Nauta is a town in the northeastern part of Loreto Province in the

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

vian

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology c ...

, roughly south of

Iquitos Iquitos (; ) is the capital city of Peru's Maynas Province and Loreto Region. It is the largest metropolis in the Peruvian Amazon, east of the Andes, as well as the ninth-most populous city of Peru. Iquitos is the largest city in the world th ...

, the provincial capital. Nauta is located on the north bank of the

Marañón River , name_etymology = , image = Maranon.jpg , image_size = 270 , image_caption = Valley of the Marañón between Chachapoyas ( Leimebamba) and Celendín , map = Maranonrivermap.png , map_size ...

, a major tributary of the

Upper Amazon The Amazon River (, ; es, Río Amazonas, pt, Rio Amazonas) in South America is the largest river by discharge volume of water in the world, and the disputed longest river system in the world in comparison to the Nile. The headwaters of t ...

, a few miles from the confluence of the Río

Ucayali The Ucayali River ( es, Río Ucayali, ) is the main headstream of the Amazon River. It rises about north of Lake Titicaca, in the Arequipa region of Peru and becomes the Amazon at the confluence of the Marañón close to Nauta city. The city o ...

. Established by Manuel

Pacaya–Samiria Pacaya–Samiria National Reserve, is a protected area located in the region of Loreto, Peru and spans an area of . It protects an area of low hills and seasonally flooded forest in the Amazon rainforest. Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve and th ...

, a leader of the

Kokama people The Kokama (also spelled Cocama, ) are an indigenous ethnic group of the Amazon that historically spoke the Cocama language Cocama (Kokáma) is a language spoken by thousands of people in western South America. It is spoken along the banks o ...

, following the 1830 uprising at the

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

mission of Lagunas, Nauta soon became the primary commercial hub of the Peruvian ''selva baja'' (known also as

Omagua Omagua or low jungle (''selva baja'' or partially ''tierra caliente'') is one of the eightPulgar Vidal, Javier: Geografía del Perú; Las Ocho Regiones Naturales del Perú. Edit. Universo S.A., Lima 1979. First Edition (his dissertation of 1940): ...

, or the Amazonian lowlands). In 1853, a

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

ian-owned

paddle steamer A paddle steamer is a steamship or steamboat powered by a steam engine that drives paddle wheels to propel the craft through the water. In antiquity, paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses wer ...

made it all the way to Nauta. Nauta is the primary destination of the only major road leading out of Iquitos, and is a staging area for several ecotourism lodges and ships on the Marañòn River. Boats take passengers from Nauta to the

Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve Pacaya–Samiria National Reserve, is a protected area located in the region of Loreto, Peru and spans an area of . It protects an area of low hills and seasonally flooded forest in the Amazon rainforest. Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve and the ...

Areas of interest

Nauta is home to many unique features of nature. One example is the Sapi Sapi lagoon, where many exotic animals are found, such as the

Yellow-spotted river turtle The yellow-spotted Amazon river turtle (''Podocnemis unifilis''), also known commonly as the yellow-headed sideneck turtle and the yellow-spotted river turtle, and locally as the taricaya, is one of the largest South American river turtles. It ...

, the pirarucu fish,

crocodiles Crocodiles (family Crocodylidae) or true crocodiles are large semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. The term crocodile is sometimes used even more loosely to include all extant memb ...

, and the

Arrau turtle The Arrau turtle (''Podocnemis expansa''), also known as the South American river turtle, giant South American turtle, giant Amazon River turtle, Arrau sideneck turtle, Amazon River turtle or simply the Arrau, is the largest of the side-neck tu ...

. For those interested in seeing these animals up close, the option to take a boat around the lagoon is available. According to legend, there was once a mysterious mermaid that attracted locals with her clothing and natural beauty. Another attraction is the ''Playa del Amor'', located on the outskirts of Nauta and surrounded by jungle. Another highlight is the ''Quebrada Gasparito'', another natural area that can be accessed by canoe and is known to be a relaxing getaway spot. At the center of town is another attraction, the ''Plaza de Armas'' (see

Plaza de Armas The ''Plaza de Armas'' (literally Weapons Square, but better translated as Parade Square or parade ground) is the name for Latin American main squares. In the central region of Mexico this space is known as El Zócalo and in Central America as ...

). It is characterized by the diversity of mythical statues made up by local residents that represent the native culture of the area. The ''Iglesia de Nauta'', which is now used as a local parish theater, can also be found in the plaza, along with a school and bronze bust both named after Manuel Pacaya. A few streets past the plaza is the local marketplace where local customers and merchants from all over come to exchange goods. Nauta is also the access point to the

. In order to enter the reserve, a permit must be purchased from the National Institute of Natural Resources ( INRENA). Interested parties may enter by river through the community of ''20 de febrero''. Visitors will find that the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve is one of the most biologically diverse places on the planet.

Culture

In 2013, residents of Nauta created a children's rap video in the Kukama-Kukamiria dialect, in collaboration with Radio Ucamara. The local radio station has been involved in conserving the language for "a few years," and "started managing a school called Ikuar, with the goal of teaching the language through songs and traditional story telling."

References

Populated places in the Loreto Region Upper Amazon {{Loreto-geo-stub