28º C (36º C maximum and 17º C minimum). Rainy season:
December to March.
Access Routes
By air
There are daily flights from Lima (1 h and 45 minutes
flight). There is also service from the cities of
Tarapoto and Caballococha.
By river
From port La Hoyada in Pucallpa (2,5 km from the city)
it is possible to travel to Iquitos, by the Ucayali
river, with stopovers in the Ports of Requena and
Contamana. There are two types of boats: - Speedboat: small but speedy boat. The trip
takes 2 to 3 days depending on the river stream. - Chata: A large boat with a capacity to carry
about 250 passengers but traveling at a slow speed. The
trip takes from 4 to 7 days depending on the river
stream.
Historical Overview
Iquitos, the capital of the department of Loreto, was
founded in 1 757 as San Pablo de los Napeanos, and is
the first port on the Amazon river. A portion of its
territory is inhabited by various tribes and nomad and
semi-nomadic groups who speak diverse languages and have
different customs. Sharing the same challenging habitat,
these people developed very similar means of living,
mainly based on hunting and fishing. The first western
settlements were established by Jesuit missionaries who
made their way into the most remote corners of the
forest and founded towns such as Borja, Jeberos and
Lagunas, among others.
Later, commerce between Peru and Brazil increased until,
in 1 880, Iquitos really took a big step towards
prosperity with the rubber extraction fever. Evidence of
the economic heyday of those days are the buildings that
can still be seen in the city.
Oil was first exploited in 1 938. Current oil reserves
are considerable and Iquitos has important projects for
the use of its forest resources.
There are many native groups living in the jungle today,
many of which are in permanent contact with civilization.
These groups live mainly along the banks of the Amazon,
Napo, Ucayali, Marañón and Nanay rivers.
Attractions in the City
Casa de Fierro (Iron
House)
Corner of calle Próspero and calle Putumayo, facing the
Main Square.
Open: Monday to Sunday 8:00-20:00.
This iron house was entirely made in the Belgian
workshop Les Forjes D´Aisseau. Rubber industrialist
Anselmo del Aguila bought it at the Paris International
Exhibition in 1 889. Once disassembled, it was sent to
Iquitos during the rubber years.
Former Hotel Palace
Corner of calle Putumayo and Malecón Tarapacá.
No visitors allowed.
This Art Nouveau, three-story building was completed in
1 912 and is considered to be the best and most
sumptuous in the Peruvian Amazon region. The iron gates
of its balconies were imported from Hamburg, the marble
from Carrara, the multicolored Sevillian mosaic tiles
and the arabesques in the corridors add to the 40
thousand gold pounds spent in the construction of this
magnificent building which was the main accommodation
facility for foreigners during the rubber heyday.
Tarapacá Embankment
Built during the golden days of rubber on the banks of
Amazon river at the border of the city, this riverfront
walk offers an attractive panoramic view of Port Belén
and the Amazon river.
Port of Belén
Located on the banks of the Itaya river, the port is an
important supply center with substantial ship movement.
The houses that make up the quarters of Belén are built
with simple material over piles to preserve them from
the high water level the rainy season.
Town Hall
Jr. Napo 236 (third floor).
Visits: Monday to Friday 7:00-12:45.
Presently, this is the seat of the Municipality of
Maynas. Its museum houses a selected collection of
local, stuffed animals and interesting samples of
handicrafts.
The Amazonian Museum
Malecón Tarapacá 386.
Phone: (094) 23-4031.
Visits: Monday to Sunday 8:00-21:00.
Reconditioned building home of 80 life-size sculptures
depicting the different aboriginal communities of the
Peruvian jungle including Brazil and Venezuela. The
building also holds 40 photographs of early 20th century
Iquitos. (National Historical Museum).
The Amazonian Library
Malecón Tarapacá 354 (third floor of the Prefecture).
Visits: Monday to Saturday 9:00-17:00.
One of the finest libraries specialized in regional
issues in the Americas. Originally, it was a single-story
building, the second floor being built in the year 1
903. To be noted is the series of big windows, protected
by rounded bar iron gates.
Outskirts of the City
Quistococha Tourist
Resort
At km 6,3 of the Iquitos - Nauta Highway.
Visits: Monday to Sunday 8:00-17:00.
About 15 minutes drive, the resort spreads across 369 ha
and is located around the Quistococha lake. The lake is
56 ha long and 8 m deep. On its banks there is an
artificial beach known as Tunchi Playa.
Visitors are welcomed to visit the museum, aquarium,
serpentarium, small zoos, hiking trails around the lake,
as well as small embankment where they can rent boats. A
restaurant and a collection of captive birds, a
playground and sports grounds are also available to
visitors.
Santo Tomás
Farmer community located on the banks of a branch of the
Nanay river, 16 km from Iquitos and 200 meters from the
airport, Santo Tomás is the city's main resort. The
quiet waters of the Nanay river are ideal to practice
swimming and ski, as well as boating or canoeing.
Santa Clara
Located on the banks of the Nanay river, 12 km from
Iquitos, its main attractions include the white sand
beaches that are formed in the dry season, and its
natural landscape.
