Nuts and Bolts: Travel Tips for Visiting Iquitos
- Rand Blimes
- Jun 22
- 16 min read
Nuts and Bolts posts give you the practical information you need, but without stripping away the humor, mishaps, and little victories that make real travel what it is. These aren’t just guides. They’re how we actually did it—mistakes, triumphs, and all.
This page has some travel tips for visiting Iquitos, Peru, to aid in planning your own trip. I travel mainly with my wife, and we love to simply wander and eat when we explore a new place, but we were also in Iquitos as a launching point into the Amazon rainforest. We spent about a week in Iquitos in August 2024. If your trip to Iquitos is significantly longer/shorter/with a different focus, you may have a very different experience.
We went to Peru for Machu Picchu. But—at least for me—the hands-down, no-question-about-it highlight of our trip was our time in the Amazon. I mean, how can you not be excited to be on the Amazon???!!! For anyone who’s had the travel bug since childhood, this is pretty much it. THE river. The mother of all. The AMAZON!!!!
Our jumping-off point into the jungle was Iquitos.
Tucked into the far northeastern corner of Peru, Iquitos is the largest city in the world that can’t be reached by road. You get there by air, or by boat—up the Amazon itself. It feels at once remote and unexpectedly alive. A gateway to the northern Amazon, Iquitos pulses with the humid energy of river life, moto-taxis buzzing through colonial-era streets, and jungle sounds never far from earshot.
Founded during the rubber boom of the late 19th century, the city still wears traces of its opulent past—mosaic-tiled mansions, faded European façades, and the famous iron house said to have been designed by Gustave Eiffel. But modern Iquitos is more raw than romantic, a place of equal parts charm and chaos, where the jungle always wins eventually.
And somehow, we loved it. It felt more like Southeast Asia than South America, with its heavy air, tuk-tuk–choked streets, and relaxed rhythm. There’s great food—everything from fish straight from the river to wood-fired pizzas—and loads of excursions you can launch from the city, including my all-time favorite day trip: Isla de los Monos (Monkey Island—yes, it’s every bit as awesome as it sounds).
After shivering our way through the high Andes and foggy Lima, we welcomed the genuine heat of the Amazon with open arms. Iquitos shouldn’t even be possible, but there it is—deep, deep in the jungle, stubborn and alive.
Iquitos or Puerto Maldonaldo?
There are two main jumping-off points for exploring the Peruvian Amazon: Iquitos and Puerto Maldonado. Both offer access to the rainforest, river wildlife, and jungle lodges—but they’re very different experiences.
Puerto Maldonado is by far the easier of the two to reach. It's just a short flight from Cusco or Lima and has a small, tourist-ready airport. From there, it’s a quick drive and boat ride to a variety of eco-lodges, many of which are tucked into the Tambopata National Reserve, one of the most biodiverse spots on Earth. One of the major draws here is the chance to visit the famous clay licks, where scarlet macaws and other parrots gather in riotous, noisy color each morning. The region is well-developed for eco-tourism, and while it may feel a bit more packaged than raw, it delivers excellent wildlife viewing with relative ease.
But for us, it had to be Iquitos.
While Puerto Maldonado sits within the Amazon Basin, it’s not anywhere near the Amazon River itself. And for me, that mattered. One of my favorite, slightly odd souvenir traditions is collecting little jars of water from iconic places I’ve visited—rivers, seas, even glaciers. The Amazon River would crown jewel of my collection. And you just can't collect water from the Amazon if you're not actually near it.
Iquitos offers something that Puerto Maldonado can’t: the chance to be on the actual Amazon River, to ride it, watch it, listen to it, and—yes—collect a small jar of it to carry home. Getting to Iquitos is part of the adventure. There are no roads in or out. You arrive by plane or by boat, and once you’re there, the city itself is something wild and alive—more chaotic than charming, maybe, but unforgettable.
It is a large city, so to get deep into the rainforest, it takes some time (we spent a few hours in a car, and then a few more in a boat to get to our lodge).
So while Puerto Maldonado is a fantastic choice for most travelers—especially if you’re short on time or coming from Cusco—for us, the decision was easy. We didn’t want to just visit the Amazon Basin. We wanted the Amazon. And for that, we had to go to Iquitos.
The Vibe of Iquitos
Iquitos doesn’t make sense. A city of nearly half a million people, deep in the Amazon, unreachable by road. It shouldn’t be there—but there it is. Humid, chaotic, colorful, and alive in a way that feels almost defiant. It pulses with the thrum of moto-taxis, the cry of jungle birds, and the low, constant hum of heat rising off pavement.
The city sits on the edge of the river like it’s borrowing time from nature, and nature could call in the debt at any moment. Buildings crack. Paint peels. The jungle presses in. And yet life here doesn’t just go on—it surges forward. People laugh, sell fruit, dodge tuk-tuks, fry things you can’t quite identify, and somehow it all works.
