Iquitos

 

Where the Amazon begins 

This regional capital is situated in a part of the Amazon basin renowned for its exceptional beauty. Visitors find themselves reflecting the joyful attitude of local people as they walk through the streets of the city. It is enough to take a short motorcycle taxi ride to discover the splendor that made this city famous during the time of the great rubber boom. Decorated with glazed tiles, the old mansions situated near the Plaza de Armas and along the Tarapaca Promenade survive as a measure of the city’s former wealth. The Loreto region is also one of the most biologically diverse and beautiful parts of Peru. The Amazon River, the mightiest waterway on the planet, provides local people with their principal means of transport and supports thousands of life forms in the majestic Amazon rainforest.

Hotels

Temperatures 

Max 39ºC / 102.2°F

Min 20ºC / 68°F

Useful tips:

  • The rainy season is from December to May and the dry season is from June to November.
  • Iquitos can be accessed via regular flights from the city of Lima (1 hour and 45 minutes), from Tarapoto (50 minutes) and Pucallpa (1 hour).
  • The Pacaya Samiria National Reserve is the habitat of 449 species of birds, 102 mammals (including the pink dolphin), 69 reptiles, 58 amphibians, 256 fish and 1 024 wild and cultivated plants. Many species protected by the reserve are classified as threatened or endangered across much of their range.
  • To date, in the Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve more than 1 780 species of plants, 522 types of butterfly, 155 fish, 83 amphibians, 120 reptiles, 476 birds and 145 mammals have been recorded.
  • Located three hours from Iquitos, the district of Nauta offers visitors the opportunity to journey by boat to the exact spot where the Amazon River is created by the confluence of the Marañón and Ucayali rivers.