Amazon Iquitos
5
Day Itinerary •
Peru
Five days in the Peruvian Amazon from Iquitos takes you deep into one of the last great wildernesses on earth, moving from the extraordinary floating market and rubber boom architecture of the world's most remote large city into the primeval silence of Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, the most biodiverse protected wetland in the Americas, where the flooded forest stretches unbroken to the horizon in every direction. This extended route covers the full extraordinary Amazon experience from Iquitos. The Belen market and river city, pink river dolphins and giant river otters, piranha fishing and caiman spotting by torchlight, a deep canoe expedition into Pacaya Samiria, an extraordinary night in a remote research lodge, indigenous Bora and Yagua community visits, and the extraordinary Victoria amazonica giant water lilies in bloom.
Best Time To Visit
June to November, low water for best wildlife and accessibility
Getting There
Fly into Coronel FAP Francisco Secada Vignetta Airport (IQT)
Getting Around
River boat, motorised canoe and dugout canoe throughout
Budget Per Day
Approx 100 to 300 USD per person per day
Difficulity
Moderate, long river journeys and jungle walking
DAY 1
IQUITOS
MORNING
BELEN FLOATING MARKET AT DAWN
The most extraordinary market in the Peruvian Amazon, a waterfront bazaar where canoes loaded with extraordinary jungle produce, live fish, exotic animals, medicinal plants and Amazon foods tie up along the Belen district riverbank. The paiche, the world's largest freshwater fish, is sold in huge sections. The extraordinary variety of jungle fruits, catfish, piranha, medicinal bark and shamanic remedies is unlike any market in South America. Best at dawn before 7am. Visit with a local guide. 30 min mototaxi
MIDDAY
MANATEE RESCUE CENTRE AND RUBBER BOOM ARCHITECTURE
The CREA Amazon manatee rescue centre, where orphaned Amazonian manatees are rehabilitated in tanks before river release. The Amazon manatee is one of the most extraordinary and endangered mammals in South America. Then explore Iquitos' extraordinary rubber boom-era architecture: the Iron House allegedly designed by Eiffel, the tiled mansion facades along the malacon, and the extraordinary Plaza de Armas of the world's most remote large city. 1 hour river boat
AFTERNOON
RIVER TRANSFER TO JUNGLE LODGE
The extraordinary river journey upriver from Iquitos as the city disappears and unbroken primary forest closes in on both banks of the Amazon. Pink river dolphins surface alongside the boat in the wider channels. The extraordinary scale of the Amazon, carrying 20% of all the fresh water flowing to the world's oceans, is immediately apparent. Arrive at the jungle lodge for sunset over the river.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Pilpintuwasi Butterfly Farm upriver from Iquitos combines an extraordinary butterfly house with a remarkable animal orphanage housing rescued giant anteaters, tapirs, monkeys and Amazonian birds. The Austrian founder who created the centre decades ago often conducts tours personally. One of the finest small wildlife centres in the entire Amazon basin. Entry approx 25 soles.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Dawn stall at Belen market Fresh camu camu juice, extraordinary local tropical fruits and tamales at a market stall at 5:30am. | Lunch: Al Frio y al Fuego, Iquitos The finest restaurant in Iquitos, a floating restaurant on the Amazon. Extraordinary Amazonian ceviche. | Dinner: Jungle lodge dinner First night at the lodge. River fish, yuca, fried plantain and Amazonian jungle vegetables.
DAY 2
JUNGLE LODGE
MORNING
PINK RIVER DOLPHIN ENCOUNTER
The extraordinary pink river dolphin, the largest freshwater dolphin on earth and one of the most remarkable mammals in the Amazon, inhabits the oxbow lakes and tributaries near Iquitos in extraordinary numbers. Dawn canoe trips to the nearest oxbow lake give the finest close encounters as the dolphins surface in the morning mist. Adult males turn extraordinary pink with age. Swimming alongside dolphins is possible at certain locations with a guide. 30 min canoe
MIDDAY
PRIMARY RAINFOREST WALK AND MEDICINAL PLANTS
A guided walk into primary Amazonian rainforest where a local guide identifies extraordinary medicinal plants used by indigenous communities for centuries, edible jungle fruits, enormous 60-metre ceiba trees, the extraordinary leaf-cutter ant highways, poison dart frogs and layer after layer of extraordinary Amazonian biodiversity. The rainforest contains an estimated 390 billion individual trees and more species per hectare than all of Europe. 1 hour canoe EVENING PIRANHA FISHING AND CAIMAN NIGHT SPOTTING 3 hours Fish for red-bellied piranha by canoe using simple lines and raw meat in the Amazon tributaries. The extraordinary speed and ferocity with which piranha strip a hook is remarkable. After dark, paddle into the black water tributaries with torches to spot spectacled caiman, whose eyes reflect extraordinary red-gold in the torchlight at distances of 50 metres along the bank. One of the finest Amazon night experiences.
