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Iquitos

Iquitos is a city of 380,000 people (2017) in the Amazonas region of Peru. (Don't confuse it with the Department Amazonas where Chachapoyas is located.)

For travellers, Iquitos offers a vast selection of activities not found elsewhere in Peru, such as Amazon boat rides and great wildlife viewing. One way to see Peru is to visit the 3 areas — Coastal, Andes, and Amazon — and Iquitos is the best way to see the Amazon.

Iquitos is also gateway to some of the top national parks and reserves for ecological conservation and wildlife viewing. Some of the best reserves are the Allpahuayo-Mishana, renowned for endemic bird species seen nowhere else; the Pacaya Samiria, which is the largest track of flood forest in the upper Amazon basin and is home to a stunning variety of freshwater aquatic life, including large arrau turtles, jabiru storks and large black caiman; and the Area de Conservacion Reserva Comunal Tamshiyacu Tahuayo, which holds the world’s record for diversity of species of monkeys in one reserve (16 species) as well as for mammal diversity.

Iquitos has attracted a lot of travellers from around the globe who are interested in the ancient shamanic ways of plant healing. The most popular shamanic medicine is Ayahuasca, a powerful psychedelic brew that is gaining increasing popularity worldwide.

Understand
Iquitos is the capital of the vast Department of Loreto, which covers most of the northern Amazon region of Peru.

Iquitos has a tropical climate year round. The population is very diverse: there were many periods of big wealth in Iquitos (mainly two with rubber and oil) that brought people from around the world and made it the most important fluvial port in the Peruvian Amazon. The city still has a lot of houses which were built during that age. 'Iquiteños' (or 'Iquitinos') are usually very friendly and like to party.

As a city not accessible by road, motorcycles and mototaxis dominate unlike anywhere else. Other results include remarkably fluid (if chaotic) traffic, a preponderance of motorcycle ads and repair shops, and a sub-industry of people who agree to guard your motorcycle while you shop (even placing cardboard on the seat to keep it cooler during the day).

Geography and climate
The elevation above sea level is approximately.

The time difference between the longest day and the shortest day is only 18 minutes.

The water level of the river fluctuates by as much as during the year, triggered by rainfall and snow melt on the east slopes of the Andes.

Tourist office

The Peruvian government service that gives official information on the different attractions and assistance in case the service rendered does not comply with the one agreed by you. You may write to iPeru email to plan your travel and ask them for the record of the tourism companies that you consider.

iperú service is unbiased and extensive. Jungle tours are available on every street but if you want to go to a reliable operator then use those recommended by the tourist office. The office is not much to give you confidence but once you establish contact you will find the staff helpful and knowledgeable.

Get in
Iquitos is widely considered the largest continental city unreachable by road. That leaves planes and boats as the primary means of entrance and egress for people and supplies.

Do not expect to see a city with all the trappings of the western world. This city is very basic as it has no road connection with the rest of the world. Vehicles are old and most vehicles on the meager roads are motocars or three-wheeler motorbikes which can carry three at a pinch. The people are friendly once you get past the taxi drivers at the airport.

By plane

 * Latam (Lima)
 * Sky Peru (Lima)
 * Star Peru (Lima, Chiclayo, Pucallpa, Tarapoto)
 * Saeta Peru serves as the regional airline with propeller driven aircraft to/from Andoas, Estrecho, and Tarapoto.
 * Saeta Peru serves as the regional airline with propeller driven aircraft to/from Andoas, Estrecho, and Tarapoto.

Upon exiting the airport, there will be several mototaxis and a few cars waiting to win your fare to town. Average rate for a mototaxi into the center of town is S/10 and for a car is S/20. Many mototaxi drivers may try to bring you somewhere other than where you requested to go because they earn commission. Communicate with your lodging before you arrive to get an idea of how long the ride should take or to arrange a private airport pick-up. Some hotels include airport pick-up in the room price.

By boat
Iquitos can be reached by boat from any navigable port on the Amazon River. Boat prices will depend on the distance, speed of the boat, number of passengers, and your bargaining skills.

