The river was named by first European to explore the Amazon, Spanish soldier Francisco de Orellana, who reported pitched battles with tribes of female warriors resembling the Amazons of Greek mythology.
It is the largest river in the world by discharge volume of water, and the second longest. The Amazon flows 4,345 miles from its headwaters at Cordilliera Rumi Cruz, in Peru and Ecuador, through Colombia to Brazil, where it drains into the Amazon basin. Along its way, it nurtures one of the world’s wildest and most diverse ecosystems, with more than a third of the Earth’s animal species living in its rainforest.
To cruise along this dazzling river is to travel back in time, to a world ruled by the predators and pranksters of the jungle: tamarin monkeys, three-toed sloths, scarlet macaws, jaguars, Amazon River dolphins, giant otters, anacondas, caimans, bull sharks, piranhas, and more than the imagination can count. While the river is vast, the most popular section for river cruising is in Peru’s Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, famous for its “Mirrored Forest” that floods each year during the rainy season. Encompassing three river basins, the region offers a lifetime’s worth of scenery and wildlife to explore.
Nearly every major river cruise line offers an Amazon cruise or includes one as part of a longer land and cruise South American tour. From educational cruises led by experts from organizations like National Geographic and the Smithsonian Institution, to luxury cruise experiences and increasingly popular eco-friendly operators, there are Amazon experiences for every age, level of interest, and budget. Cruises sail in Peru, Ecuador and Brazil so your choices are many if exploring the great Amazon is on your bucket list.
