When planning excursions in La Torre, you can choose from several focuses: observing wildlife at the Colpa Solitaria mammal lick, visiting lagoons as part of the “Wild Lagos La Torre” program, and seasonal harvesting on a traditionally managed farm. You can decide whether to focus mainly on wildlife, named lagoon destinations, or agricultural produce. AMTUSET offers another perspective through its history of forest conservation and ecotourism.
Mammals at Colpa Solitaria
One excursion takes you to the Colpa Solitaria mammal lick, where peccaries, tapirs, and deer are often found. This puts a specific wildlife location at the heart of the trip. However, sightings are not guaranteed. The lick and the opportunity to observe wildlife define this excursion—not a guaranteed encounter with every species mentioned.
Lagoons on the “Wild Lagos La Torre” program
The “Wild Lagos La Torre” program visits three lagoons: Cocha Montes, Pato Cocha, and Lagarto Cocha. All three are part of the same excursion, not three separate program items. If you would rather base your choice on named lagoon destinations than on a possible wildlife sighting, this offers a clear focus on the landscape.
Seasonal harvesting on the farm
Another focus is a traditionally managed farm. The excursion includes harvesting seasonal Amazonian fruits such as copoazú, arazá, pijuayo, cassava, banana, pineapple, and cacao, as well as spices such as palillo and sacha culantro. This combination of fruits and spices gives the agricultural side of the activity a concrete focus. Since the produce is harvested seasonally, check before your trip what is planned for that time and whether you can participate. This allows you to choose the excursion based on your travel dates and interest in harvesting.
Comparing the excursions
Planning also means considering what to expect from each focus: wildlife sightings are possible at Colpa Solitaria, but not guaranteed; “Wild Lagos La Torre” includes three lagoons as destinations on the same program. For the farm, check both the season for the produce and the opportunity to participate in advance. The excursions therefore differ not only in theme, but also in what you can arrange specifically before your trip.
AMTUSET: Community-Based Ecotourism
In the area around La Torre, AMTUSET is the association of RĂo La Torre residents working toward the sustainable development of ecotourism in Tambopata. It was formed by twelve mestizo settler families living near the mouth of the RĂo La Torre, where it meets the Tambopata. Previously, the families used a forest area for hunting and logging. They later decided to conserve it and focus on ecotourism and experiential tourism.
In this sequence of events, forest conservation and tourism development go hand in hand: the shift toward tourism was linked to the decision to protect a forest area that had previously been used. This history adds a community perspective to the individual excursions and the vision behind AMTUSET’s goal of sustainable ecotourism. It presents the local approach as a combination of nature conservation and tourism development, not just as a single excursion idea.
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