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Yagua indigenous community on the Amazon tributary near most Iquitos lodges offers extraordinary visits to see traditional blowpipe construction and demonstration, face painting and the extraordinary hunting knowledge that sustained the community before contact with the outside world. Visit with your lodge rather than through mass-market Iquitos operators for the most genuine experience.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Lodge breakfast Fresh tropical fruit, Amazonian coffee and local bread before the 5am dolphin departure. | Lunch: Lodge lunch Freshly grilled paiche or dorado river fish with yuca, fried plantain and Amazonian greens. | Dinner: Lodge dinner Piranha soup is the remarkable local speciality. Your catch from this afternoon's fishing may appear.
DAY 3
DEEP AMAZON
MORNING
GIANT RIVER OTTER FAMILIES IN THE OXBOW LAKES
The extraordinary giant river otter, the largest member of the weasel family on earth, lives in family groups in the oxbow lakes of the Amazon tributaries near Iquitos. Groups of 5 to 8 otters are regularly encountered fishing cooperatively in the extraordinary still water of the lakes at dawn and dusk. At up to 1.8 metres long and extraordinarily vocal, these animals are among the finest wildlife encounters in all of South America. 1 hour canoe
MIDDAY
VICTORIA AMAZONICA GIANT WATER LILY LAKE
The extraordinary Victoria amazonica, the world's largest water lily, grows in the calm backwaters of the Amazon tributaries near Iquitos with leaves reaching 3 metres in diameter and extraordinary white and pink flowers that open only at night. The lakes covered in the extraordinary circular pads, strong enough to support a child's weight, are one of the most extraordinary botanical spectacles on earth. Free with lodge guide. 45 min river boat
AFTERNOON
BORA INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY CULTURAL VISIT
A visit to the extraordinary Bora indigenous community on the Amazon tributary, one of the most remarkable surviving Amazonian indigenous cultures, where traditional face painting, extraordinary feathered headdresses, ceremonial music and remarkable hunting demonstrations connect visitors to a way of life maintained for thousands of years in the rainforest. Buy extraordinary handmade Bora crafts direct from the community.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Lago Preto Conservation Concession, one of the finest community-managed conservation areas in the Peruvian Amazon, protects an extraordinary oxbow lake system with remarkable populations of giant otters, black caiman, pink dolphins and extraordinary bird diversity. Some Iquitos lodges arrange multi-day expeditions here. The most remote and rewarding wildlife destination near Iquitos.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Lodge breakfast Early departure needed for giant otters at dawn. Eat quickly and be on the canoe by 5:30am. | Lunch: Packed lunch at the lake Lunch eaten beside the Victoria lily lake. Fresh fruit, local bread and river water. | Dinner: Lodge dinner Extraordinary Amazonian jungle menu. Tacacho mashed plantain with cecina smoked meat is the local classic.
DAY 4
PACAYA SAMIRIA
MORNING
DEEP CANOE EXPEDITION INTO PACAYA SAMIRIA RESERVE
The most extraordinary protected wetland in the Americas, a 2-million-hectare reserve where the flooded forest stretches to the horizon in every direction. The dugout canoe glides between submerged tree trunks in an extraordinary cathedral of water and jungle. Black caiman, giant river otters, red howler monkeys, extraordinary macaws and hundreds of bird species inhabit the reserve. Entry approx 30 soles per person. Guide mandatory. 2 hours river boat
MIDDAY
PACAYA SAMIRIA RESEARCH STATION AND GIANT TURTLES
The extraordinary research station inside Pacaya Samiria reserve, where a small team monitors the recovery of giant Amazonian river turtles, giant otters and river dolphins. The station's turtle beach, where yellow-spotted river turtles emerge to nest in their hundreds during low water season, is one of the most extraordinary wildlife spectacles in the reserve. Stay overnight at the research station for the finest dawn experience. EVENING NIGHT IN THE DEEP RESERVE Evening Spending a night inside Pacaya Samiria rather than at the standard lodge is the most extraordinary Amazon experience available near Iquitos. The night sounds of the reserve, the extraordinary density of insects, the howler monkeys at dusk and the caiman-spotted torchlight canoe after dark are entirely different in character from lodge-based activities. Hammocks or basic beds at the research station.
