Cerros de Amotape National Park Voyage Tips and guide

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Cerros de Amotape National Park is a protected natural area in the Northern Coast region of Peru. Backcountry explorers come for the undeveloped backcountry, free of crowds with rustic, minimal facilities.

The park is very large, covering an area of more than 150,000 hectares (1,515.61 km2). This includes the Cordillera de los Amotapes mountains as well as the Tumbes River, the only navigable river on Peru's Pacific coast. Elevations range from 128 to 1538 meters.

Mammals include large numbers of white-tailed deer as well as smaller deer species, such as the red brocket. Monkeys inhabit the forests of the moister tropical forest with species such as the mantled howler, the yellow-tailed monkey and the white-fronted capuchin. Neotropical otters live in the Tumbes River and Guayaquil squirrels and other small mammals live in the dry forests. Predators include the ocelot and the jaguar.

The park is a good spot for Birdwatching where the 111 known species in the park include hawks, parakeets, owls, the greay-cheek parakeet, the black-headed spinetail, the slaty becard. If you're lucky, you may spot the Andean condor soaring overhead.

Lizards and snakes can be found throughout the park, but the largest reptile is the American crocodile, which is an endangered (not to mention dangerous) animal.

May to October is the dry season in this area and is the most pleasant time to visit. Daytime high temperatures will be about 24°C (75°F), with night time lows around 15°C.

The nearest airport with good commercial airline connections is in Piura. From there, catch a bus to Sullana. In Sullana, it is possible to hire a taxi or arrange other transportation to the park, but be advised, it is a long trip and can be expensive.

There is a park entry fee of about S/10, which is collected at the ranger stations at the park entrances.

• Hiking is a necessary way of getting around the park and a couple of good trails provide access to spectacular natural scenery:
  • Sendero Cerro Amotape - the trail to the top of the park's main mountain is challenging and not always well cleared and obvious, but the difficult trek is rewarded by expansive views of the river valley below
  • Sendero El Salto - the lightly traveled trail passes through forest greenery with several miradores (scenic overlooks), the trail leads to a hidden waterfall
  • Sendero Los Huacas - longer trail that makes for a good full-day of hiking, it is about 8 km in length and will take about 4 hours to complete. In addition to nature and wildlife spotting, there are some archaeological ruins that might interest travelers interested in history or indigenous cultures

There are no stores or restaurants in the park so bring anything you might need and remember to follow Leave No Trace principles and pack out anything you bring in (especially trash).

Camping areas are located near each of the ranger stations at park entrances. Facilities include restrooms with showers, cleared tent sites with water, picnic tables and fire pits or grills. Don't expect support for RVs or anything beyond a barebones camping experience.

• Zorritos
• Tumbes
• Máncora