Welcome to Iquitos Peru |
| the thousands of motorcycles and three wheel rickshaws called moto-kars jockeying for position on the streets. The biggest adventure most tourists have in Iquitos is racing recklessly through the streets in a moto-kar. Keep your arms, legs, and baggage inside the steel frame at all times. Disembark the moto-kar on the sidewalk side, never the street side. |
| Pedestrians have no right of way in Iquitos, Peru. Iquitos has no roads connecting to other cities making it the largest, most isolated city on any continent. Cars are not necessary. I do not have one. Boats are important. I have four river boats. I walk or take a moto-kar, and I enjoy spending a lot of time in my boats. A common mistake is that the best time for the tourist to visit Iquitos, Peru, is during the low water season from June through November. The water level can fluctuate as much as 40 feet from the low level to the high water season from December through May. The rise and fall of the water is determined by the snow melt and rainfall on the east slope of the Andes. The only activities that are better in the low water season are fishing, collecting ornamental fish, and walking on the beach. Everything else, particularly cruising, is better in the high water season. The rubber boom caused an explosion in population and prosperity from 1880 through 1912. The legacy from the rubber era can still be seen in the architecture of the elegant mansions, as well as the Iron House and bandstand designed by Eiffel. Many of the mansions are decorated with exquisitely painted ceramic tiles imported from Portugal, and with mahogany shipped to Italy to be carved by the most skilled Italian artists, and shipped back to Iquitos. If you take a tour of the historical buildings, be sure to visit the Museo Amazonico, constructed in 1863. The museum contains many sculptures by Felipe Lettersten, as well as old photographs from the turn of the 19th century. Every tourist should spend a morning with a knowledgeable guide in the Belen market. In the alleyway known as Pasaje Paquito you will find a natural medicine to cure every illness. |
| Iquitos, Peru, encircled by rivers and rainforest, is the largest city with no roads connecting to the outside world. This city on the edge of civilization has been my home port for adventure cruises on the Amazon River for three years. Come with me now for a quick tour. Your first impression of Iquitos is the warm, oxygen rich, moist air. It feels good and is easy to breathe, particularly if you just came from the high altitude, low oxygen content of the Andes. Your next impression is |
| Look for the sign that says Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises. On Saturday and Sunday nights the boulevard is the place to be. Visit with some of the "characters" from the ex-pat community, drink a cold Iquiteña Extra beer (locally brewed), and watch the action. We like to buy ice cream cones and lick them in the cool mist from the beautiful fountain in the Plaza de Armas. Clowns on stilts, mimes, slapstick comedians, capoeira, a brass band, street musicians, a dog and monkey show, and beautiful women are all part of the scene. My favorite is the group that performs the capoeira, a martial arts dance, every Saturday at 8 p.m. below my balcony. When you visit Iquitos, plan on going with me for a day trip. The port area is one of the most interesting parts of the city and most tourists never see it. We will cruise slowly close to shore and watch the tug boats and barges, the colectivos, llevo-llevos, lanchas, lanchitas, canoes, and balsa rafts, some so full of people, livestock, fruit, charcoal, and other jungle products they look like they would surely sink. Iquitos has some of the most interesting maritime traffic you have ever seen. |
| clothes in the river, children swimming, boat builders building, and all the local traffic going by in canoes. I helped build my first boat here and know this area well. I think you will agree Belen is one of the most interesting villages on earth. You will enjoy a day trip with me to the Amazon Animal Orphanage and Pilpintuwasi Butterfly Farm; to the Momon River, a small winding stream with the jungle close on both sides; to Las Boas, a petting zoo where you can wrestle a giant anaconda; to the Bora and Yagua indigenous villages where you can take target practice with a blow gun; and to watch for pink river dolphins. The people make Iquitos, Peru, special The friendly non-violent people are the biggest attraction of Iquitos, Peru. The streets are safe and clean. Violent crime is rare. There are plenty of street hustlers and touts so please use common sense like in any city. Visiting Iquitos is to step back in time to a previous way of life rarely seen in the 21st century. I equate it with the 1940's and 50's when very few had television, or phones, when families stayed together visiting on the front porch and sidewalks with their neighbors instead of staying insulated inside. The population census shows far more women than men. You have probably never see so many people smiling and laughing, ready to dance, play, and flirt for fun. Every holiday is celebrated and there are a lot of parades and parties. Iquitos, Peru, is blessed with eternal summer and known as The City of Love. If you are not in love when you arrive, there is a good chance you will be when you leave… Follow this link to see pictures from the Belen Market and Iquitos set of our photo album. |
| You can watch the sun rise over the Itaya River from the Malecon, or river walk. This is my neighborhood. I live on the third floor of the corner building across the street from the chapel and seminary. My office is on the ground floor facing the river. |
| Iquitos historic building |
| Belen |
| We will cruise on past the ports to visit the picturesque shanty town, Belen. The houses are built on balsa rafts and float up and down as the water level rises and falls. This area is known as the Venice of the Amazon. We like to cruise through slowly watching the women washing |