Plizio Visual Lab

Bahuaja-Sonene

Plizio editorial teamUpdated: Jun 2026Data Sources

Forest

Weather…

Bahuaja-Sonene National Park is a massive protected area in southeastern Peru, spanning the Puno and Madre de Dios regions. Established in 1996, it encompasses more than one million hectares of pristine wilderness, ranging from Andean foothills to the Amazonian lowlands. The park is unique as it protects Peru's only tropical humid savanna, known as the Pampas del Heath. This variety of ecosystems results in extraordinary biodiversity, featuring over 600 bird species and numerous endangered mammals such as the maned wolf and the giant otter. The park is named after the Tambopata and Heath rivers in the languages of the local Ese Eja indigenous groups. Due to its remote location and strict conservation status, human impact is minimal, making it a critical reference point for scientific research. The climate varies greatly with elevation, from cool montane forests to hot and humid lowland conditions. The park's conservation is vital for preserving the watersheds of the rivers that eventually feed into the Amazon River.

Location: Peru
Nearby: Puerto Maldonado (40 km)

Best time to visit & climate

The most pleasant time to visit is Jun–Aug.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg °C	24	24	24	24	23	22	23	24	26	27	26	25
Rain mm	296	296	219	153	97	71	55	53	59	138	176	276

📋 Practical info

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Getting there

Access to this extremely remote national park is usually only possible as part of organized, multi-day expeditions departing from Puerto Maldonado. The journey mostly involves long boat rides navigating through river systems into the deep jungle.

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Best season

The most favorable time to travel is generally during the dry season from May to October, when rivers are calmer and trails are less muddy. During the extremely wet months, many areas are completely flooded and virtually inaccessible to visitors.

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Terrain & paths

The landscape constantly alternates between impenetrable, humid rainforest and the completely unique, open savanna areas. Visitors primarily move around on small boats or hike along extremely flat but often rugged and untamed deep jungle trails.

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What to bring

Comprehensive mosquito protection, long jungle clothing, and robust rain gear are absolutely essential for surviving the hot and humid climate. Binoculars for spotting distant wildlife and waterproof dry bags for all electronic devices are vital.

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Parking

Since the protected area is located far from any roads, there are absolutely no parking facilities nearby. Tours usually start in port cities, where cars can be safely left on guarded lots owned by tour operators for the duration of the expedition.

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Safety

Being accompanied by highly experienced local guides is strictly mandatory in this vast, remote wilderness. Strict adherence to safety rules regarding wild animals, unknown insects, and treacherous river currents is completely vital for survival.

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Time needed

Due to the enormous isolation and the exceptionally long travel times involved, visitors typically plan comprehensive expeditions lasting four to seven days. Shorter stays are generally neither practical nor possible due to immense logistical hurdles.