Amazon FAQ

While the Amazon can be visited year-round, there are two distinct seasons – high water season and low water season. During the high water season, which runs from December to May, rainfall is higher, average temperatures are lower, and every river, creek, and lake is navigable, which means that you can travel by boat deeper into the jungle. The downside of this is more mosquitoes, and the fishing is not as good. During the low water season, which runs from June to November, rainfall is lower, average temperatures are higher, and the hiking trails that are submerged during the wet season are accessible, meaning that you can travel by foot deeper into the jungle. There are also more migratory birds, fewer mosquitoes, and the fishing is better. Given that the Amazon can be visited year-round, we suggest that you consider the best time to travel to the other destinations that you will be visiting during your trip (i.e. Machu Picchu, Rio de Janeiro) when making this determination.

The best places to visit in the Amazon are the Ecuadorian Amazon, Iquitos & the Northern Amazon, Puerto Maldonado & the Southern Amazon, and Manaus & the Amazon.

You can visit the Amazon by staying at a jungle lodge or taking an Amazon Cruise. We offer both of those options in Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website provides recommended and/or required vaccinations for each country. What follows are the specific recommendations for the Amazon region of Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil.

For Ecuador, it recommends yellow fever vaccination if you are traveling to the following provinces east of the Andes Mountains: Morona-Santiago, Napo, Orellana, Pastaza, Sucumbios, and Zamora-Chinchipe. There is a relatively low risk of malaria for travel to Ecuador. Talk to your doctor about how you can prevent malaria while traveling.

For Peru, it recommends yellow fever vaccination if you are traveling to the following regions: Amazonas, Loreto, Madre de Dios, San Martin, and Ucayali. There is a relatively low risk of malaria for travel to Peru. Talk to your doctor about how you can prevent malaria while traveling.

For Brazil, it recommends yellow fever vaccination if you are traveling to the entire states of Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Distrito Federal (including the capital city of Brasília), Goiás, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima, and Tocantins, and designated areas of the following states: Bahia, Paraná, Piauí, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and São Paulo. There is a relatively low risk of malaria for travel to the states of Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Maranhaõ, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima, and Tocantins. It is also present in urban areas, including, cities such as Belem, Boa Vista, Macapa, Manaus, Maraba, Porto Velho, and Santarem. Talk to your doctor about how you can prevent malaria while traveling.