Abercrombie & Kent has begun operations of Pure Amazon, a 22-passenger riverboat now sailing through Peru's Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve. The vessel offers access to a vast portion of protected Amazonian wilderness.
Milan-based architect Adriana Granato, who serves as artistic director of A&K Travel Group and director of Studio Ibsen, designed the accommodations and public spaces in collaboration with Peruvian artists. The vessel features site-specific commissioned artworks displayed alongside floor-to-ceiling views of the waterway and rainforest.
Venice Biennale artist Silvana Pestana created "Manto de Escamas de Paiche," the dining room's centerpiece, using hand-crafted bronze and clay elements in triangular formations inspired by Amazon giant fish scales. Pestana's additional works onboard explore environmental themes, including the impact of illegal gold mining, using materials such as gold leaf and traditional textiles. Her pieces are held in permanent collections including Sao Paulo's Pinacoteca and Kentucky's 21C Museum.
Each suite contains authentic kene textiles by master artist Deysi Ramirez, displaying the sacred geometry of the Shipibo-Konibo people through intricate patterns painted with natural dyes. The Beneai Collective, which translates to "to sing" in Shipibo-Konibo, created hand-embroidered cushions featuring 20 unique compositions for the vessel.
Expert naturalist guides lead expeditions throughout the reserve where guests may encounter pink river dolphins, black caimans, three-toed sloths, hoatzins, giant river otters, scarlet macaws and arapaima. Activities include kayaking tributaries, piranha fishing and forest walks.
The culinary team from Iquitos presents nightly changing five-course tasting menus paired with Latin American wines. The bar menu features pisco cocktails incorporating coca leaf and dragon's blood resin. Evening menus include dishes such as caramelized plantain with river prawns, hearts of palm with passion fruit and Peruvian chocolate with exotic fruits.
Through A&K Philanthropy, the company has established a formal agreement and investment plan with Nueva Arica community and partnered with Amanatari to support bio-business initiatives including aguaje fiber, punga fiber and honey production. Amanatari provides eco-friendly harvesting techniques like portable canopy climbers. Guests on three-night itineraries receive exclusive access to the Nueva Arica project.
All guests visit FORMABIAP (the Bilingual Teacher Training Program for the Peruvian Amazon), which trains 212 young people from Kukama Kukamiria, Shawi, Kichwa and Achuar communities to become intercultural bilingual teachers. Guests experience traditional bombo baile performances, witness medicinal plant cleansing rituals and interact with students preserving ancestral knowledge. The program provides educational opportunities for young Indigenous women accompanied by their children and caregivers.
The vessel employs environmental features such as low-level lighting to protect nocturnal fauna, heat pump technology and automated lighting controls. Pure Amazon maintains a one-to-one staff-to-guest ratio and offers three-night, four-night and seven-night itineraries. The vessel includes a spa treatment room, top deck jacuzzi and lounge area.
Editor’s Note: This article was generated by AI, based on a press release distributed by Abercrombie & Kent. It was fact-checked and reviewed by a TravelAge West editor.