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Samiria River, the main waterway through the heart of Pacaya Samiria reserve, is considered the finest river in the entire Peruvian Amazon for wildlife encounters in the low water season. Black caiman up to 4 metres, extraordinary large populations of pink dolphins and giant otters, and an extraordinary density of Amazon kingfishers, herons and macaws make every hour on the river remarkable.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Lodge breakfast before departure Full breakfast at the lodge before the long river journey into Pacaya Samiria. | Lunch: Cooked at research station Simple but extraordinary local cooking at the research station. Fresh fish from the reserve. | Dinner: Research station dinner Basic but memorable dinner inside one of the finest protected areas in South America.
DAY 5
RETURN
MORNING
DAWN BIRDS AND RESERVE DEPARTURE
The extraordinary dawn chorus inside Pacaya Samiria, where hundreds of bird species begin calling in waves as the light grows, is one of the finest acoustic experiences in the natural world. Early morning canoe through the reserve gives the finest sightings of hoatzin, extraordinary large-billed toucans, scarlet macaws in flight and the remarkable jabiru stork in the shallows. Over 800 bird species have been recorded inside the reserve. 3 hours river boat
MIDDAY
RIBEIRINHO RIVER COMMUNITY VISIT
Stop at a Ribeirinho floating community on the return to Iquitos, one of the extraordinary river-dwelling settlements whose inhabitants have lived on the Amazon and its tributaries for generations, moving their communities with the river level between high and low water season. The extraordinary ingenuity of their floating houses, fish farms and river gardens is remarkable. Buy local handmade hammocks and river crafts. 1 hour river boat
AFTERNOON
IQUITOS MALACON FAREWELL
The extraordinary Iquitos malacon waterfront promenade at the end of the journey, overlooking the vast brown Amazon flowing east towards the Atlantic 3,700km away. The remarkable realisation that this extraordinary city of 400,000 people has no road connection to the rest of Peru, and can only be reached by river or air, makes the farewell to Iquitos one of the most extraordinary departures in South America.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Quistococha Lake and Zoo 13km from Iquitos is a remarkable rescue centre around a beautiful Amazon lake, with free-ranging giant river turtles, rescued manatees swimming in the lake, extraordinary birds and an afternoon swim in the extraordinary Amazon-fed lake. Entry approx 5 soles. The finest easy half-day excursion from central Iquitos for families.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Dawn coffee in the reserve Extraordinary coffee and local bread at the research station before the dawn canoe departure. | Lunch: On the river boat Packed lunch eaten on the return river journey. Fresh fruit and local snacks. | Dinner: Gran Maloca, Iquitos Outstanding Amazonian cuisine on the malacon for a final extraordinary meal. River fish ceviche and juane.
Where To Stay
Iquitos City, Night 1 Casa Morey or Hotel El Dorado Plaza. Colonial riverfront hotels. Approx 60 to 150 USD per night. Jungle Lodge, Nights 2 to 3 Ceiba Tops or Cumaceba Lodge. All-inclusive. Approx 150 to 300 USD per night including meals. Pacaya Samiria, Nights 4 to 5 Remote research lodge or floating cabin. Approx 100 to 200 USD per night all-inclusive.
Top Tips
1. Yellow fever vaccination is compulsory. Get it at least 10 days before entering the jungle.
2. Book your lodge package before arrival. Reputable lodges fill weeks ahead in high season.
3. Bring 50% DEET repellent, a headtorch and lightweight long sleeves for the evening activities.
4. Pack everything in dry bags. River spray and rain are unavoidable on every jungle river journey.
5. Giant river otters are most active at dawn in oxbow lakes. Ask your guide for the best spots.
6. Pacaya Samiria entry requires a permit. Your lodge arranges it. Cost approx 30 soles per person.
Total Budget
140 to 400 USD/day