IQUITOS TRAVEL GUIDE

About Iquitos
Iquitos is an ideal place for lovers of the eco-tourism, and for the ones who want to feel an intimate contact with the virgin nature of the Amazon forests. From the city you will be able to go to lodges into the jungle, and for the most adventurous and fearless you can arrive to  parks and natural reservations, full and plethoric with exuberant flora and fauna, with many undiscovered places, and many alive species unknown by science.

Iquitos is the capital of the department of Loreto, located in the middle of the Peruvian rainforest, less than 4° south of Ecuador, and next to the left river bank of the Amazon River.

Iquitos was a village inhabited by the wild tribe called the "Iquitos" from whom the name was taken in the moment of its foundation in 1864. During the Spanish Colony and the gold fever caused by the legends of "El Dorado" (The Golden) and the "País de la Canela" (Country of the Cinnamon), Iquitos never had historical figuration. In 1883 began in this city the era and peak of the rubber, the exploitation of their latex and trade made that some reached immense fortunes, it brought the prosperity of the city and the construction of splendid houses began, some with tiles brought from Portugal.

In those days, Iquitos had better communications, with Europe, through the Amazon River, better than with the city of Lima. Part of the characteristic of this time was the acquisition of a house built by G. Eiffel in Paris and today located in the Main Square of Iquitos, the House of Iron. The end of the era of the rubber arrived in 1912.

From then on, Iquitos has always been the main fluvial mean and principal Amazon port of Peru; its economic activity has been centered in the commercialization of its natural resources and lately the exploitation of petroleum.

Near the city of Iquitos exists a zoological park of the Amazonian fauna, spas and resorts in "cochas" (lagoons). Almost in the same city you will be able to visit "Belen", the Peruvian Venice, or go for a walk by the pier and observe the mightiest river in the world, the Amazon River.

The population of Iquitos in its great majority are natural descendants of regional aborigines  tribes and of the miscegenation. The people's temper is very noble and cheerful, lover of the amusement. Iquitos is also famed by the quantity of men that arrived to the city and lost their bachelorhood, because of the affection that women in this region give to the visitors. The population has many myths and legends, some occult; there is a great diffusion of the folkloric medicine and the faith to be cured with those medicines based on the great quantity of medicinal plants that exist.

In the city you will be able to find crafts of the native tribes, as well as enjoy an excellent cuisine and typical drinks and beverages.

The typical public transportation in the city is the  "mototaxi" or "motocar", it is a motorized tricycle used for passenger transportation with a very economic rate. There are also taxies in conventional cars that generally don't have air-conditioning. In the city you can rent a motorcycle or an automobile.

Visiting Iquitos

Pacaya Samiria National Reserve


With 2’080 000 hectares, it is the biggest National Reserve of Peru, also it is the largest protected flooded forest of the world and one of the richest places in biological wealth on the planet. Between its biological diversity we find 449 of tropical bird species, 102 of mammals, 256 known species of freshwater fish, 69 of reptiles and more than 1000 varieties of plants, as well as species in danger of extinction like the giant otter, the black lizard, the manatee and the pink dolphin of the Amazon. The place's beauty, as well as its biological wealth makes the reserve a particularly important destination for scientific investigators, nature lovers and bird watchers.

Eco-Tourism

The Amazon basin is the natural reserve of more extensive and more variety life of the Earth. Abundant botanical and zoological species, in lustful landscapes in those in which you can go and be lodge for some time, or in the Parks and Natural Reserves. Excellent place for bird-watchers. Or if you prefer a cruise by the Amazon River, or a simple ride in a boat or canoe.

IQUITOS CITY

The city has as axis of its social and economic life in the Main Square, and around it, famous houses of the era of the rubber as Iron House. The Main Square is very near the riverside called Tarapacá, its commercial center in the Próspero Street, and the traditional neighborhood of Belén with its floating houses on the river. Municipal Museum located in the Távara Street block 2, small and modest museum with handmade works of the natives, ethnographic and with regional fauna. Iquitos city has a modern hotels and international airport. (Iquitos Photo Gallery)

Plaza de Armas (Main Square)
Heart of the city, congregates many people during the evening, chattering spot. In the center of the square is located a monument in remembrance of the death warriors of the "Guerra del Pacífico" (Pacific War). In the surrounding areas you will find the City Hall, the Cathedral, social clubs and commercial establishments.

