BirdSightings Perú

🌿 Paradise – Tambopata, a Memory That Lives On

By José Antonio Padilla Reyes

They say paradise doesn’t exist, that it’s somewhere in the sky…but I’ve been there — in the Peruvian rainforest, in Tambopata-Candamo.

I was 21 when I arrived as a naturalist guide at the Explorer’s Inn, not knowing that this place would change my life forever.

Every sunrise filled with birdsong, every silence of the forest, every glance from an otter or flutter of a butterfly taught me something essential: nature is not a place you visit… it’s a place you respect and feel.

Guiding through that extraordinary rainforest of Peru was more than a job; it was a school of life. I learned about the harmony among millions of living beings, about the wisdom of native communities, and about the urgency of protecting what still remains.

Today, in 2025, I read those lines again and feel the same: gratitude, wonder, and commitment.

Because paradise does exist.
It’s here, in Peru.
In my mother’s land.
In the green heart of Tambopata.