La Perla Amazon Cruise, Peru
Good-value option in the Peruvian Amazon cruising portfolio.
Comfortable 14-cabin vessel with itineraries exploring the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve.
Short, intense itineraries of 4 days, for those strapped for time; up to 7 days, for deeper Amazon immersion.
Overview
Enjoying dinner in La Perla’s dining room.
Despite its luxuriant name, it is an affordable - but very comfortable - option for cruising the Peruvian Amazon.
The owners have used their Amazon cruising experience to convert a former missionary medical boat into an idiosyncratic and well-equipped Amazon River vessel that is ideal for tourism.
The naturalist guides and dedicated crew are highly-trained, so as to provide a first-class service with a personal touch.
View of & from La Perla cabin.
Amenities include delicious international and Amazonian cuisine, and a range of social areas ... so you can choose to enjoy the open air on the Observation Deck, or the air-conditioning inside the boat.
Speaking of air-conditioning, all 14 cabins are equipped with this, along with hot water in their private bathrooms.
If travelling as a family or group of friends, Superior Cabins can be configured for triple occupancy, while a few of the Amazonian View Cabins are inter-connectable and share a balcony.
Guests arrive at Iquitos Airport, and are then driven to the riverside town of Nauta, which is the gateway to the wildlife-rich Pacaya-Samiria Reserve, to embark the Perla.
A good day’s fishing on La Perla skiff!
Offering four and seven-day itineraries, guests are taken into the heart of the rainforest, with numerous excursions on the Perla's outboard-powered skiffs, to visit lagoons, narrow channels, creeks, villages and flooded forest.
Activities include fishing for piranha, swimming with (or rather, near) pink dolphins and a visit to a manatee rescue project.
Prices
All prices quoted are per person sharing a cabin on a double occupancy basis.
| Cabin Type | Length | Prices From |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 4 Days | £1,429 / $1,822 |
| Amazon View | 4 Days | £1,511 / $1,926 |
| Superior | 4 Days | £1,592 / $2,030 |
| Standard | 7 Days | £2,874 / $3,664 |
| Amazon View | 7 Days | £3,037 / $3,872 |
| Superior | 7 Days | £3,201 / $4,080 |
Ask us about ‘early bird’ discounts, when booking more than 6 months in advance.
Itineraries
Dates
Gallery
M/V La Perla: Deck Plan & Technical Data
Reviews
Read what our clients say about La Perla Amazon Cruise:
“The trip was fabulous and exceeded all our expectations!
We cannot say enough about the La Perla staff from the captain, who was always there to assist us from the skiff onto the boat and answer any questions, to the incredibly well-spoken and bilingual guides, to the Chef and kitchen staff, the skiff drivers, the staff who continually refreshed our rooms whenever we were out — every one of them was incredible.
We were thinking we were going to rough it a bit and we weren’t expecting truly hot water or air conditioning that worked well and certainly didn’t expect the chefs to provide elevated food day after day.
We were delighted with everything - their friendliness, willingness to answer questions, and their ability to connect with a 9 year old boy and assist us older people without being officious was unexpected.
... A highlight for our group was the day we went fishing for piranha. We also enjoyed all the wildlife we saw and were amazed at how skilled the guides and skiff drivers were at picking out things for us to see and identifying everything.
Our guides educated us about the villages, the ecology, and the wildlife in English and Spanish and were so kind to everyone. They facilitated interaction between different groups of guests and between guests and villagers.”
“We had a fantastic time! Everyone in our group agreed that it exceeded our expectations.
As for myself, I very much enjoyed the combination of the cultural experience with the intense experience with nature. The butterfly and bee project, the shaman, and the tree planting all illustrated the values these communities hold; seeing how they advance with so few resources was inspiring.
These experiences felt very real because our guides, Daniel and Victor, are from the local region, extremely knowledgeable, and deeply committed to these communities. I almost felt uncomfortable at times by how hard they worked!
Of course, the food on La Perla was excellent. And I can say that the entire crew paid attention to every detail. The ‘famous’ musical bands that played several evenings were a blast.
Thank you for a great trip! I will recommend this to many!”
“Everything we saw was amazing and unforgettable. I couldn’t really fault the itinerary for the 4 days cruise, great variety, so many highlights, never bored.
The guide was just brilliant, a local man with years of experience who grew up in the area, super knowledgeable, great story teller, passionate and very warm likeable person.
[The cabin was] a good size and very comfortable for the short stay. Perhaps a few extra pillows needed.
We enjoyed all of the meals provided, and have to mention the picnic on the water in the rain forest was a highlight/event.
