The Río Ucayali is the main headstream of the Amazon River. It rises about 110km north of Lake Titicaca, in the Arequipa region of Peru and becomes the Amazon at the confluence of the Marañón close to Nauta city. The city of Pucallpa is located on the banks of the Ucayali.
The Río Ucayali, together with the Apurímac River, the Ene River and the Tambo River, is today considered the main headwater of the Amazon River, totaling a length of 2,669.9km from the source of the Apurímac at Nevado Mismi to the confluence of the Ucayali and Marañón Rivers:
The Ucayali was first called San Miguel, then Ucayali, Ucayare, Poro, Apu-Poro, Cocama and Rio de Cuzco. Peru has organised many costly and ably-conducted expeditions to explore it. One of them (1867) claimed to have reached within 380km of Lima, and the little steamer “Napo” found its way up the violent currents for 124km above the junction.
- GPS
- -5.2086940, -73.8952255
- Geographical region
- South America
- Drainage Basin
- Rio Amazonas
- River catchment
- Río Ucayali
- Water body type
- Creek
- Water body name
- Forest stream
- Water body part
- Flood plain
- Water body course
- Lower course
- Water body: tributary of
- Rio
- Tributary name
- Ucayali
Videos above and below water