Coca, Ecuador to Iquitos
The trip to Iquitos from Coca (officially Francisco de Orellana) in Ecuador takes over 8 days in one of the three slow cargo boats that ply the route. This expedition goes 1,140 km along the Napo River and the Amazon River. The Napo River is one of the most important tributaries of the mighty Amazon. The source of the Napo comes from small streams flowing from the Cotopaxi and Antisana volcanoes. Normally, there is only 1 cargo ship every 10 days, but they leave on irregular schedules when full of cargo.

As of 2017, there is also an option of taking (daily) faster boats from Coca to Nuevo Rocafuerte (US$15, 10 hours) then after stamping out of Ecuador crossing the border to Pantoja (no scheduled service, you need to bargain). There are 2 rapido (fast boats) per week between Pantoja and Mazán, a small village before a big bend in the river about 45 minutes by mototaxi and speedboat from Iquitos. These rapidos take 2 days from Pantoja to Mazán, with an overnight stop in Santo Clotilde halfways. The boats arrive into Mazán's Napo port — a 5-10 minute mototaxi (S/5) from Mazán's Amazon port which is a 40-minute speedboat (S/15) or 2½-hour slow boat (S/7) from Iquitos. Fluvial Vichu, ( Mazán office) leave Pantoja on Mondays, while Transportes Rapido Llorlli ( or, jepeta_75@hotmail.com ) leaves at 10:00 Tuesdays. Both cost S/200.

Yurimaguas, Peru to Iquitos
Yurimaguas has daily cargo ship trips to Iquitos that take 2-2½ days to arrive (except Sundays or on holidays). Getting to Yurimaguas is non-trivial, because its airport no longer has flights. Yurimaguas is 3 hours by bus from Tarapoto.

To reach Yurimaguas, first you must reach Tarapoto, a city with daily flights from Lima on LC Perú and LAN. A bus from Lima to Yarimaguas takes 24 hours and from Chiclayo in northern Peru 12 hours. From Loja, Ecuador, you can take a bus to Pedro Ruiz, Peru, where you can reach Chachapoyas or Tarapoto. Tarapoto and Moyobamba are known as "The Orchids Valley".

It takes around 4 days from Lima to Iquitos and 4 days from Quito, Ecuador to Yurimaguas.

Pucallpa, Peru to Iquito
Cargo ships from Pucallpa to Iquitos take about 4 days and leave daily (except Sundays or on holidays).

You can reach Pucallpa from from Lima by daily flights on Star Perú or by bus (20 hours).

Peru/Colombia/Brazil border to Iquitos
If you continue down the Amazon from Iquitos, the point at which the river leaves Peru is at both the Brazilian and Colombian borders.

Tabatinga (Brazil) or Leticia (Colombia) has Monday to Saturday cargo ship trips to Iquitos, that take about 3 days. Therefore, you can choose the speedboats from Tuesday to Sunday, the trip takes 9 - 10 hours.

Get around
The most common way to move around town is by motocar (or mototaxi), a motorcycle with a small, rickshaw-like passenger cabin in the back. Regular taxis are available too, but the heat and availability of the motocars makes it advisable to take a motocar. Sometimes the S/2.5-3 ride is worth the cost just for the breeze. Most places you will want to go within the city cost about S/2.5, but places further away (for example, from Plaza de Armas to Belen) usually costs about S/3 or more (Feb 2018) The drivers often make their money by kickbacks from the hotels they take you to.

It's hard to understate how available and prevalent the mototaxis are in the city. Near the city center, it's common for 2 or 3 empty mototaxis to pass you on the street in any given minute. The driver will make eye contact with you, hoping that you are interested in a ride. Not all mototaxis are identical in the quality of their ride; older ones will tend to transfer the vibration of the motorcycle to the passenger cabin, while newer and better maintained ones won't. When taking a mototaxi, it can be comfortable on longer rides to hail a newer-looking one.

If you're economically minded, it can be fun to learn about the economics of motocarros. As of May 2010, it is typical for the drivers to rent their taxis for S/10 per hour or S/25-30 per day.

Many mototaxistas (those who drive the mototaxi) make excellent city guides. Mototaxistas are extremely friendly and outgoing, in fact, they are too outgoing and even aggressive in their pursuit to gain a passenger. So tourists can enjoy some peace in Iquitos, do not take a ride from a taxi driver who asks you for a ride when you are sitting and eating.

