Puerto Maldonado is called the "Biodiversity Capital of Peru" because it has a wonderful diversity of species of animals and plants (flora and fauna) located in the forests and is considered the gateway to three important National parks in the Peruvian Amazon, where you can appreciate a variety of wild species of animals and plants. These parks are the Manu, Bahuaja-Sonene and Tambopata-Candamo.
Manu National Park is the highest natural protected area of Peru. It is located between Cusco and Madre de Dios, with the Manu River flowing through it. This is an unspoilt paradise of Peruvian jungle and quite possibly the only accessible piece of virgin rainforest left in the world. Manu was declared as a Biosphere Reserve in 1977, and listed a World Natural Heritage Site in 1987 by UNESCO.
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