Malecón Tarapacá
Located a block next to the Main Square. It is a place of beautiful attractiveness with a magnificent view of a branch from the Amazonas River and Padre Isla, a bank of sand of almost 20 km. (12.4 miles) length making difficult to observe the total width of the Amazonas River. After the evening many people meet at the restaurants and centers of amusement of the Riviera.

La Casa de Fierro (Iron House)
Built by the French engineer Gustave Eiffel for the Exhibition of Paris in 1889 and bought by millionaire called Anselmo del Aguila, the one who brought it in pieces to Iquitos, including bolts and nuts, and assembled it on its actual location, north west of the Main Square.

Comandancia Regional del Ejército (Regional Command of the Army)
Its headquarter is located on one of the most beautiful houses built in the rubber apogee, its front is finely decorated with azulejos. Its interiors cannot be visited. Located in the northwestern corner of the Main Square and the "Malecón Tarapacá".

Jirón Próspero
It is one of the main streets of the city, most of the businesses are located here, banks, airline agencies, travel agencies, craft markets, cloth stores, etc.

Belén
It is poor people's neighborhood, in the southwest of Iquitos. Located at ten blocks from the Main Square. It is located next to the Itaya river and is characterized because great part of its houses are located on the bed of the river and they are adapted to the changes of height of the waters. This neighborhood in turn is the great market of the city, and every day at dawn arrive fishermen, hunters and farmers with their canoes loaded with products. In the market you will find medicinal herbs and beverages, exotic and a great variety of fruits. It is called "Venecia Pobre" (The Poor Venice); their floating houses are on rafts fixed to big wooden piles.

AROUND IQUITOS

You will be able to visit the tourist complex of "Quistococha Zoo" for a first encounter with the regional fauna and flora and Santo Tomás a picturesque neighborhood.  Also you can visit a native communities as Boras and Yaguas.

Santo Tomás
Small town located at 16 km. (9.9 miles) south of Iquitos, in the bank of Mapacocha lagoon, which is communicated with the Nanay river. Picturesque town whose people live from the fishing, the elaboration and commercialization of crafts. During the weekends they carry out big popular parties in the "Tahuampas" (Regional ball centers). (Santo Tomás Photo Gallery)

Quistococha
Located at 15 km. (9.3 miles) south of Iquitos. Tourist and amusement center. It has a regional flora forest of 369 hectares; small zoo of regional fauna and "paiches" (Arapaima gigas) hatcheries. Regional museum of ceramic pieces and dissected animals. Beautiful lagoon, spa and recess center, boat rentals and rides. (Quistococha Photo Gallery)

HOW TO ARRIVE TO IQUITOS

When arriving to Iquitos from abroad you may do it directly from the city of Manaos and Tabatinga from Brazil and Leticia from Colombia. If this is not your case you should do it through Lima. Then by air directly to Iquitos, or by bus to Pucallpa and from there by river to Iquitos.

Due to the geographical conditions, it is not possible to find means of terrestrial transportation; the vehicles only circulate in the city and by highway to the city of Nauta. The regional transportation is done by river or by air means. To Iquitos the airplane arrived first and then the automobile.

By Air
The city of Iquitos counts with the International Airport "Coronel FAP Francisco Secada" (IQT), with comfortable facilities. From Iquitos usually are found daily flights to the city of Lima, and there are also flights from/to Pucallpa.

By River
In this region you can find a very peculiar kind of boat called "peque-peque" (a canoe with motor), the boat called "pecamari" (medium craft with roof), gliders with potent overboard motors, and medium ships, dedicated to people transportation and others exclusively dedicated to load and transport; with regular itineraries. You can rent boats for a particular service. The voyage from Pucallpa to Iquitos can take from 4 to 6 days. The rivers most frequently used, as routes are Amazonas, Napo, Marañón and Ucayali. From Iquitos, by the Amazonas you can arrive to Manaos (Brazil) leaving the continent by the Atlantic Ocean.

"For all those are always dreaming of escaping from their routine to distant adventures, all of those living in mass consumer societies dream of escaping and discovering adventure in exotic lands, Iquitos is an ideal place.  If you want to have a close encounter with paradisiacal place in the pristine jungle of the Amazonian, without any other noise than the one the birds, monkeys or insects make, Iquitos is a great opportunity and an excellent selection."

Source: Go2Peru.com