Pantiacolla Lodge

Pantiacolla Lodge is set in beautiful rainforest on the side of the turbulent Alto Madre de Dios river. It nestles in the Manu foothills at the base of the Pantiacolla Mountains in a very unique area of the national park. The mountains rise up to 1200 m, and more, behind the lodge and are a contributing factor to the enormous variety of wildlife that inhabits the area.

Accommodation at the lodge is provided in bungalows with a total of 14 double rooms giving a maximum capacity of 28 persons. Paths lead from the bungalows to showers and flush toilets and to a spacious and comfortable dining area and bar.

Pantiacolla Lodge is an ideal rainforest destination for all types of jungle enthusiasts. For birders it offers an exceptionally high species density, for first time visitors it offers a comprehensive trail system and great wildlife watching opportunities, to learn Spanish you find yourself in a stimulating environment, and for families it offers an almost mosquito free environment in which both adults and children can discover the secrets of the tropical rainforest. Moreover, it is especially suited to those who would prefer a more relaxed and comfortable rainforest experience.

General ecological interest
The 900 hectares of land around the lodge offers the enthusiastic explorer miles of gridded trails to walk that traverse a variety of different habitats and also provide access to hot, cold and mineral oil spriings. The forest in the area supports eight species of monkey and a healthy population of Manu´s least known and most elusive primate, the monk saki monkey. Coati, deer, peccary and even tapir are frequent sightings and the area boasts a recorded 500+ species of bird. A short early morning boat trip to a clay lick also enables visitors to observe macaws and parakeets at close hand.

Birdwatching
When the Moscoso patriarch Don Isaac chose the land at the foot of the Pantiacolla Mountains as his home, he felt he had found a special piece of the rainforest: the Andean Bear roamed there, the monk saki, a type of monkey which is very rare and still unstudied by science, and many birds he observed for the first time in his long presence in Manu. Don Isaac´s intuition recently has been confirmed by entomologists and ornithologists assessing the habitats from 400 to over 1200 m above sea level. The entomologists have not yet finished their evaluation, however the ornithologists, within the first month, found an astonishing approximate of 500 species! Many of the species are endemic to the area, very rare or found at altitudes different from their normal range. Pantiacolla keeps constructing new trails, platforms and hides; the highest campsite now is at 1250 m and a recent 10-day census at this altitude has given the lodge 12 new species of bird.

Studying Spanish at Pantiacolla Lodge
Pantiacolla Lodge, together with the Amauta Spanish School, offers you the possibility to learn Spanish in the rainforest. All teaching material is based on rainforest ecology; during the hikes in the forest, the guide, also trained as a teacher, uses the words you learned in the lessons. Moreover, at the end of the week, you will have your encounter, in Spanish, with the real rainforest people, the Matsiguenka of Shipetiari.

Children at Pantiacolla Lodge
Almost all kids, even the very young ones, love the rainforest, at least most parts of it ... The animals, vegetation, the heat and excess of water are all exciting, however the mosquitos are not. Especially not mosquitos in combination with camping. Pantiacolla Lodge, located as it is at the Andean foothills, hardly has any level ground, and therefore hardly any mosquitos. The cool mountain breezes keep temperatures at the lower side of ´tropical´ and the absence of mosquitos can have the kids running around without all-covering clothes and without health-harming insect repellent! If asked for in advance, we can provide you with a reliable nanny to take care of your playing children, while you concentrate on exploring the rainforest around the lodge.