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Manu
The Manu National Park was established on May 29, 1973 by Supreme Decree Nş 0644-73-AG. It is located in the departments of Cusco and Madre de Dios. The National Park was recognized as the Heart of the Biosphere Reserve in 1977, and declared Natural Patrimony of Humankind in 1987 by the UNESCO. The Manu National Park extends over 1 532 806 hectares and represents part of the great biological diversity in the Amazonia.
 As altitude varies from 656,17 feet to almost 13 123,36 feet above sea level, it has almost all subtropical ecologic formations of the Peruvian eastern region. In this huge area, there are interesting species and ecosystems for the science. Around the rivers, there are typical trees such as the cercropia (Cecropia sp.) and the balsa or topa (Ochroma sp).
There are also trees like the cedar (Cedrela sp.), the tornillo (Cedrelinga catenaeformis), the Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa), the lupuna (Chorisia sp.) and the rubber (Hevea brasiliensis), among others, forming patchworks of tropical humid forests.
A great variety of animal species are protected in this park: over 800 bird species and 200 mammals (100 species of which are bats). There are over 120 species of fish and abundant varieties of reptiles, as well as over a million insects and other invertebrate species.
In this region it is possible to observe birds that are difficult to find in other places of the jungle: for example, the harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja), the jabiru stork (Jabiru mycteria) and the roseate spoonbill (Ajaia ajaja). In the riverbanks, on the tree branches, we can find the Muscovy duck or sacha pato (Cairina moschata), wild ancester of the criollo duck.
There are also many wild fauna species such as the Orinoco goose (Neochen jubata), the cock-of-the-rock (Rupicola peruviana), the woolly monkey (Lagothrix lagotricha), the black spider monkey (Ateles paniscus), the giant otter or river wolf (Pteronura brasiliensis), the jaguar (Panthera onça), the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), the spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus) and the Peruvian guemal or taruca (Hippocamelus antisensis).
Besides its fauna, flora, and landscapes, this zone is also interesting because of the more than 30 peasant communities living in the surrounding area that maintain the quechua as their mother tongue. Additionally, there are other ancient native populations from the Amazonia that belong to different linguistic groups such as the Matsiguenka, the Amahuaca, the Yine, the Amarakaeri, the Huachipaire, the Mashco Piros and the Nahua ethnic groups.
Moreover, there are some well-known archaeological ruins like the Pusharo Petroglyphs in the region of the Palotoa River, and the Mameria Ruins; while other remains have not been studied yet.
One of the purposes of the National Park is to preserve a representative sample of biological diversity existing in the southeastern tropical jungle of Peru in order to contribute to the regional development through the research and monitoring of environmental parameters. Likewise, it aims at developing anthropological programs related to the communities settled at the National Park.
The trip from Cusco to the Manu National Park, along the highway, crosses the Andean crest, where it is possible to admire the sunrise over the jungle from the Tres Cruces viewpoint going down the ecological tiers of the jungle to the Amazonian plain. The Park can be reached through the Manu River; then it is possible to settle at a tourist shelter or to camp on one of the riverbanks.
The main activities in this area are the ecotourism and the observation of the amazing flora and fauna, showing an ecosystem that has been evolving without alteration over thousands of years.
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