When you exit the airport you will be approached very aggressively by the taxi drivers (this is a more acceptable place for taxi driver aggression.) The drive from the airport to the city center is quite a distance, relative to the size of the Iquitos area, and prices are fixed at S/10 (Feb 2018), although it may be possible to negotiate a lower price. Anyone offering a lower price will likely try to take you to a hotel or hostel that pays them; if you already have a hotel in mind, stay firm and they will take you there.

See
The riverfront is just one block from the Plaza de Armas. In the low water season it will retreat and thus not be terribly visible. The waterfront walk also seems to be the place where local high schoolers go to canoodle, so if you stroll it be prepared to see lots of this. There is a somewhat big crafts market right below the walk, called Anaconda Center.

The Plaza de Armas is a mix of mostly modern and rubber boom styles. Cities like Iquitos turned into one long party during that age, where no expense was spared, nor eccentricity nor luxury lacking. As part of the legacy of this rubber boom age of abundance, Iquitos still bears traces of the extravagant taste of the rubber barons: mosaic tiles in Italian-style palaces, the bustling riverside walkway or the Iron House, a famous residence designed by Gustave Eiffel that was built from metal sheets. It was carried by hundreds of men through the jungle. There are a few street performers, a fountain, some statues, and one Catholic church. It is quite busy on a Saturday evening.

Today, in the city of Iquitos, the modest local homes - not without a certain kitsch charm - exist alongside French mansions, today largely used as public offices. When rubber seeds were smuggled out of the country, the rubber industry moved to Malaysia, signifying the end of the rubber barons. The memory of this past filled with abundance, however, lives on in the eccentric buildings which testify to an exuberant and wild era.

In town

 * The Morey and Cohen houses still stand on the Prospero street, which is the main street. Worth photographing.
 * The Morey and Cohen houses still stand on the Prospero street, which is the main street. Worth photographing.
 * The Morey and Cohen houses still stand on the Prospero street, which is the main street. Worth photographing.

Out of town
One of the major attractions of Iquitos and the Amazon Rain Forest is the native tribes. Tour agencies can organize visits to their villages.

There are several so-called serpentarios in and around Iquitos, most notably two called 'Las Boas'. Even though these places claim to be 'animal rescue centers', they are illegal operations, where animals are exploited for monetary gain. Tourists are charged inflated entry rates of up to S/40 per person, to see some animals that are often malnourished and sick, and kept under horrible conditions. As these places pay handsome kick-backs to boat owners who bring them tourists, it occurs regularly that tourists who hire a boat to take them to Pilpintuwasi, Monkey Island, or the Caiman Farm, are actually dropped off at one of the serpentarios. Don't be fooled, ripped off and cheated out of a visit to one of the better places; and don't support crime against nature with your money. Make sure you avoid the serpentarios.

Do

Please refrain from purchasing any animals or taking selfies with sloths. Many people think they are rescuing an animal when in reality, they are making way for another animal to be brought in from the wild. Also, the "Indian tribes" close to Iquitos are tourist traps as are several versions of monkey island. If you want to see good wildlife and real people living off the river and rain forest, you have to get out of the influence of the city more than.

Travelling by yourself
It is possible visit most of the attractions by yourself, except the rainforest and the reserves. iPeru, the official tourist information office, has representatives at the airport and downtown. They are very helpful to any travellers struggling to make sense of their options.

In the case of the indigenous tribes and for visit jungle areas or the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve is suggested to hire only a licensed company in their offices, never in the streets. The closest indigenous tribes live according to modern life customs and only perform a show for tourists, as the Bora tribe in the river Momón (in many cases their show are most expensive than their real value).

 * Day 1: Pilpintuwasi butterfly farm (early in the morning, except Mondays), Fundo Pedrito and the Amazonas river (afternoon). Budget: Around S/45-55, includes transportation in mototaxi, boat and admission fees. You may save around S/10 with a Student Card in the Butterfly Farm.
 * Day 2: Belén market (optional), the Manatee orphanage, Quistococha and the San Juan handicraft market. Budget: around S/50-60, includes transportation in Mototaxi and admission fees. You may save around S/10 if you take a micro (the typical wooden buses of Iquitos) instead of a mototaxi to get the Sea Cow orphanage or Quistococha complex.
 * Day 3: Monkey Island and the river Amazonas. Budget: S/65, includes transportation in Mototaxi and admission fees. You may save S/15 with a Student Card in the Manatee orphanage and save around S/10 more if you take a micro (the typical wooden buses of Iquitos) instead of a mototaxi.
 * Day 4 and onwards: Taking a jungle tour. If you have 3 days or more, visit the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, the biggest government-protected natural area in South America's floodable Amazonia and one of the best places to see animals in the wild. If you don't have enough time or money, you may visit the non-government protected jungle. A referential or average budget for a tour in a non-government protected jungle area in a cheap and registered travel agency is around S/120-150 per person per day, in an Ecolodge is around S/180-300 per person per day. Prices for the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve are slightly higher tha a regular jungle, these are from S/200-300 per person per day. See more information below.

