Macaws are massive, long-tailed parrots plumaged in such bright colors that it’s heard to believe they exist outside of a zoo. Despite being more frequently seen at bird shows, on commercials, and travel brochures to tropical locales where they aren’t native (such as Jamaica, Florida, or the Virgin Islands) than in much of their natural range, large numbers of these majestic parrots can still be encountered in some of the more wild and remote areas of Central and South America.

Since they require huge areas of unbroken forest inhabited by very few people, it should come as no surprise that macaw central just might be southeastern Peru. The Amazon rain forest in this region is like an unbroken sea of every shade of green, there are almost no roads, and there are huge, uninhabited protected areas. Oh yeah, and there’s also these places along certain river banks where macaws, parrots and parakeets come to eat clay.

Yes, that’s right, they munch on dirt but it’s not just any old soil that they are interested in. The birds consistently take clods of dirt from particular river banks and only appear to be interested in certain types of clay. It’s thought that this helps them to remove toxins acquired from the fruits and seeds they feed upon as well as providing them with important minerals.

Although no one knows for sure why they do it, what is known is that large flocks of macaws and their smaller relatives show up at the same spot almost every day. This is great news for the eco-tourist because the spectacle presents some of the most evocative and awe-inspiring wildlife viewing in the world.

Among the dozen or so accessible clay licks in southeastern Peru, the most famous is at the Tambopata Research Center. The clay lick near this rain forest wilderness lodge attracts huge numbers of up to 16 species of macaws, parrots, and parakeets while rare animals such as jaguars and tapirs are sometimes seen in the surrounding forests.

On the best days, up to two hundred macaws of six species (!) fly in to hang out at and feed on the clay. They are also accompanied by hundreds of colorful parrots and parakeets. The mere sight of dizzying flocks of these birds flying around and feeding on the river back is incredible all on its own but throw in the fact that most of the birds are screaming and screeching and the experience leaves most people speechless.

San Blas is a small town that was formerly used as a base to fight pirates in western Mexico. Perhaps because swashbucklers have ceased to be a threat for some time, the town has developed a forgotten, rather neglected personality. Some of the larger hotels resemble left-over horror movie sets as they are reclaimed by the surrounding jungles, crocodiles are increasing their numbers in nearby mangrove swamps, and the town is famous for swarms of tiny, biting bugs that adore the place. These are of course a few of the reasons why San Blas is such a great destination for the eco-traveler.

This might sound like a contradiction but because San Blas is not growing by leaps and bounds like seaside locales in so many other areas of the world, habitat for wildlife is kept safe from being converted into sterile, plastic-dominated resorts.

Boat tours are excellent for seeing a wide variety of waterbirds that reside in the mangrove forests and wetlands that surround San Blas. Most of these tours also include a visit to the Tovara Springs and a crocodile farm. The springs are a swimming hole in the middle of the mangroves while the farm is self explanatory and the reason why crocodiles are frequently seen from the boat. The croc farm might also explain the presence of supposedly tame crocodiles in the springs and why more people hang out at the on-site restaurant than in the water (although no one has been attacked yet).

Back in town, other than enjoying a place that actively practices the art of taking it easy (also known as doing nothing), one of the other main activities is a visit to scrub-covered islands just across an estuarine channel. Most travelers get ferried across the narrow stretch of brackish water to hang out on the island’s beaches. Huichol natives from the highlands, however, trek down to San Blas and specifically go to this island for sacred ceremonies they have been carrying out since pre-colonial times.

Because of this, care should be taken to not disturb any prayer circles or otherwise obvious sacred sites on the island, nor should you touch any God’s Eye weavings or arrows found in the area as these are sacred objects that were purposely left behind after Huichol ceremonies.