Bellavista Nanay
This dock is located 3,5 km from Iquitos and about 20
minutes drive on three-wheeled van, on the Nanay
riverside. The dock has boat rental facilities for river
cruising allowing the visit of adjacent hamlets such as
Padre Cocha and San Andrés.
Puerto Almendra
Located 12,1 km from the airport's control sentry and
about 30 minutes drive, this port is home to the Puerto
Almendra Research and Forest Teaching Center featuring
the El Huayo Arboterum Botanical Garden with parcels
showing the various natural species found in the Nanay
basin. The center provides ecological circuits and
recreational areas for hiking and visits to local farms.
Rumococha Lake
Located 3,8 km from the airport's control sentry and
about 15 minutes drive southwest of Iquitos on the banks
of the Nanay river, this closed arch-shaped lake has
very quite waters that make it a perfect spot for
fishing.
Zungarococha Lake
This lake is located 12 km from the airport's control
sentry and about 30 minutes' ride, on the right bank of
the Nanay river. From here visitors have a breathtaking
view of the landscape and can also swim and practice
canoeing.
Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve
Located 150 km from the city of Iquitos upstream the
Amazon river and about 18 hours by peke peke (*), the
reserve is in the area of confluence of the Marañón and
Ucayali rivers, in the provinces of Requena and Loreto.
This is the largest national reserve in Peru, the second
largest in the Amazon Basin and the fourth largest in
South America. It spreads across a total of 2 080
thousand ha irrigated by the Samiria and Pacaya rivers,
home of a large flora and fauna biodiversity.
Rimachi Lake
Located in the province of Alto Amazonas, on the basin
of Pastaza river. The 75 km perimeter and 10 m depth of
the lake make it the largest in the Peruvian Amazon
region.
Handicrafts
There is a great variety of handicrafts, such as pottery
with geometrical designs, hand painted cloth and a
series of artifacts made using the region's natural
resources.
Gastronomy
Typical dishes: - Chonta (palm sprouts) salad, - Tacacho con cecina (mashed roast or fried green
banana mixed with lard and cured meat). - Inchicapi (chicken soup with peanuts, cilantro
and cassave) - Cecina (delicious cured beef or pork meat). - Patarashca (roasted fish wrapped in banana
leaves). - Juane (steamed rice tamales seasoned with
turmeric and stuffed with chicken chunks, wrapped in
bijao leaves).
Noteworthy is the large variety of tropical fruits such
as papaya, melon, aguaje, taperiba, banana, cocona and
guava.
The traditional drinks are: - Masato (drink based on crushed cooked cassave
fermented with sweet potato or sugar). - Chuchuhuasi (eau-de-vie based on a bitter,
astringent root, very popular in the entire Jungle
region).
Festivities
Feast of San Juan (June)
The influence of John the Baptist as a symbol is very
strong in the Peruvian jungle because of the importance
of water as a vital element in the entire Amazon region.
This is why this feast is celebrated with typical bands
and the region's traditional dishes.
(*) Peke Peke: motor-driven canoes that have become the
most common means for mass transportation in the
Peruvian Amazonian region. They can carry up to 30
passengers. Despite they are slow and very noisy, they
are very inexpensive. Ideal for short trips.
Services
Airports
Aeropuerto Internacional Crnel. Francisco Secada
Vignetta.
Av. Abelardo Quiñones km 6.
Phone: (094) 26-0147 / 28-0245.
Health Centers
Hospital Regional de Iquitos.
Av. 28 de Julio s/n. Punchana.
Phone: (094) 25-1882 / 25-2743.
24 hour service
Hospital apoyo Iquitos.
Cornejo Portugal 1710.
Phone: (094) 26-4710.
24 hour service
Police Stations
Comisaría de Morona de Iquitos. Calle Morona 120.
Phone: (094) 23-1131.
24 hour service
Comisaría de Punchana.
Av. de la Marina/28 de Julio.
Phone: (094) 25-1970.
24 hour service
Handicrafts Markets
Anaconda Malecón Tarapacá - Boulevard.
Open: Monday to Sunday 8:00-22:00.
Mercado Artesanal de San Juan. Av. Quiñones km 4,5.
Open: Monday to Sunday 8:00-22:00.
Post Office
Av. Arica 402.
Phone: (094) 23-1915 / 23-4091.
Open: Monday to Saturday 8:00-19:00, Sunday 9:00-13:00.
tourist information and assistance
Peru features a tourist information and assistance
service called iPerú where visitors can ask about
official tourist information on Peru, as well as
assistance if the tourist feels the service paid for was
not provided as advertised.
E-mail:
iperu@promperu.gob.pe
Loreto
Aeropuerto Francisco Secada Vigneta.
Phone/fax: (094) 26-0251.
Open: Monday to Sunday 8:00-13-30 y 16:30-20:30.
E-mail:
sptiqt@tsi.com.pe
Lima
Aeropuerto Internacional Jorge Chávez
Arrival lounge / main hall
Phone/fax: (01) 574-8000 / 574-6900
24-hour service
E-mail:
sptijch@indecopi.gob.pe
San Isidro Jorge Basadre 610, Lima 27.
Phone: (01) 421-1583 / 421-1227 / 421-1627 / 421-1546.
Open: Monday to Sunday 9:00-18:00
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