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Life along the Amazon: How the Riberenos made the World’s Largest Rainforest their Home

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14 Aug 2024 | Peruvian Amazon, Heritage & Culture

 

Our voyages in the Peruvian Amazon, on board the Aqua Nera and Aria Amazon, offer opportunities to discover the Amazonian way of life. As we sail the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, we stop along riverside communities to meet the locals and gain a first-hand insight into their culture. Read on to find out more about the Ribereños, or river people, who live in tribal groups along the banks of the Amazon, maintaining ancient indigenous traditions.
 

Living in harmony

Indigenous groups have made their home on the banks of the Amazon River for thousands of years, developing a subsistence lifestyle in harmony with their bountiful river and rainforest. Living in villages or nomadic tribes, the Ribereños (also known as the Caboclos, Mestizos or Campesinos depending on their location) have depended on hunting and gathering to survive; fishing, farming, and collecting wild fruits, flowers, honey and plants.

Many tribes have adapted to modern day life by blending the past with the present - living in palm thatched stilted huts but staying in communication with mobile phone technology or getting around by dugout canoe and revving motorbikes. Families tend to make their living by selling plantain, bananas, yuca and rice at local markets or by selling handicrafts to tourist groups or eco lodges.
 

Ribereños' Riverside Communities

Navigating by land and sea

Resourceful and resilient, indigenous Amazonians are adept at navigating the dense Amazon rainforest. Learning from a young age, they’re adept at clearing a path through thick rainforest, distinguishing edible from non-edible vegetation, building shelter, avoiding predators and setting traps for small animals.

 

River transportation is their main mode of travel — not surprising as the Amazon is one of the world’s longest waterways and most villages are set on its banks. Using canoes and small boats, the Ribereños can easily traverse the Amazon’s snaking rivers and tributaries, finding their way not by map, but by examining the position of the sun, river flow, and wildlife behavior.
 

Preserving ancient culture

Despite the indelible and often destructive influence of early Spanish and Portuguese colonizers on local language, culture and religion in the Amazon, the Ribereños work hard to preserve their ancient beliefs and way of life. Handicrafts are both an important economic resource to local communities and a way of preserving Amazonian storytelling and customs.
 

Ribereños are known for their basket weaving, pottery making, and other traditional arts and crafts. They are particularly famed for their beautifully crafted woven baskets, featuring vivid colors, intricate designs and striking patterns created from locally sourced materials such as fibers and palm leaves. Artisan techniques are passed down through generations, keeping ancient traditions alive.

Connection to Mother Nature

The ebb and flow of the vast river defines the Ribereños' daily life. They have retained a deep, spiritual connection to the natural world, believing that the Amazon does more than just sustain their livelihood, it forms a sacred and integral part of their identity. Despite the impact of logging, clearing, urban development and climate change, the Ribereños people have made significant efforts to preserve the Amazon's biodiversity through sustainable practices.

Ribereños understand how important it is to the future of the environment to preserve the biodiversity of the Amazon. They have implemented many sustainable practices to ensure the long-term health of the ecosystem, including agroforestry, selective logging, and community-managed conservation areas aimed at protecting endangered species and maintaining the balance of the precious rainforest ecosystem.

Living Amidst Nature

Experience the Ribereños way of life

Aqua Nera and Aria Amazon explore the breathtaking Peruvian Amazon and offer opportunities to observe the Ribereños and their fascinating symbiotic relationship with the natural environment. Visit stilted villages and riverside communities with our expert naturalist guides — native to the region — and witness first-hand how indigenous people live in harmony with the rainforest and river system, relying on it for food, healing, and spiritual guidance. Interact with local Ribereños people and discover how they depend on their environment to sustain their families and communities. Our eco-minded itineraries ensure we tread lightly in this biodiverse and environmentally delicate region with activities such as wildlife watching, jungle treks, and biking. 

View our itineraries or contact our expedition consultants to find out more about our expeditions in the Peruvian Amazon.