Legends of the Amazon River
Travel Guide Best Time to Visit the Amazon: Wet Season vs Dry Season
One of the most common questions we get from international travelers is: “When is the best time to visit the Amazon?” The honest answer — both seasons are incredible, but for completely different reasons. Here’s what you need to know to choose the right time for your trip.
During the dry season (July–December), water levels drop and animals concentrate near rivers, making wildlife spotting easier. The wet season (January–June) floods the forest, opening up canoe trails that don’t exist during dry months — you literally paddle through the treetops.
More from the jungle.
Wildlife
Pink Dolphins of the Amazon: Everything You Need to Know
Deep in the flooded forests of the Amazon basin, a ghostly pink silhouette glides between submerged tree trunks. The boto — the Amazon river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis) — is unlike any other cetacean on Earth. It swims through rainforest. It turns its head 180 degrees. And to local communities, it is much more than an animal.
The boto is the largest freshwater dolphin in the world, reaching up to 2.5 meters in length and turning progressively pinker with age — the older the dolphin, the more vivid its color.”
The Piranha: More Than a Myth
Few animals carry a reputation as exaggerated as the piranha. Hollywood turned this fish into a monster. Reality is far more interesting — and far less terrifying. The Amazon is home to over 60 piranha species, most of which are primarily herbivorous, feeding on seeds, fruits, and algae that fall into the river.
The red-bellied piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri) is the most commonly known species and the one most associated with the creature’s fierce reputation. Its interlocking razor-sharp teeth — designed like scissors — can strip flesh to bone with terrifying efficiency. But attacks on humans are rare and almost never fatal.
The infamous feeding frenzy only occurs under extreme conditions — severely food-deprived fish in confined, falling water levels. In normal Amazonian waters, piranhas are cautious, skittish animals.”
Amazon Eco Journey — What Our Guests Experience
- Guided piranha fishing with local guides on traditional wooden boats
- Boto observation at dawn — the best hour for encounters in calm channels
- Swimming alongside local guides in safe, boto-inhabited waters
- Learning the myths and ecological roles of both species from Amazonian experts
- Night canoeing through flooded forest — where boto and piranha share the darkness
The truth about both the boto and the piranha is the same: they are extraordinary animals shaped by millions of years of evolution in one of the most complex ecosystems on Earth. The Amazon doesn’t need myths to be magical. The reality is enough.
Ready to See Them? Come Face to Face with the Amazon!
Our expert guides take you deep into the river’s world — where pink dolphins surface beside the boat and piranhas flash silver in the dark water below.