I should also add, you obviously don’t get to choose the other guests but we felt we struck lucky as the entire group on board (including the crew) were just great, and made the cruise so much more special.”
“It was a wonderful trip, I’m still buzzing about it!
The guides were all wonderful, very helpful and attentive.
[Favourite experiences were] swimming in the Amazon and seeing the red tailed boa.
Mosquitos were annoying, but the bug spray seemed to keep them bearable.”
“We had a great time on our Amazon cruise, thanks ...
I can’t recall the guides names but they were all very friendly, knowledgeable and did a great job.
The local people like the shaman lady and people managing the turtle conservation were also interesting.
The boat was great, bedrooms were really comfortable and well appointed.
Really enjoyed the food. Had some interesting local cuisine and really liked the juices that were served with all sorts of unusual local fruits.”
“Miles, we loved our Amazon cruise on the Perla. The food was delicious, the staff was outstanding and itinerary was interesting.
Both of our guides were very knowledgeable, we learned a lot about the flora and the wildlife but also the history and the culture of Peru’s Amazon basin ...
... The staff members were amazing, friendly and fun.
The evening live music was a highlight. The entire room was dancing by the end of the performance and it was so much fun.
Our cabin was comfortable and lovely though we spent very little time there except to sleep ...
... We loved this cruise and have recommended it to many of our friends and acquaintances.”
“Just a note of thanks for our “La Perla” cruise.
Everything went very smoothly and the cruise was brilliant.
The whole team were wonderful. ”
“There were good parts and not do good parts, but overall had some amazing experiences on the trip.
The skiff rides were brilliant, we saw so much, and the night time skiff ride with huge bats flying with us and illuminous fireflies everywhere was one of my favourite evenings of the whole trip.
The food- amazing! Every day.
The guides were great and very knowledgeable.
Cabin was great, looking out onto the river, good air con.
So overall it was a great experience and we’re glad we found this trip ... some memories made to last a lifetime. ”
“What an amazing trip! Thanks for your help getting the Amazon cruise sorted for us.
We loved the boat, staff, naturalists and fellow travelers.
Peru was just amazing!!”
“The cruise was great.
We really enjoyed all of the food!
The staff were very friendly and accommodating.
The rooms were very comfortable.”
“The accommodations aboard were very nice and the crew was wonderful to be around. They all were very helpful, pleasing us in any manner and extremely friendly.
Our jungle tour guide was Robinson and he was very good. He knew the items to point out to us and describe them.
One of the real interests was visiting the villages of the indigenous persons, Most notable was they appeared to all be very happy enjoying their life-styles and welcome to have us visit with them.
Our daily tours off the La Perla were extremely interesting.”
“The guys (every team member!) at la perla ... did their very best to entertain us and to give us a special time.
Really a very high quality of guides and helpers! ”
“I’d like to thank you for all the assistance and recommendations on a wonderful trip ... on La Perla river cruise, everything was great and everyone really had a good time.”
“We had an absolutely fantastic time.
We were in Peru for a full month saw Machu Picchu and a number of very memorable spots, but the La Perla cruise was a major highlight. I think one of the only regrets is that we didn’t do the full week.
The entire crew was wonderful, absolutely loved the live music and our naturalists Juan and Roger were truly terrific.
We went on multiple wildlife spotting excursions, did a canopy trek, fished for piranha, met a local shaman, planted trees, went canoing and visited the manatee rescue centre on our way back to the airport ...
All in all the experience was 5 out of 5 and something we won’t forget. ”
“My friend and I booked a trip on La Perla this March [2022] and had such a great time.
We really loved all of the Naturalists that gave tours during the cruise. They are so enthusiastic about the wildlife they watch and study. And they made sure we got the chance to see a variety of animals and plants.
I can’t say enough good things about this trip, and would recommend it to anyone. And have already recommended it to a few people headed to Peru!”
“We had a great 4-day trip on La Perla. Really enjoyed all of the excursions from the boat — especially on the water, but land excursions were good, too.
The variety of birds was the best part of seeing wildlife. River dolphins were pretty cool, too.
Time spent deep in the reserve in small boats on water was the highlight, along with watching the sunset at the convergence of the two rivers that form the Amazon [Ucayali & Marañon].
Victor was our guide and he did a great job. The crew was terrific and the quarters were comfortable.
Time on the boat was enjoyable. Getting to know other passengers on the boat was fun.
The food was very good and far above my expectations.
Thanks for your help on a great trip!”
“Trip was perfect. All well organized.
Cabin on La Perla was great. All guides and staff were exceptionally friendly and always aiming to please.
All organized tours by ship were informative and well planned. Never a dull moment.
Great trip! Loved it! Thanks!”