There’s a kind of joyful entropy to Iquitos. It’s not polished. It’s not curated. But it’s real, in a way that hits you somewhere in the chest. Walk five minutes and you might pass a crumbling colonial mansion, a roadside ceviche stand, a pack of wild dogs, and a man carrying an anaconda skin he definitely wasn’t supposed to have. Nothing matches, but somehow it all belongs.
And underneath it all is the Amazon—not just the river, but the feeling. That slow, timeless, impossible sense that you are standing at the edge of something massive and mysterious. Iquitos is the doorway, the threshold, the last outpost before everything goes green and quiet and wild. And it knows it.
It’s not for everyone. But it was definitely for us.
Travel Tips for Visiting Iquitos: Weather
We visited Iquitos in August, which falls in the dry season—though calling it "dry" is a bit misleading. It didn’t rain much, true, but the air was still heavy and wet, and the jungle never lets you forget where you are. The humidity wraps around you like a damp blanket, and you just learn to embrace the constant sheen of sweat. But in its own way, it’s glorious. The skies were mostly clear, the river calm, and the trails around our lodge were actually walkable without sinking knee-deep into mud.
In Iquitos, the year is divided less into "dry" and "wet" than into "high water" and "low water" seasons. August sits in the low-water stretch, which runs roughly from June through November. During this time, the river has pulled back from its floodplain, leaving more exposed jungle trails and land-based wildlife easier to spot. It's also the best time for walking excursions, and for spotting creatures that come down to the river’s edge to drink.
The wet—or high water—season runs from December through May, and while rain is more frequent, it doesn’t usually ruin the experience. In fact, for some travelers, it’s the better time. The water level rises by as much as 40 feet, turning much of the jungle into a maze of flooded forest, navigable only by canoe. You lose the hiking, but gain access to otherwise unreachable parts of the forest—plus, many animals retreat into the trees, making them easier to see from the water.
In short:
If you want jungle hikes, drier air (sort of), and more ground-based exploration, the dry season (like our August trip) is ideal.
If you want to float through the treetops, weaving through the flooded forest with binoculars in hand, the wet season might just be your dream.
But either way, it’s the rainforest. Bring a poncho. Bring quick-drying clothes. And know that rain or shine, it’s going to be unforgettable.
Getting to Iquitos
Let’s get this out of the way: you can’t drive to Iquitos. There are no roads connecting it to the rest of Peru—or anywhere else, for that matter. The only ways in are by plane or by boat, which makes simply arriving in the city feel like part of the adventure.
For most travelers, the easiest route is to fly. There are daily flights from Lima (about 2 hours), and sometimes from Tarapoto or Pucallpa, depending on the season and airline schedules. It’s quick, affordable, and oddly thrilling to look out the window and realize you’re landing in the middle of the Amazon basin, completely cut off by jungle and river. The airport is small and scrappy, but it works—and from there it’s a short, bumpy tuk-tuk ride into town (it is easy to arrange a ride with your hotel, or through a platform like Get Your Guide).
The other way in is by boat, but this is the long-haul romantic option. You can take multi-day cargo boats from cities like Pucallpa or Yurimaguas, winding your way downriver with hammocks and chickens and a lot of diesel smoke. It’s slow, it’s gritty, and it’s for travelers with lots of time and no real schedule.
Whichever way you arrive, getting to Iquitos isn’t just a matter of logistics—it’s part of what makes it feel so far from ordinary life. You don’t just travel to Iquitos. You enter it, like stepping into another world.
Getting Around Iquitos
Once you're in Iquitos, you'll quickly realize that the main mode of transportation isn’t cars—it's moto-taxis. They're everywhere. Loud, fast, slightly chaotic, and totally essential. Picture a rickshaw with a lawnmower engine and no sense of personal space. You’ll probably be in one within minutes of leaving the airport.
These little three-wheeled beasts are cheap, efficient, and honestly pretty fun. They zip through the traffic like it’s traffic rules are mere suggestions, weaving and honking and somehow not crashing into everything around them (usually). There’s no meter—just flag one down, agree on a price before you hop in, and hold on tight. Most rides around the city are pretty cheap, maybe a bit more if you’re headed out to the port or the outskirts. Ask at your hotel for an approximate price to your destination if you are concerned about being overcharged.
Walking is also doable in the city center—especially along the Malecón, a leafy promenade with river views and a slightly calmer vibe. But beyond that, sidewalks are uneven, the heat is relentless, and the moto-taxis are simply better equipped to deal with both.
And don’t even think about renting a car. There’s nowhere to go, and absolutely no need. Iquitos isn’t a city you drive through—it’s a city you ride, walk, sweat, and bounce your way through, one moto-taxi blur at a time.
There is also a large and confusing system of river boat public transportation found behind the Puerto de Productores (Producers’ Port). It is not built for tourists to use, and is a bit overwhelming. We used it to get to the Isla de los Monos, and it was quite an adventure.
