Nauta

A tiny little speck on the green, green map of the Peruvian Amazon, the pint-sized village of Nauta sits close to where the mighty River Amazon itself is born, bringing together the great meanders of the Ucayali River and the gorge-sided courses of the Marañón. Sleepy vibes dominate, with palm-swaying plazas that give way to pastel-painted shops around the central blocks. However, you don't come here for the urban life – you come here to join Nauta tour guides and escape to the wild reserves that surround the place; some of the wildest in all of South America. There's the 20,000 square kilometers of the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve. It straddles wetland and jungle, orchid-dotted forests and misty swamps, offering a prime place for seeking out rare creatures like the pink dolphin and the Amazonian river caiman. Then there's the incomprehensible biodiversity of the Comunal Tamshiyacu Tahuayo, where oxbow waters host swinging primates like the uakari monkey, not to mention a whopping 600 species of tropical birds. Northwards is the National Reserve Allpahuayo-Mishana. Hop on boats down the Amazon to explore that one with your Nauta tour guide, to see rare flora that's not anywhere else on the planet, and a menagerie of amphibians and colored frogs and more.