For somewhere so central to the planet’s survival, there’s a lot we still don’t know about the Amazon rainforest. The number of trees, for instance, although estimates put it around 400 billion. Or the number of flora and fauna species that sprout and scurry and swing between those trees, although again we estimate that the rainforest contains 10% of all known species, including new ones discovered roughly every three days. In fact, most people don’t even know that the Amazon ecosystem stretches way beyond Brazil’s borders to include eight countries in total, including all-time favourite destinations like Peru and Ecuador. While we can’t help with the number of trees or the names of all the species, we can help plan epic adventures to this endangered Eden. Read on for our guide to this wondrous wilderness and the ways you can experience it first-hand, helping with conservation projects along the way...
- Where to see the Amazon
- Top Experiences in the Amazon
- Wildlife in the Amazon
- Ecotourism in the Amazon
Where to see the Amazon
The Amazon rainforest is huge. It spans a whopping eight South American countries – Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana and Suriname – and blankets an area that is twice the size of India (or 28 times the size of the UK). Of these countries, the Amazon is most accessible from Ecuador. Hop on a plane at Quito – the country’s high-altitude capital – and spend the stupidly scenic 45-minute flight with your eyes glued to the window, before being dropped off right into the heart of the jungle.
Top Experiences in the Amazon
Where to begin? A wilderness this huge delivers adventures aplenty (and far too many to cover in a single Amazon rainforest guide). In Peru, cruise across an oxbow lake on the lookout for critically endangered giant river otters and brave the heights of the 98ft-high Inkaterra Canopy Walkway – a suspension bridge that links together eight observation platforms. In Brazil, try your hand at piranha fishing (a staple fish dish among Indigenous tribes) and explore the vast waterways with a guide in a traditional caboclo canoe. And in Ecuador, join a traditional ceremony with the indigenous Kichwa Anangu community and go hiking through a swamp forest.
Wildlife in the Amazon
Any Amazon rainforest guide will tell you that the Amazon is one of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth, providing sanctuary to millions of species from poison dart frogs and sloths to pink river dolphins and jaguars. There’s even a type of monkey that is said to purr like a cat. Since 1999, over 2,000 plant and animal species have been discovered and with new additions to that list every three days or so, there’s no guessing exactly how many wildlife wonders call the Amazon home.
Eco-tourism in the Amazon
The Amazon contains nearly a third of all the tropical rainforests left on Earth and has been nicknamed the ‘Lungs of the Planet’ for the important work it does sucking up and storing carbon dioxide emissions. Without it, our ability to lock up carbon would be dramatically reduced, compounding the effects of climate change. Even so, this pristine paradise is disappearing at an alarming rate due to deforestation and forest fires. Practicing eco-tourism in the Amazon Rainforest is one of the many ways to counteract the destruction and give something back. Whether you’re helping to rebuild this natural paradise by planting trees, sailing down the Amazon River on an eco-friendly boat, or staying in Indigenous-owned and operated lodges, ecotourism is essential for keeping this seriously special rainforest alive.
Written by Ella Mawson