Are Amazon River Cruises Safe?
The most remote river cruise most travelers will take — prepared properly, a superb one.
Get Free River Cruise QuotesAre Amazon river cruises safe? Yes, with the right preparation — because this is the most remote kind of river cruise most travelers will ever take.
Two Amazons
Most Amazon river cruises fall into two groups. In Peru, small expedition ships sail the upper Amazon and its tributaries from the Iquitos area, often into the Pacaya-Samiria reserve. In Brazil, voyages start from Manaus, where the dark Rio Negro meets the Amazon. In both, days are spent on skiff outings with naturalist guides, looking for river dolphins, birds and monkeys, and visiting riverside communities.
Remoteness Is the Real Risk
An Amazon cruise can put you hours or days from a city hospital. Expedition ships carry first-aid supplies and trained crew, and operators have evacuation plans, but serious illness or injury means a journey by boat or air. That is why medical-evacuation cover is essential, not optional. Tell the operator about health conditions at booking, bring all your medicines with spares, and be honest with yourself about fitness for getting in and out of skiffs.
- Check the CDC Travelers’ Health pages for Peru and Brazil: yellow fever vaccination and malaria prevention are both listed for Amazon areas.
- Pack insect repellent, long sleeves and trousers for dawn and dusk.
- Wear the life jacket on every skiff ride.
- Drink only the water the ship provides.
- Buy insurance with high medical-evacuation limits.
Advisories and Border Areas
Read the State Department travel advisories for Peru and Brazil. Peru’s advisory names the Colombia–Peru border area of the Loreto region as a Do Not Travel zone. Loreto is also the region that includes Iquitos, so check where your particular itinerary goes and ask the operator if it is unclear. Brazil’s advisory focuses largely on crime in cities; in Manaus, as anywhere, keep valuables out of sight and use licensed transport.
For Amazon routes, ships and seasons, see Amazon River Cruising; for the Brazilian Amazon and the Pantanal, South America River Cruises has the detail.
Amazon Safety Questions
Are Amazon river cruises safe?
Expedition cruises in the Peruvian and Brazilian Amazon are run by specialist operators with naturalist guides, skiffs and life jackets, and they are a well-established way to see the rainforest. The main issues are remoteness from hospitals and tropical health risks, so preparation and evacuation insurance matter more than on any European river.
Do I need vaccinations for an Amazon cruise?
The CDC lists yellow fever vaccination and malaria prevention as considerations for Amazon areas of both Peru and Brazil. See a travel clinic several weeks before departure and check the CDC destination pages.
Is the Peru–Colombia border area a concern?
The State Department advises against travel to the Colombia–Peru border area of the Loreto region. Check where your itinerary sails; ask your line or advisor if you are unsure.
Prepare Properly for the Amazon
Our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise will explain the operators, the routes, health preparation and insurance, and send free quotes.
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