Jungle tours and ecolodges
There are many lodges and resorts which are carefully controlled. The facilities are adequate, with some being very well appointed. You can book in the city or pay for a full package in Lima or through a travel agent. If you buy in Iquitos, is suggested contact only companies registered in iPerú, Tourist Information and Assistance (by PromPerú, the Peruvian Tourism Board). Contact the company offices directly (in their offices, by phone or email) and avoid intermediaries, especially taxi and mototaxi drivers, freelance guides and all the insistent people (they are not your friends: they are touts working for the most informal companies).

"Guides" who solicit on the street offer their work for a very cheap fee but they do not have any guarantee. They are no official guides in Iquitos. They will show you an ID of the company they claim to work for to gain your confidence. Most of them are scammers.

Party and nightlife
There are dance clubs all over the city. Iquiteños love to party in their own way. That's non-stop partying all year round! Some clubs will not let in men wearing sandals or unbuttoned shirts.

Renting a vehicle
Renting a motorcycle and driving around the city and out towards the airport is a cheap and an exhilarating way to experience Iquitos and the surrounding area. Only do so if (1) you are an experienced motorcycle driver, and (2) you can handle the manic traffic. A nice drive is to Nauta about 90 km away from Iquitos (pass the airport) on a nice calm road through the jungle. The police have been known to target foreign-looking drivers, since they can often pay larger bribes. One way the police make extra money is to stand by the side of the road and flag over most everyone who drives by. The ones who do pull over will often pay a small fee for the privilege (perhaps to help the police "fix the crack in their windshield".) If you can tell that no one will come after you if don't pull over, consider pretending not to see them and continuing to drive on.

Buy

Belén is the poorest district of Iquitos, and is home to 60,000 people living along the river without sanitation.

Be careful as there are many thieves and pickpockets in this market. Take extreme caution, don't carry valuables in any outwardly accessible pockets, and dress down so you are not an obvious target. Consider striking up conversations with police as you walk through, to make yourself even less attractive. (Though many of the police can be corrupt, they also like helping tourists out.) The area is often patrolled by police, but many are corrupt. Police may even offer to escort you through more dangerous and illegal sections of the market where rare and endangered species are traded. If they don't ask you for a tip or charge a fee for their services, they receive a kickback from the illegal animal vendors.

Hiring a guide to take you there from the city centre is a really good idea. A guide will help you navigate through the alleyways, and provide some protection against scammers and pickpockets. But they will also explain to you what is being sold in each alleyway of the market — the tropical fruits and vegetables, the food and drink being sold for immediate consumption, and the jungle medicines, many of which seem to be aimed at improving male sexual performance.

It is possible to buy a wide variety of new and used boats at the waterfront. Types and conditions vary widely but include dugouts, canoes, and small fishing boats - suitable for travelling down river.

Many souvenirs in local markets and shops are manufactured from endangered species; buying such items subsidizes the continuing destruction of ecological communities in local habitats. Necklaces made from jaguar and black caiman teeth are often offered for sale, as are bracelets and other ornaments made from spotted cat skins. Other items seen in riverside tourist shops include the heads and feet of harpy eagles, the claws of giant anteaters, and jaguar skulls. All items like these are illegal to own, to export from Peru, and to import into the USA and the European Union. Shop ethically (and stay out of trouble)!

Eat
If you are new to Iquitos and the Amazon, you are in for a real treat. The food in Iquitos is excellent. It is an exotic blend of Peruvian, Brazilian, and Colombian food with influences from the Andes and the Pacific Coast. Try the 'juane' and the 'tacacho'. If you want something cold (most likely you will need it because of the heat) there are excellent 'heladerías' (ice cream shops) like Shambo (see below), Giornata at Napa 151, and La Favorita at Plaza Sargento Lores.

