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Puerto
Maldonado, MADRE DE DIOS
Location,
extension and population
| Brief historic
overview |
Main attractions in Madre de Dios |
Typical dishes and beverages |
Tourist calendar
LOCATION,
EXTENSION AND POPULATION
The department of Madre de Dios is located in the southeastern
part of the country. It limits to the north with Ucayali,
to the south and west with Puno, and to the east with Brazil
and Bolivia. Its territory comprises parts of the High and
Low Jungle, with hot and humid tropical weather, and rains
from November through April. The average temperature is 25ºC
(77ºF).
Madre de Dios has an extension
of 78,403 km² (30,272 sq ml) and a population that hardly
amounts to 50,000 people.
The capital is Puerto
Maldonado, in the province of Tambopata.
 BRIEF
HISTORIC OVERVIEW
There is evidence of human presence
in this region before the Spanish conquest and rising of the
Inca empire. These pieces of evidence include very ancient
vestiges of engraved stones found in the Palotoa, Shinkebenia
and Urubamba rivers; in the cordillera of Patiacolla; and
in the Madre de Dios high upper heads. This is a very attractive
site for archeologists.
Researchers assess that the first
settlers in Madre de Dios should have appeared thousands of
years ago, and that Arahuacos or their ancestors, the
proto-Arahuacos, migrated to this region. From this
tribe many other ethnic groups emerged and, later on, had
contact with the Incas and the Spanish. Some of these tribes,
such as the Machiguengas, survive until today.
The territory known as Madre
de Dios today was also one of the four regions in which the
Inca empire was divided, the Antisuyo. Little is known
about its creation. Even some chronicles written on the subject
by Garcilazo de la Vega are on debate today for contradictions
in the data. Historians, nonetheless, coincide in saying that
the conquest of this region was very difficult for the Incas
who fought against fearless tribes. These tribes, well acquainted
with the region, later on also devastated several Spanish
armies.
During Colonial times, all those
adventurers who organized expeditions to into Madre de Dios
died tragically in the hands of the different tribes. In the
year 1567, however, Juan Maldonado, along with 250 men, was
able to get very close to the region of Madre de Dios. Centuries
later, in 1861, Colonel Faustino Maldonado finally went through
the whole region, and reached, as well, the frontier with
Brazil.
On December 26, 1912, the Department
of Madre de Dios was officially founded, and Puerto Maldonado
chosen as the capital.
MAIN
ATTRACTIONS IN MADRE DE DIOS
Reserva Nacional de Tambopata-Candamo.
This reserve is located at the junction of the La Torre and
Tambopata rivers. With an extension of 5,500 hectares of virgin
Jungle, it stands out for the richness and variety of its
different species of birds (above 600), butterflies (over
900) and dragonflies (approximately 115).
Santuario Nacional de las
Pampas del Heath. With an extension of 109 hectares, this
reserve was founded in 1983. It houses the priceless lobo
de crin (horsehair wolf).
 Reserva
de la Biósfera del Manu. In 1973, UNESCO declared
this region a natural reserve. It has an extension of 1'881,200
hectares and is divided into three areas: the Parque Nacional
del Manu (1'532,806 hectares), an intangible territory;
Zona Reservada (257,000 hectares), an area for tourist
activities; and Bajo Manu (91,394 hectares), a free
zone inhabited by different human groups. There are beautiful
lagoons in the region, such as, Valencia, Copa Manu, Sandoval,
La Pastora, Tambopata, Madre de Dios, Cocococha, Tres Chimbadas
y Amigos. The rivers that run through this territory are Manu,
Tambopata, Madre de Dios, La Torre, Manuripe, Las Piedras
and Tahuamanu.
This reserve is an ecosystem
that has had an unchanging evolution throughout thousands
of years, housing one of the biggest variety of flora and
fauna in the world. It is estimated that there are more than
1,000 bird species in the park and over 200 mammals. There
are between 2,000 and 3,000 plant species, 10% of which are
still unknown by scientists.
To go into the reserve visitors
must have the authorization of the Dirección del
Parque Nacional. Visitors need a travel time of, at least,
a full week.
Lago Valencia is located
at 60 km (37.3 ml) from Puerto Maldonado. In the four hour
ride on motor boat it is possible to see gold seekers working
at the bank of the Madre de Dios river; the native settlements
of the Huarayos; and a great variety of flora and fauna.
The lake holds corvinas, dorados, doncellas,
among other fish species. The most representative native communities
located in this region are the Amaralari, Arasaeri, Kisambaeri,
Pukirieri, Sapiteri, Toyoeri, Wachipari, Arawak, Machiguenga
and Piro-Mashko.
TYPICAL
DISHES AND BEVERAGES
In spite of having a very small
population, Madre de Dios does have typical dishes based on
the food of the zone. Among the most well-known dishes are
patarashca, a steam cooked fish wrapped around banana
leaves; motelo, a turtle meat soup served in its shell;
muchangue, turtle eggs served with unripe steamed bananas;
timbuche or chilcano, a soup of regional fishes, such
as, the palometa, sapamana, mojarreta or gusasaco;
tacacho, coal cooked bananas served with pieces of
fried pork cracklings and chopped onions.
The mazato, the typical
drink in the area, is made of fermented yucca, chapo
and a blend of very ripe bananas and milk.
TOURIST
CALENDAR
July 12. Anniversary
of Puerto Maldonado. Festivities to celebrate the
founding of the city include a variety of public, social and
cultural events.
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