Ecotourism in Peru

Peru is rich in history, tradition and cultural diversity and the popularity of rural, community and ecotourism has risen over the years due to the demand of visitors wanting unique experiences to connect with the local people.

These tourism practises also allow the local communities to further benefit from tourism in a sustainable way.

But 80 per cent of tourists participating in community tourism have done so only in southern Peru on the popular main tourist circuit.

There are diverse community activities in all regions of Peru that directly benefit smaller communities and the whole country.

Agro-tourism and home-stays are managed by local inhabitants and allow the visitor to have a firsthand experience of the local culture.

Ecotourism in Lake Titicaca - Taquile Island

Community tourism projects have been very successful around Lake Titicaca and Cusco. Many tourists stay in communities for a couple of days in family hosted accommodation while exploring the island and learning the way of life there.

Taquile is one of the many islands on the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca and until the 1970's it was a community closed to contact with the exterior world.

Little-by-little the community began opening up to tourists who were attracted by spending time with the inhabitants and learning about their traditional culture whilst seeing their famous textiles.

In 2005 Unesco awarded the Taquileño traditional textiles in the category of 'Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity' and this has made their craft even more sought after.

For the people of Taquile tourism has provided an opportunity to improve their economic situation.

Rural tourism on Peru's northern coast

A splendid world of pre-Incan cultures, towns, desserts, valleys, dry forests, beaches, ports, archaeological and historical sites are found in the lesser known northern coast of Peru.

Rural and experienced-based tourism is already allowing visitors to gain an insight into the traditional life of the local people.

An example of a project benefiting from eco and community based tourism is the protection of the Manglares de Tumbes National Sanctuary. This valuable ecosystem has been impacted during decades of logging and extraction of crabs and mangrove cockles.

The local community is now in charge of an ecotourism project which protects and preserves the resource and the tourism provides them with an environmentally friendly economic alternative.

As tourists come to visit the area they are guided by people of the community and discover the biodiversity that is not always visible to new visitors.

The sanctuary shelters a diversity of aquatic invertebrates of economic importance for the local population, as well as some species in danger of extinction such as the American crocodile.

Approximately 93 species of fish are found in the mangroves, 12 species of mammals and 150 species of birds, of which eight depend exclusively on this habitat.

Another place to visit in this area is the crocodile breeding farm kept by the FONDEPES (Fishing Development Fund), a breeding project that ensures the survival of an animal that has almost disappeared from the Tumbes Rivers due to hunting.

Eco-tourism in the Peruvian Amazon

In the Amazon ecotourism experiences offer a privileged relationship between communities and nature, and give the visitor the chance to get close to a world rich in flora and fauna

Peru encompasses 84 out of the 104 life zones identified on planet Earth, and these contain more than the 20 per cent of the plant and animal species of the entire planet.

The greater part of this biological wealth is found in the Amazon, where scientists have recorded more than 25,000 plant species, approximately 1,800 bird species, 361 mammal species, 251 amphibian species, 297 reptile species, and more than 2,500 fish species.

There are many ecotourism and community projects in the Peruvian Amazon. Peruvian ecotourism company Rainforest Expeditions, founded in 1982, provides an authentic ecotourism experience that is both educational and sustainable through conserving areas in which it operates.

It runs three lodges located in the Peruvian Amazon: Posada Amazonas, Refugio Amazonas, and the Centro de Investigaciones Tambopata (Tambopata Research Center) and tourists are encourages to learn about nature and the local people whilst aiding conservation.

For more information about rural, community and ecotourism holidays see the Peru tourism website and download a brochure.

travelbite.co.uk