Puerto Pizarro

Puerto Pizarro sits on the edge of the Tumbes mangroves, the only substantial mangrove system on the Peruvian coast and the southern limit of the ecosystem on this side of the continent, protected as the Santuario Nacional Los Manglares de Tumbes. Boats run from the village through the channels between the mangrove islands - Isla de Amor, Isla Hueso de Ballena, Isla de los Pájaros, where frigatebirds and herons roost - and out to sandbanks. The other stop is the crocodile breeding centre, which works with the American crocodile, a species reduced in Peru to a very small population in these estuaries; the centre raises and releases animals and keeps adults for breeding. The mangroves support the black shell, the conchas negras harvested here and eaten across the north, and the fishing economy of the village. Boat prices are negotiated at the jetty.

What you actually see

• The mangrove channels - the only substantial mangrove system on the Peruvian coast.
• The islands - bird roosts and sandbanks reached by boat from the village.
• The crocodile centre - breeding and release work for a nearly extinct Peruvian population.
• The conchas negras - the black shells harvested from the mangrove mud.

When to go

Year-round; mornings are cooler and better for birds. Half a day including a boat circuit and the crocodile centre.

Honest expectations

Boats are open and hot, and prices are negotiated with pressure at the jetty. The crocodile centre is basic. Mosquitoes and sandflies in the mangroves are severe. Water quality around the village is poor.

Nearby

Tumbes is south; the mangrove sanctuary and the Ecuadorian border are north.