Sucusari: Maijuna Culture on the River

Sucusari is an Indigenous community of the Maijuna people, located on the Sucusari River, a tributary of the Napo. For planning your trip, culture and river landscape are closely connected here: the community operates community tourism and welcomes tourists from tour operators in Iquitos. A travel program organized by Explorama reaches Sucusari by boat via the Napo and along the Sucusari River. If you are considering Sucusari as a destination, this connection provides a clear guide: you can plan your stay around the visiting program and the river route.

Maijuna Culture and Interpretation Center

The Maijuna-CIM Interpretation Center is located in the Indigenous community of Sucusari on the Napo River and is operated by the Maijuna Cultural Association. It combines education and ecotourism to improve economic opportunities and the community’s quality of life. On visits organized by Explorama Tours, travelers learn about Maijuna history, inherited traditions, and worldview. An Explorama travel program includes a visit to the Maijuna Cultural Center, where visitors also learn about sustainable rainforest projects. The itinerary for individual travel programs may change, so check before planning whether this visit is included in your chosen program.

Community Tourism and Handicrafts

Community tourism and handicrafts are both among the community’s activities. The community welcomes tourists through tour operators from Iquitos. Income from tours and the sale of handicrafts as souvenirs provides an additional source of income for Sucusari. For visitors, organized encounters and local handicrafts are therefore distinct aspects of community tourism: tours provide the setting for a visit, while souvenirs offer a connection to local crafts through the trip.

River Landscape and Getting There

The relationship between the rivers is important for geographic orientation: Sucusari is on the river of the same name, which is a tributary of the Napo. An Explorama travel program takes visitors to Sucusari by boat via the Napo and along the Sucusari River. The two names therefore refer to different waterways that form part of the route in this travel program. When planning your trip, check the current itinerary for your chosen program, as travel details may change.

Primates and the Regional Environment

Traditional Maijuna stories about primates tell of the origins of the primates found in Sucusari. In the wider region, the Sucusari River basin is also a habitat for primates and part of local knowledge about these animals. Surveys in the river basin recorded a total of eleven primate species. These figures refer to the basin and add the river’s wider natural environment to the picture of Sucusari.

The nearby community of Orejones de Sucusari is within the area of influence of the Maijuna-Kichwa Regional Conservation Area. The protected area safeguards 391,039.82 hectares of forest across several districts. This places the trip in context on several levels: Sucusari as a Maijuna community, the Sucusari River as part of the wider river basin, and the protected area as a regional natural environment.

Discover more destinations: Yarina, Mazán, Puerto Pardo, Shapajilla, San Jerónimo, Pucate, Arica, Tamshiyacu

For the main travel overview: Loreto.