Iquitos is one of the most interesting places in the Amazon rainforest.
Because of its unusual location (it is deep in the impenetrable jungle), it can only be reached by boat or plane.
Iquitos has about 440,000 inhabitants, making it the largest city on Earth that is not connected to other cities by land.
In the past, Iquitos was the main center of communication between European countries and Peru – it was much easier to reach Iquitos by Amazon river than Lima.
Iquitos was originally a village inhabited by a wild tribe with the same name. The city was founded in 1757, but it began to grow and become rich in the XIX century, during the “rubber rush. It began to produce rubber from natural raw materials – a tree growing in the Amazon jungle.
The magnates who owned the rubber factories built themselves luxurious mansions, which still give the city its unique style.
However, the rubber boom is over, and at the moment one of the city’s main sources of income is tourism. The city is also frequented by groups of students and scientists studying the nature and inhabitants of the Amazon rainforest.
Iquitos is often referred to as the “gateway to the Amazon” because of the ease of touring from here to the wild Amazon jungle, so for most tourists Iquitos is nothing more than a starting point for visiting the jungle. However, if you have the time, we recommend stopping here for 1-2 days to explore this distinctive city.
When traveling to Iquitos, you should keep in mind that the city is located in the Loreto region, one of the poorest regions of Peru. And the main “symbol” of poverty here is the district of Belém, where the struggle for the lives of local residents is striking in the first place.
Most of the houses in this area are built on rafts drifting on the water. Locals call it the “Venice of Peru,” although the only thing it has in common with Venice is the water beneath your feet.
The area was formed in the early 20th century, rickety huts on stilts rise high above the water – during the dry season residents use two floors of buildings, during floods the Amazon water floods the lower level of houses and the only means of transportation in the area are boats and canoes.
The area is terribly unsanitary, with families using the river for laundry, washing, and swimming.
The Belém market is perhaps the main attraction of Iquitos. Along with the usual rice, potatoes and fruits we are used to, all sorts of exotic goods are sold here. The market has a reputation for being black, and many of its products are sold illegally, such as skins and meat of wild animals of the Amazon jungle.
A number of medicinal tinctures and herbs can be found in the market. The smell of coriander is easily accompanied by the smell of sewage, and the skull of a monkey and the paws of a jaguar can lie next to fresh fish.