San Regis combines its location on the Río Marañón with the history of a Jesuit mission settlement. The destinations of Amazon Natural Park and activities included on cruises in the community add to its appeal. When planning your trip, it helps to distinguish between local history, conservation goals and the specific activities included in a cruise.

San Regis between the river and the reserve

San Regis lies on the left bank of the Río Marañón, within the river’s watershed and in the buffer zone of the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve. These details describe different geographical connections: its location by the river, its place within the watershed and its relationship to the reserve. Together, they offer different perspectives on the natural environment.

On 19 July 2011, the 62.6575-hectare Amazon Natural Park was designated a private protected area in the Caserío San Regis sector on the Río Marañón. The sector is in the Nauta District, in Loreto Province, in the Department of Loreto. The area figure refers to the park’s designation, not to the area of San Regis itself.

Goals of Amazon Natural Park

The park’s goals included protecting flora and fauna and preserving the scenic beauty of the humid tropical forest. They also included sustainable ecotourism and interpretation of the Amazonian ecosystem. Taken together, these goals combine nature and landscape conservation with helping visitors understand the ecosystem. This gives the park a clear connection to the region’s natural heritage.

Historical connections to the town

San Regis de Yameos was one of the Jesuit mission settlements on the banks of the Río Marañón. San Regis was also called San Francisco de Regis and was formerly known as “Yameos del Tigre.” If you come across historical place names, you can identify these names as referring to the same place; Yameos del Tigre is the former name. Regional historical accounts also attribute an important role to San Regis in Amazonian resistance to the Portuguese bandeirantes.

Cruises and visitor activities

One cruise itinerary runs from the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve via Yanayacu de Pucate and San Regis to Parque Natural Amazónico. Since itineraries can change, check before your trip whether San Regis is included as a stop on your specific program.

One cruise program includes a meeting with a shaman in the community. It covers ancestral rituals, medicinal plants and the Amazonian worldview. If this meeting is important to your trip, confirm in advance that it is available as part of the program.

A cruise visit also includes a small handicraft market where women display handmade items and other goods. The market is therefore one of the activities offered on this type of visit.

One cruise program also includes a tree-planting ceremony, considered a positive contribution to environmental protection. The environmental theme appears here in two forms: as a goal of the park’s designation and as an individual activity within a cruise program. Before your trip, ask which activities are included in your booked cruise.

Discover more destinations: Lagunas, San Jerónimo, Nauta, Puritania, Francisco De Orellana, Mazán, Pucate, Puerto Pardo

For the broader travel overview: Loreto.