It is said that ‘he who goes to Iquitos alone, returns a father’. The veracity of this saying has yet to be confirmed, but PeruNorth can verify that five days in the largest city in the world not connected to ‘civilization’ by road was nowhere near enough.
The city is much more than just a jumping-off point for Amazonia. Within striking distance of the city centre, you can:
1. Bottle-feed gentle Amazonian manatees at the Manatee Rescue Centre.
Bottle-feeding an inmate of the Manatee Rescue Center, Iquitos.
2. Interact with rescued mammals - and a myriad of butterflies - at the Pilpintuwasi Butterfly Farm & Amazon Animal Orphanage.
Some of the thousands of butterflies reared from larvae at Pilpintuwasi Butterfly Farm, Iquitos.
3. Swim and then have lunch at the beautiful Quistococha Lake. Here you will have a good chance to eat suri - a local delicacy of fried, giant maggot!
Having a dip in the inviting waters of Lake Quistococha, Iquitos.
4. Visit the Amazonian Indigenous Cultures Museum which celebrates the traditions and beliefs of the various indigenous peoples that have lived in the vast province of Loreto and beyond. The museum displays pieces from 40 different tribes.
An item of tribal headgear at the Amazonian Indigenous Cultures Museum, Iquitos.
5. Wander the floating market of Belen, with all manner of weird and wonderful Amazonian products.
A traditional Amazonian medicine stall at Belen Market, Iquitos.
6. Visit the Museum of Historic Boats which is located on the M/V Ayapua, itself a historic boat, moored on Iquitos' river bank, a few blocks from the Plaza de Armas. The boat contains information and memorabilia from Peru's early Amazonian history, including the notorious Rubber Boom years.
The M/V Ayapua, home to the Historic Boat Museum, Iquitos.
PeruNorth recommends that you give yourself a night or two in Iquitos, prior to or after an Amazon River cruise or lodge stay, in order to enjoy at least some of the above.
Ask us for accommodation recommendations and the best way to organise your time.