Casa Hospedaje Mejía is extremely rustic, bordering on untidy, but we challenge you to find a cheaper Amazon alternative (US$10 s, US$12 d). It is run by the Mejía family, who settled here in the 1950s. There are a dozen rough huts with rusting screens and bamboo walls in a yard teeming with hens and dogs. Its main advantage is being on Lago Sandoval.

The Mejía family members lead canoe and walking tours, though they speak only Spanish and are not trained biologists. They do know this jungle better than anyone, however, and seem friendly.

The only way to contact this lodge is via a sporadically functioning cell phone (tel. 082/961-2346) or their address in Puerto Maldonado (León Velarde 420, tel. 082/57-3567). To reach the lodge, head to the port of Capitanía in Puerto Maldonado and hire a boat for the 45-minute trip to Lago Sandoval’s dock (US$10 one-way). From there it is a 45-minute walk to the lake, plus a canoe ride, if they know you are coming. It is also possible to walk all the way to the lodge, about 1.5 hours.