Do not eat endangered species. Some locals do so as tradition, but many "guides" (pseudo-guides) and restaurants will offer you to taste caiman, majás, turtles, deer and other "carne de monte" (wild meat). Breeding farms for these species do not exist, so these animals come from natural environments.

Drink
Amazon Bistro and Dawn on the Amazon, listed under "Eat" above, are popular with travellers for drink the evening.

Try tropical fruit juices, like Cocona. Pineapple in the Amazon region is quite different to the one found in the rest of Peru, and makes really good juices. Aguaje and ungurahui are also a good choice: you can try everything in the entrance of the Upper Belen central market. You can try also native alcoholic drinks (some of them reputedly aphrodisiac). Pasaje Paquito is the best place to buy them.

 * Para Para (Up and up) made with honey.
 * Aguajina, sweet beverage made with aguaje pulp.
 * Masato- a traditional fermented beverage made with yuca.

Sleep

Air conditioning is important and very welcome in the brutal heat of the tropical environment. If you are staying in Iquitos and are not enjoying yourself, consider splurging for a room with A/C, as it can make the difference between a good trip and a great one. Given the louder-than-average noise of traffic, ask for a room away from the street.

Stay healthy
The main danger in the jungle surrounding Iquitos is the same as any tropical zone: malaria. There is very little malaria in the city, but it is common outside the city in the jungle. You should get anti-malaria pills from a doctor before your visit. Malarone (if that's what you've been prescribed) should be taken two days before arrival and 7 days after leaving. Bug repellent can be purchased in pharmacies anywhere in Peru and should be applied liberally whenever going out, and especially if taking an Amazon tour.

Yellow fever vaccine is also recommended.

Go next
You can travel west to Yurimaguas, Tarapoto (which has some of the widest variety of orchids and butterflies in the world), Chachapoyas (pre-Incan ruins and mummies, the tallest waterfall in Peru and the third in the world, sarcophagi and more), Chiclayo (pre-incan ruins, pyramids and museums) and Trujillo (pre-Incan ruins: the second-largest adobe city in the world; beautiful beaches such as Huanchaco and Chicama, which has the longest surfing left wave in the world).

It is a beautiful route through the Amazon jungle, the Andes and the Pacific coast, full of landscapes and activities. The stretch from Iquitos to Chiclayo contains 60% of bird species in Peru (more than 1200 species). (Peru is the second-richest country in birds, with only 20 species fewer than Colombia.)

From Chiclayo or Trujillo you can continue to the beautiful beaches of northern Peru (Mancora, Pocitas and others in Piura and Tumbes) or the mangrove swamp in Tumbes and continue north to Ecuador, or travel south to Huaraz (the Cordillera Blanca is here, one of the world’s best places for trekking), Lima (the best food in the Americas, the islands to see sea lions and penguins, museums and pre-Incan ruins as Caral, the oldest civilization in the Americas); then continue south to Ica (the Nazca Lines and Paracas Reserve) and the places in the south of Peru: Arequipa, Ayacucho, Puno (lake Titicaca) and Cusco.

Or you can travel south upstream the Amazon to Pucallpa (17 hours, 3 days or 5 days by boat) and then by road to Lima or Cusco (via Tingo María, Huanuco, Huancayo, Ayacucho and Abancay).

A third option is to travel east downstream the Amazon to Colombia and Brazil. In this route you may stop in Pevas (has a remarkable art gallery), San Pablo (where "Che" Guevara volunteered) and Caballococha (surrounded by beautiful lagoons plenty of pink and grey river dolphins).

A fourth option is to go towards Ecuador: downstream the Amazon to Mazan, then upstream the Napo. At the final stop the bank of the Amazon, you have to walk to cross over to Mazan on the bank of the Napo. A moto will take around 10 minutes and walking around 45 which is quite pleasant, as there are no cars.

One traveler in March 2018 reports that boats depart in the mornings on Thursday and Saturday. Check when you are there, so do not do it in a hurry. There may be delays due to seasonal river conditions. In March, this was not an issue and it took four days to arrive in Coca.

title: Iquitos