About Manu National Park

Cloud Forest

Almost imperceptibly, as the air thickens, the ichu grass gives way to small shrubs and dwarf trees and suddenly one is amazed to see the ragged gray edges of clouds approaching from below rather than above. As blankets of mist rise up, the bus turns a hairpin bend and one finds oneself high up on the edge of the Andes, having literally disappeared into a cloud. The descent and the switchbacks continue, the clouds opening momentarily from time to time to display fleeting glimpses of sheer cliff faces, waterfalls and stupendous green, sunlit gorges. The clouds are here for a simple reason. 

As the earth rotates towards the east, trade winds are generated across the Amazon, which carry the moisture-laden air westward. As the air rises, clouds are formed and, like fleets of wind-blown galleons, they move in an endless and stately procession across the Amazon. When the warm air finally strikes the Andes, it cools, condenses, and a wreath of cloud forms, swirling, drizzling, and cloaking the mountainside and its forest in a perpetual sheet of mist. Within this mist - from roughly 8,200 to 11,500 feet (2,500 to 3,500 meters) - emerges the cloud forest, an expanse of stunted, evergreen trees whose limbs are festooned with thick coatings of lichens, mosses, orchids and epiphytic ferns. With each change in altitude the climate also shifts. So, too, do the patterns of plants and animals. The cloud forest - home to the rare spectacled bear, the brilliant red Cock-of-the-Rock and numerous iridescent hummingbirds - is the least studied and also one of the most biologically diverse habitats in the world. Almost 50% of the plants here are endemic, meaning they are found nowhere else on Earth. One of the Manu Biosphere Reserve's many distinctions is that it currently protects the largest area of undisturbed cloud forest in the world.

Manu National Park

Manu Park is situated in Peru, located west of Puerto Maldonado. Access is easier and cheaper from Cusco, is one of the most important tropical parks in the world, and was declared a " World Biosphere Reserve" by UNESCO in 1977. It is home to many different ecological zones between 4,000m (13,120ft) and 300m (984ft) above sea level. Manu harbors a unique variety of wildlife. Over 1000 species of birds, 200 species of mammals, many reptiles and 10% of all the plant species on the planet have been recorded within the park's boundaries.

The great altitudinal range within the park means that Manu is home to several different ecosystems, which enormously increases the biological diversity of the area.

The most southerly point of the park, Acjanaco, lies at 3500m above sea level and is described as Tropical Alpine Grassland. It has short, scrubby vegetation and the weather is often cold. Lower down is the Elfin Forest, characterized by low trees, cold humid air and very diverse fauna, including a rare species of high altitude Toucan.

Further down, between 1000m and 2500m above sea level, the Cloud Forest begins. This is a unique ecosystem, which receives high rainfall and hosts a large number of endemic species such as the Spectacled Bear with glasses and the Cock-of-the-Rock (the national bird of Peru). Lower still lies the High Forest, between the Cloud Forest and the Amazon Basin, a diverse landscape rich in fauna. Here many indigenous ethnic tribes have made their homes. The lowland Amazon Basin itself lies at about 350m above sea level. No other park on Earth can compare to Manu in terms of variety of life forms. It boasts 13 species of monkey and one of the world's rarest mammals: the Giant River Otter.

The Weather

The Manu region experiences distinctive wet and dry seasons.

The rainy season lasts from December through March and is the period in which most of the area's 2m (6ft) of annual rainfall occurs. The "dry" season, from April to November, is often marked by rainless periods which can last for several weeks, although downpours should be expected at any time of year. Although short-lived, these showers are often quite heavy and can cause the rivers to swell unexpectedly. August, September, and October are usually the driest months.

Daytime temperatures in the dry season range from 32ºC (90ºF) with the nights averaging 25ºC (77ºF). Unexpected cold fronts known as "friajes" can blow in from the Andes at any time of year, especially in the dry season. This phenomenon brings between one and three days of rain, with daytime highs falling to 16ºC (60ºF) and nighttime temperatures to around 10ºC (50ºF). Wildlife is typically not active during a "friaje", but becomes quite active again immediately afterwards.