A dusty little town located just a half-hour plane ride from Cusco, Puerto Maldonado is the last stop for travelers heading into the infinitely more interesting Amazon jungle. Like many jungle towns, Puerto Maldonado has survived a series of boom and bust cycles, the first being a prosperous rubber industry in 1902. Gold mining and lumber soon followed suit and continue today, though to a large extent tourism and Brazil nut production are on the rise.

Characterized by wide avenues that narrow into mud lanes lined with unremarkable wooden buildings, the town offers little more to see than three-wheeled motocarros (motorcycle rickshaws) and scooters. For the most part, travelers use Puerto Maldonado as a jumping-off point to nearby attractions like Lago Sandoval, the Tambopata National Reserve and Bahuaja-Sonene National Park. Vastly more relaxed than its larger jungle town relative Iquitos, Puerto Maldonado is a popular stop for Tambopata package tours.

Those keen to learn más español, should definitely check out Tambopata Education Centre, one of the best language schools in the Peruvian Amazon. If you'd rather roll up your sleeves and delve into some much-needed volunteer work, there are a range of opportunities in the area, including being a field assistant at a biological research station, working on a local farm or helping to reforest the rainforest. Though most people blow through town without giving it much notice, it does have an alluring frontier atmosphere that some intrepid individuals may find interesting—at least for a night or two before heading into the heart of the Amazon.

NOTE: Because Puerto Maldonado is listed as part of the yellow fever endemic zone, travelers will need to be vaccinated. If you have already been vaccinated, don't forget to carry your card.
Additionally, tourists will only be admitted to the National Reserve and Lake Sandoval with a certified guide.