The Amazon has been and still remains a land of conflicts. Linked to the world only by the Amazon River or air, Iquitos is the largest city in the world that cannot be reached by road.

Iquitos is the main port city on the Amazon River and the largest city in the Peruvian jungle. Different indigenous people groups like the Cocama, Huitoto, and Bora first inhabited the area. Then came the Jesuit missionaries who founded the city. At the end of the nineteenth century was when Iquitos experienced its greatest economic glory due to the rubber industry. The economic bonanza meant that luxurious buildings like the art nouveau Palace Hotel and the Iron House, designed by the famous French architect Gustave Eiffel, were constructed there.

In contrast to these buildings, you find the homes in the Belen neighborhood that are constructed on top of rafts and pylons to protect them from the flooding of the river. One of the best attractions in Loreto is navigating on the rivers and lakes and enjoying the beautiful beaches.

The Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve (2,080,000 hectares), the largest reserve in Peru, is located 183 kilometers from the city and is home to numerous plant and animal species, many of them in danger of extinction like the charapa river turtle, the giant river otter, the black caiman, and the river dolphin. Likewise, the Allpahuayo-Mishana National Reserve (58,000 hectares) protects the largest concentration of white sand forests, or varillales, as they are known in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest. This happens to be one of the best areas to go for bird watching. In addition to these national reserves, there are also numerous private reserves, which have been created to satisfy all tastes.

Tourist interests

Port and Village of Belen. It is located on the left bank of the Itaya River, southeast of Iquitos. Its origins date back to the beginning of the twentieth century, and it is composed of homes built on top of balsa wood rafts that float on the waters during the flood season. It is a traditional regional style. With the passage of time and the increase in population, the style has changed and more houses are built on a fixed construction on top of wooden pillars, some of them of two stories. During the dry season, people use both floors, but during the flood season, only the second floor is used; since the entire lower zone of Belen remains under water, the population uses boats and canoes for transport, which is why it is considered the “Venice of Loreto”. Belen has two districts: the upper zone where the Belen market and main warehouse are and the lower zone, an informal port and lively commercial center for jungle goods. Today, there are buildings of high quality materials.