Libertador Tambopata Eco Lodge (Nueva Baja 432, Cusco, tel. 084/24-5695, www.tambopatalodge.com, three days/two nights US$301–509 pp) is affiliated with the exclusive Libertador hotel chain, and as a result, is one of Peru’s more luxurious jungle lodges. The older wooden bungalows are charming with porches, hammocks, and thatched roofs—plus the new comforts of hot water, tiled bathrooms, and electric lighting (though candles are still provided).

Tambopata Eco Lodge is also building a new generation of larger, luxurious bungalows made from cement, the new material of choice for ecolodges because it lasts longer than wood and does not require the felling of trees. These cement bungalows have the same comforts but with larger, newer rooms and queen-size beds (the only downside is that there are two units per bungalow, so you hear your neighbor through the open-air ceiling). The bungalows are spread out in a jungle clearing, with the cozy bar and dining room a short walk away along a wooden ramp.

Libertador Tambopata Eco Lodge is surrounded by 100 hectares of secondary forest, in which a few old trees remain. Highlights of a visit are the slide show, bird-watching at Lago Condenado, a medicinal plant talk at a local farm, and a bird-watching platform that is 24 meters high. An excursion to the macaw clay lick, several hours farther upstream, costs between US$400–500 pp extra. The lodge is three hours upstream from Puerto Maldonado.