Allpahuayo Mishana Reserve

Allpahuayo Mishana protects varillal and chamizal - forests growing on ancient white sand rather than the usual Amazonian clay, a nutrient-poor substrate that produces stunted, thin-stemmed woodland completely unlike the surrounding rainforest. That soil is why the reserve matters: a set of bird species is restricted to white-sand forest in this corner of Loreto, including the Allpahuayo antbird, ancient antwren, pompadour cotinga and iridescent-winged parakeet, several of them described only in the 1990s and 2000s. The pygmy marmoset, the smallest monkey in the world at about a hundred grams, lives here too, feeding on tree gum. The reserve sits on the Iquitos to Nauta road, so it is the easiest serious birding site near the city, with trails, a research station and canopy access at points. The white-sand forest is fragile and slow to recover from clearing.

What you actually see

• The white-sand forest - stunted varillal woodland on ancient sand, unlike normal rainforest.
• The endemic birds - species restricted to this soil type, some described only recently.
• The pygmy marmoset - the world's smallest monkey, feeding on tree gum.
• The road access - trails straight off the Iquitos to Nauta highway.

When to go

June to October is drier, though it rains all year. Dawn for birds. A day for a visit, two or three for the specialities with a guide who knows the calls.

Honest expectations

The famous birds are small, quiet and hard - a specialist guide makes the difference between seeing them and not. Hot, humid, and heavy with mosquitoes. Trails flood in the wet months. Facilities are basic and there is little shade on the road sections.

Nearby

Iquitos is north-east; Nauta and the Marañón are south.