delicious and locally sourced. The portions were large and included meat, bread, fruits and veggies. They serve 3 meals a day. The lodge is happy to accommodate dietary restrictions and vegan/vegetarian diets. There is also drinking water available. You can bring beer/alcohol and they sell beer as well. 

Mom Caught Us Piranha Dinner

What You Need to Bring:

• Mosquito Repellent
• Insect Bite Cream 
• Flash Light and/or  HeadLamp 
• Long Sleeve Shirt
• Long Pants
• All General Personal Items – Clothes & Toiletries
• Swimsuit
• Sunscreen
• Camera 

** Libertad Jungle Lodge provides rubber boots and technical gear for camping

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Our Guide Navigating the Rivers

Key Tips for Visiting the Libertad Jungle Lodge in the Amazon Rainforest

• Bring A lot of Mosquito Repellent

• Wear long sleeves and pants to avoid bites
• Make sure to tip your guide! 
• You can bring school supplies etc to donate to the village
• April to November are the Driest Months, February and March are the Wettest

The Children in the Community

The Cost of the Libertad Jungle Lodge

Make sure to consult the website because prices can change. They charge a per person fee and the more people in the group the less it costs. The minimum stay is 3 day 2 nights. This is what my mom and I did and I honestly wish we had at least 1 more day. For 2 guests it cost us $330 USD Per Person. You can check the different rates here.

Amazon Rainforest Views

My Personal Experience at Libertad Jungle Lodge

I had been traveling in South America for over 5 months when my mom planned to come visit me in Peru. I immediately knew I wanted to explore the Amazon Rainforest with her and after a bit of research I decided The Libertad Jungle Lodge was the best choice! We had the most amazing time and loved the ability to choose our adventures and explore with our own guide. Here is what our trip looked like:

Our Trusty Boat Driver

Day 1: Lima → Iquitos → Libertad Jungle Lodge

My mom and I took a really early flight from Lima to Iquitos and we landed around 7:30. There was a guide  waiting with a sign to pick us up. We then got in a taxi and took in the views as we made our way to Nauta. Once there we got to tour the local market before we met some of the other travelers and all got on the boat to the lodge. This is one of the bigger boats that the lodge has so there is plenty of room for luggage and people. 

Arriving at the Lodge

The lodge looks to cool from the water when you arrive. It is perched on stilts above the water and is pretty big. You can see the rest of the village to the side of it. We visited in late May so the water levels weren’t too high and you could walk into the village. During the rainy season they have to boat between houses. When we arrived they gave us a tour of the property and we got to sit down with our guide and decide our itinerary. Then we had some lunch and prepared to go out for the afternoon adventure. 

Cute Little Orangutan

Exploring on the Boat

It is really cool that every group gets their own guide, boat and boat driver. We went out on the boat to try and see some animals. It amazes me how the guides don’t get lost. We were weaving in and out of trees and swampy parts, sometimes cutting through grass. It is so cool how they know where they are going and all the little channels are like roads. Our guide took us into the trees and we got to see some beautiful birds and primates. One of the best parts is just listening and feeling so immersed in the nature around you. 

After exploring on the boat for a while, we made our way back towards the lodge in time for sunset. We got to see the sun setting on the river and it was beautiful! By the time dinner rolled around, my worst fears were coming true and I was starting to feel super sick. 

Amazon River Sunset

Night 1: How The Staff at Libertad Jungle Lodge Saved Me from Sickness! 

I could not write this post without mentioning how I got super ill in the jungle.  The staff at Libertad Jungle Lodge took amazing care of me. I must have eaten a bad empanada in the Lima airport because by the afternoon of our arrival to the Jungle I felt terrible. It sucked and I am someone who NEVER gets sick. By the time we wrapped up the first day activities I felt like shit. I could not even take a bite of dinner and I had a terrible headache, high fever and stomach issues. I was so worried that my time in the jungle was over before it even began, and that my mom’s visit to Peru was going to be ruined by my sickness. 

The Amazon Healing Methods

The Staff Saved Me!

Luckily the staff knew just what to do and they were so helpful and attentive. They came to my room with a fever reducing concoction consisting of special leaves, lemon and some other jungle ingredients. I felt like I was having a spa day as the guide massaged the concoction onto my face and head. It was so cooling and I felt relieved immediately. He continued to massage my head and place the leaves and lemon onto my forehead. He wrapped my head with cloth to keep the ingredients in place and this allowed me to get some sleep. 

Mom and the kids from Libertad Village

Day 2: Miraculous Recovery and Village Tour

I still felt really sick in the morning so I did not go on any of the excursions. My mom got to go on a natural medicine tour and they brought me back some tree bark tea and other natural remedies that they picked up in the jungle. My mom loved it! By lunch time I actually started feeling a lot better and had some more energy back. I felt well enough to do the afternoon activities – although I was very nervous about needing to take an emergency poop off the little boat. 

Giant Lily Pads!

Giant Lily Pads & Village Tour

We headed out on the boat to the Giant Lily Pads. They were super beautiful and they can float up to 40 kilos! When we got back to the lodge we went to visit the village. We met the women who were making craft goods and wove our own bracelets. We also enjoyed playing around with the children. One of my favorite aspects of the Libertad Jungle Lodge is that all the money goes directly into the community that helps run it. 

Sunset From the Lodge

Night 2: Sunset Reflections and Caiman Hunting

The sunset was so magical on night 2. The pastel colors reflected perfectly off of the river and we got to take some incredible photos. After dinner, we took the boat out again to search for Caiman. These are small crocodiles that you can spot at night by the reflection of their red eyes. Our guide knew exactly where to go and all the sudden we were floating surrounded by bushes. He reached into the water and whipped out a Caiman! It was cool to see up close and we found a couple more before calling it a night. 

Woolly Monkey

Day 3: Primates, Sloths, Piranhas, Pink Dolphins and The Amazon River

We had to make up for my sickness on our last day at the Libertad Jungle Lodge. Thankfully we were able to pack a lot into the morning activities. We headed out to the primate forest and got to see so many primates including the Spider Monkey and Orangutan. They were flying around the trees and actually came up super close to the boat. Our guide also helped us spot a sloth that was moving super slowly through the trees. 

Piranha Fishing

Piranha Fishing

Next, we learned how to fish for piranhas using a stick, string and a hook. There is a special technique to it and my mom was the fishing queen! She caught 5 piranhas and the rest of us caught none. We got to eat our Piranha catch for lunch that day. 

Swimming with Pink River Dolphins

The last activity of the day was swimming with the Pink River Dolphins. We got to spot a few in the river and a couple other types of dolphins. Then we jumped in the water for a swim! 

Our Transportation During the stay at Libertad Jungle Lodge

Heading Back to Iquitos:

After lunch it was time to say our goodbyes. We loaded up the big boat and took a different route back to Nauta. This time we went to the Amazon River intersection and we could see it stretching away towards Brazil. It is crazy that the river can be 5 km wide at some points! Once we got back to Iquitos we checked in to our hotel for the night and watched the sunset over the river. 

Sunset in Iquitos

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The Libertad Jungle Lodge is the best way to experience the Amazon Rainforest

The fantastic location and incredibly helpful guides make the Libertad Jungle Lodge one of a kind. It is a very memorable place that lets you explore the Amazon Rainforest however you like. The long list of adventurous activities help you to learn more about the rainforest and experience all the wonder of the Amazon. I felt like the value for the $$ was really good and it is hundreds of dollars cheaper than the more commercialized jungle lodges. If I ever make it back to the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest I will definitely stay at the Libertad Jungle Lodge again. 

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