Since most international travelers book ahead of time with one of the lodges on the river and are taken there directly from the airport, there aren’t a lot of places in Puerto Maldonado that cater to tourists.

Options in town are basic

There are a lot of cheap, seedy hostels that cater to miners who come to town for R&R. There are a few decent hostels and hotels, mostly near the Plaza de Armas or within about 10 blocks west of the plaza.

I stayed at two, which were adequate but neither was great. Tambopata Inn is 15 blocks from the plaza and was clean with a decent breakfast (but terrible coffee). I don’t recommend it. Libélula Hospedaje is 2 blocks from the plaza and was a bit odd but clean and quiet. The rooms with air conditioning are newer and vastly superior to the tiny rooms with only a fan. The photo above is one of the common spaces at Libélula.

Hotels in Puerto Maldonado will probably continue to be basic until the town can develop tourist attractions and benefit from some of the people who currently skip town and go directly to Puerto Maldonado Eco-Lodges on the river. For now, I recommend spending as little time in town as possible.