Pyramids of Paratoari Expeditions 5 Days

In 1968, Carlos Neuenschwander Landa often travelled to the valleys of Cusco and Madre de Dios regions looking for the ruins of the lost city of Patiti. He called it Pantiacolla. 

The Incas from upper social classes escaped Cusco in 1533 on Spanish Invasion. They moved to Vilcabamba. In 1572 when the Spanish troops invaded Vilcabamba they hid in the mysterious fortress. 

Neuenschwander held several risky expeditions, during which he had the opportunity to discover and document the strength of Hualla and “stone path”. A difficult path that unites Rio Urubamba and Madre de Dios, probably built by ancient peoples long before the Incas.

They could use helicopters Air Force of Peru (FAP), in which he could see from the top Pantiacolla plateau, he said legendary Highlands as the place where you would find the mythical citadel.

Reaching Pantiacolla:

The possibility to reach the plateau of Pantiacolla through the “Andean tour” of the stone path was almost insurmountable. This was because of the extension of this remote area. The weather is totally unpredictable and constantly keeps changing. 

To secure from the persistent fog and the possible attack from the indigenous tribe, Neuenschwander thought of reaching the mysterious plateau by tracing some tributaries of the Madre de Dios River, as Nistron or Palotoa.

The existence of so-called “Paratoari pyramids” (or pyramids Pantiacolla), was confirmed six years later. In 1975, when the U.S. satellite photographed Landsat that Peruvian jungle area near the banks of the Madre de Dios River the photograph showed twelve mounds, in pairs, symmetric and regular. 

When the news was published, many researchers developed the hypothesis that those mounds were pyramids built by men in ancient times for ritual or ceremonial purposes.

• Package / Tour: Pyramid Expeditions 5D/4N
• Price 2022: USD$ 850.00
• Locations Visited:  Manu National Park Pyramid zone
• Frequency: 3 Times of week
• Physical Grading: 1-2-3-4-5

OVERVIEW & ITINERARY

Start: Cusco
End: Cusco
Group size: Minimum 4 Maximum 10
Age Minimum: 15 years old with their parents, Adults up to 50 years of age
Style: Original and unique
Type: Adventure and biodiversity
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Tour Route and altitude., Cusco (3,300m.s.n.m.) – Andes– (3830m.s.n.m.) Cloud Forest (1,500m.s.n.m.), Amazon Basin (280m.s.n.m.)
Manu National Park covers an area of  1716 292 22 million hectares, and is categorized as one of the most extensive parks in South America.

DETAILED PROGRAM

Day 1 – Cusco – Paradise Lodge

Early in the morning we will be picking you up from your hotel in Cusco. Then in our private transport, we will be driving you from the Andes to Amazon. As it’s a long drive, we will be having a couple of stops at some interesting sites on our way.

Our first stop will be at a remote town called Nincamarca. It is home to  pre Incan funeral towers from the Lupacas civilisation. Here our local expert will be giving you a guided tour of the site and will be explaining you the prominence of the site.

We will then continue our drive to Paucartambo. It is a folkloric town. People here are untouched by modernity. Most of them still continue to converse in Quechua.

From here we will be driving up the hill to the viewpoint of Tres Cruces from where you will have a panoramic view of the Amazon basin. From here, we will descend through the cloud forest of the Manu National Park.

We will have a brief stop here. The region is home to the Peruvian National Bird – Andean Cock of the Rock. Here you will also be able to spot different and distinct breeds of Monkeys like the wooly monkey. Our local expert will be giving you a detailed tour.

Day 2 – Paradise Lodge – Inchipato River

After breakfast, we will drive you to Atalaya Port. Here we will be taking the boat for a ride on Madre de Dios river to Palotoa ecological reserve. Here we will be picking up our camping gears for the two nights expedition. We will be hiking through the pristine jungle home to different species of animals and plants.

We can climb some of the big trees of the jungle using liana or strangle trees. Later in the afternoon you will have some free time to swim in the fresh clear waters. You can also do fishing and try to catch caimans for dinner.

We will be camping deep in the jungle on the shores of Inchipato river.

Day 3 – Inchipato River – Pyramids Zone:

After breakfast, we will continue up river until we arrive at the Pyramids. On our way will see different species of mammals, such as tapir, peccaries, monkeys and many birds. If we are lucky we can see the jaguar, the king of the jungle.

We can swim here as our chef will prepare an exquisite Amazonian meal for lunch. In the afternoon when we arrive at the Pyramids reserve zone. Here we will be giving you a guided tour.

We will then return to the campsite for dinner. After dinner, we will setup campfire and sip in Peruvian red wine.

Day 4 – Pyramids Zone – Palotoa Lodge:

After breakfast, we will go back down river in balsa wood rafts to Palotoa campsite. Here we will have time to relax and explore the surrounding landscape, flora and fauna.

Day 5 – Palotoa Lodge – Cusco:

We will get up early and return to Atalaya by boat where our private bus will be waiting to take us back to Cusco via the cloud forest and Paucartambo. We will arrive in Cusco late in the afternoon.

IMAGES PYRAMID EXPEDITION

PYRAMIDS OF PARATOARI EXPEDITION​ INCLUDES

• Private bus and boat
• Rubber boots and rain poncho
• All camping equipment
• Bilingual native guide
• Mineral water
• First aid kit
• 3 meals per day
• Cook
• Entrance to pyramid reserve zone
• Palotoa camp site

YOU SHOULD BRING

• Sleeping bag
• Repellent with a minimum of 15 % deet
• Binocular
• Camera with extra batteries
• Flashlight with extra batteries
• Sun lotion
• Pocket money
• Daypack
• Water bottle
• Sun hat
• Sandals
• Swim clothes
• Toilet paper
• Dark clothes

Frequently asked questions

Where are the pyramids Pantiacolla located?

They are symmetrical mounds, located between the Inchipato ravine and the Paolotoa Chico river (also called Negro river), tributaries of the Madre de Dios river in the Peruvian department of the Madre de Dios

What are the Pantiacolla pyramids?

The Pantiacolla Pyramids, also known as the Paratoari Pyramids, are a group of 12 mounds approximately 150 meters high, located on the left bank of the Madre de Dios River.

Who discovered the Pantiacolla pyramids?

They were initially identified by Rolando Zlatar Stambuk, when they saw them in images taken by the NASA satellite in 1976.

Who built the Pantiacolla pyramids?

First it was thought that they had been built by an ancient civilization, sometimes pointing to hypotheses related to their origin, with the ancient inhabitants of Atlantis, but, over time, the theories have been more, and none, according to the investigations, has been corroborated at all, scientifically.

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