A Little bit of story about Nauta, Loreto

This town was founded by Manuel Pacaya, the Cocoma Tribe leader, who was upset due to the bad treatments he and his community suffered by the conquer people. This is why he decided to find a place where they could stay, reaching the Marañón and Ucayali rivers. Pacaya decided to ask for the Prefect’s permission, Don Damián Gaspar, who gave them the authorization to establish a town there.

This is how in 1830, it is stablished with the name of Santiago de Nauta, but with a few conditions: the local people had to sleep in houses and not in the mount as they were used to, they had to cover a part of their bodies and leave some traditions behind that were not seen as civilized. Towards the middle of the XIX century, the town became the principal commercial center in the lower Jungle.

According to some stories, when Pacaya’s men arrived in the place, they found a big pot that was used to make masato. In Cocoma language, this is called ‘Mauta’, a name that was modified by the conquer people through time for the word ‘Nauta’, which means ‘sailor’, because the conquer people saw in the native ones a great ability with the canoes. Today, Nauta has a small but nice central plaza in which you can find Manuel Pacaya’s statue. In this plaza you can also find the first catholic church constructed in Loreto, made back in 1832.

Also, you can find Sapi Sapi, an artificial lagoon by walking three blocks from the plaza. There are some stories around Sapi Sapi, which say that they had seen a mermaid who carried fish, beautiful necklaces among other things around her body. Nauta is considered as the fastest what to reach the National Reserve of Pacaya Samiria, a fantastic place with calm waters known as ‘The Mirror Jungle’due to the tranquility of the water, making perfect reflections of the Jungle’s vegetation. Plus, it is the home of the pink dolphin, a unique specie in the Amazon.

Getting to know Nauta is, without a doubt, a destination every traveler that comes to the Jungle must know and is also the point where our cruises start their journey towards a luxurious adventure through the Amazon.

If you want more information, write to us at info@junglexperiences.com