Abra Patricia-Alto Nieva Private Conservation Area


The 2960-hectare Abra Patricia-Alto Nieva Private Conservation Area is a bird-watcher’s paradise managed by the Association of Andean Ecosystems (ECOAN). More than 300 species call this area home, 23 of which are considered globally threatened. There are a half-dozen named trails in the reserve. None of them are particularly long, but all offer perfect conditions for observing the native birds.

The conservation area is located about 40 minutes east of Pedro Ruíz on the road to Moyobamba. ECOAN maintains two lodges in the area: the Owlet Lodge on the main Anra Patricia site and the Huembo Lodge, 50km west in the direction of Pedro Ruíz.

This is a fabulous spot to enjoy mountainous cloud forest that has never seen the swipe of a chainsaw. Although an obvious favorite of bird-watching tour groups – who come to see such endemic species as yellow-scarfed tanager, Lulu’s tody-flycatcher and the extremely rare long-whiskered owlet – it’s also the best place to see the critically endangered yellow-tailed woolly monkey.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Huembo Interpretation Center

16.31 MILES

This interpretation center 15 minutes west of the village of San Lucas de Pomacochas maintains feeders on a private reserve that attracts the Marvelous…

2. Catarata Yumbilla

16.62 MILES

A tiered waterfall falling in four sections, Yumbilla, rather like Gocta, was not properly surveyed until the early 2000s. And with all the recent…

3. Catarata de Gocta

22.99 MILES

This 771m waterfall somehow escaped the notice of the Peruvian government, international explorers and prying satellite images until 2002, when German…