On a recent visit to Australia, Delfin Amazon Cruises’ co-founder Aldo Machiavello introduces the revamped Delfin I and talks about the company’s commitment to riverside communities.
Jetting in from Peru to brief the industry, Delfin Amazon Cruises’ Aldo Machiavello says he and his wife, Delfin co-founder Lissy Urteaga, have come a long way from their early days, starting out in 2006.
But as Machiavelllo proudly points out, Delfin remains the only Peruvian-owned river cruise line on the Amazon.
“It’s a family business – all our staff are from the area, and we have deep and long-lasting relationships with local communities. The Amazon is not just our destination – it’s our home – and we bring our home to you, which nobody else can.”
Delfin I is the (very luxurious) baby of the three-ship collection. The three-deck vessel accommodates a maximum of eight guests in four enormous suites that have equally impressive terraces, two of which have plunge pools.
There’s a spacious lounge, bar and edutainment area on the top deck and an airy dining room on the second deck.
Relais & Châteaux
In 2018, Delfin Amazon Cruises became the first river cruise line to be invited to join the prestigious Relais & Châteaux portfolio.
Relais & Châteaux members must meet the association’s stringent criteria and encompass the core values of “local focus, humanity, sharing and commitment”, all of which Delfin’s founders share.
“We don’t curate the wilderness. We listen to it. We don’t offer distraction – we offer depth,” Urteaga says.
“This evolution honours the Amazon’s rhythms while weaving in the voices of the communities who’ve lived here for generations.”
Offering outstanding cuisine is also a key factor in becoming a member of Relais & Châteaux, and the lunch Machiavelllo hosts at Sydney’s Morena restaurant is a delicious excursion into Peruvian fine dining.
Onboard the Delfin ships, talented chefs source local products to create memorable Peruvian and international dishes; they also offer cooking demonstrations, native superfood tastings and cocktail-making classes. Pisco sour, anyone?
Wildlife and activities
The Peruvian Amazon’s vast Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve is home to an incredible array of wildlife – hundreds of exotic bird species, endearing sloths, giant otters, monkeys and manatees, river turtles and caimans, piranhas and pink dolphins – and fascinating flora.
Activities that focus on wildlife spotting include at least two daily excursions on skiffs led by naturalist guides, kayaking, and hikes that include a canopy treetop walk high above the rainforest floor.
Swimming with dolphins, fishing and night safaris are also on offer – speaking from experience, these are not to be missed. It’s also strongly recommended to bring binoculars and a high-performance camera or smartphone for the amazing photo opportunities that jump out at you, day and night.
The Amazon has two seasons, flooded (November to May) and dry (June to October) and is hot year-round.
Even in the dry season there is still significant rainfall, but the flooded season is best for exploring the waterways by skiff and kayak.
Community connections
Visits to local villages are another highlight of Peruvian Amazon cruises. Ever since Delfin was founded, the company has been deeply involved with sustainability initiatives, supporting the communities who live alongside the river to replace over-fishing and over-hunting with alternative, long-term projects.
These projects include reforestation, farming and marketing native fruits and vegetables with the help of specialist biologists, scientific research on pink river dolphins, producing honey with stingless bees, and repopulating the waterways with endangered native taricaya turtles.
For more than 20 years, Urteaga has been working with local women to distribute and sell their handicrafts – many of which guests will see around the ships – and all itineraries include a visit to their markets in three different villages.
Delfin is now building a gallery showcasing local arts and crafts at its private embarkation point in Nauta, a 95-kilometre drive from Iquitos airport.
Machiavello is keen to point out that flights from Australia to South America have improved dramatically in recent years and that you can get to Peru in the same time as it takes to fly to Europe.
Guests can combine a four-, five- or seven-day cruise on the Amazon with a trip to Cusco or Machu Picchu.
LATAM flights to Santiago from Sydney now take less than 13 hours, and the flight time from Santiago to Lima, the hub for local connections, is about four hours.
For more information and the updated travel agent portal, visit Delfin.