Where to Stay in Iquitos for the Budget Conscious Traveler
If you're heading to Iquitos, your best bet for lodging is somewhere near the Malecón—the breezy riverfront promenade that offers a little peace and a lot of atmosphere. It’s walkable, close to the main square, and gives you a chance to remember you’re on the edge of the Amazon every time you look out towards the water.
For part of our stay, we were lucky enough to score a few nights at Boulevard 251 Riverside Apartments, and it was fantastic. We had a sweeping view of the riverplain—dry in August during our visit—and all the way out toward the Amazon. Watching the light shift across that vast expanse every morning was one of the highlights of the trip. The apartment was clean, well-equipped, and the kind of place you’d be happy to just sit and watch the view for hours.
But Boulevard 251 wasn’t available for our whole stay, so we moved to Studio 69 (yes, that’s its actual name). It was perfectly serviceable—clean, comfortable, and still within easy walking distance of the Malecón and central plaza. What it lacked was the view. It was the difference between "Wow, look at that!" and "Well, that’ll do." But for travelers on a tighter budget or shorter stay, it gets the job done just fine.
Wherever you stay, please remember that this is still the jungle. Even if you book the most swanky place in town: the jungle always wins. You're just a visitor here. You may find some ants in your bathroom, a gecko darting across the ceiling, or a moth the size of a paperback novel hanging out on your wall (or your toothbrush). Don't freak out. Don’t go full Yelp warrior because an insect shared your room.
Unless it’s bedbugs.
In that case, launch the tirade. Post the photos. Burn it all down.
But otherwise? Embrace the jungle quirks. That’s part of the story. And if you are going to have any fun at all in the Amazon, you are going to come nose to nose with a bag every now and then (always).
What to eat in Iquitos
The food scene in Iquitos is surprisingly solid for a city surrounded by jungle and reachable only by plane or boat. You’ll find a mix of Amazonian specialties, Peruvian staples, and a few unexpected curveballs—everything from grilled river fish to sizzling steaks, to some seriously good pizza. Here are some of the spots we tried and liked:
Chef Paz Restaurant – A great all-around option with a varied menu and solid execution across the board. Think Peruvian comfort food done with just a bit more polish than usual. The service was friendly, and the portions generous enough to satisfy even after a long day in the heat.
El Kikirikí – Chicken lovers, rejoice. This is your spot for juicy rotisserie birds, crispy skin, and no frills. It’s fast, affordable, and very local. Nothing fancy, just perfectly done pollo with fries and sauce you’ll end up licking off your fingers.
Al Carbón – If you're craving something grilled and meaty, this is your place. They do steak, they do burgers, and they do them over open flame. It’s hearty, smoky, and deeply satisfying—especially after a jungle trek or river tour.
Huasaí Restaurant – This was probably our favorite. It’s tucked away just off the main drag, and it punches way above its weight. The fish was fresh, the flavors balanced, and the vibe relaxed. There will be specials. Eat them.
Pizzería Iquitos – Because yes, sometimes all you want is a pizza. And this place delivers—crispy crust, wood-fired flavor, and surprisingly good toppings (including local twists if you’re feeling bold). A good break if you need something familiar and filling.
Dawn On The Amazon Café – A solid breakfast and brunch spot right along the river. It leans a little expat-ish, but in a good way—international menu, fresh fruit, and a relaxed place to plan your day. Bonus points for river breezes and good people-watching.
Bucanero Restaurant Turístico – The name sounds like a tourist trap, but don’t be fooled. It’s a good place to try regional Amazonian dishes, including things you may not recognize but will be glad you ordered. The decor is nautical kitsch, and the portions are big.
Al Frío y al Fuego – This one’s a splurge, but it’s an experience: a floating restaurant you reach by boat, with sunset views and a slightly upscale menu. Come for the novelty, stay for the cocktails and ceviche. It’s touristy, sure—but it delivers.
Blanquita – Local and lively, with a menu that covers jungle classics and then some. A good place to try dishes like juane (rice and chicken wrapped in bijao leaves) or paiche (a giant Amazonian fish), if you're feeling adventurous.
Pollería Rico Rico – Another chicken spot, a little more chaotic, a little more deep-fried. Sometimes that’s exactly what you need. If you’ve got cash, an appetite, and no fear of a little grease, you’ll walk out happy.
There are plenty more places to eat in Iquitos, but this list gave us plenty of variety, no regrets, and maybe just a few mosquito bites around the ankles (dining al fresco has its hazards). Just remember: you’re in the Amazon—eat the fish, try the juice, skip the lettuce, and don’t pass up a place just because it looks like it was built with spare parts. That’s half the charm.
Staying Healthy in Iquitos
Let’s be honest: you don’t come to Iquitos expecting pristine sanitation and air-conditioned predictability. This is the jungle. It’s hot, it’s humid, it’s alive in ways both beautiful and mildly alarming. But with a little common sense (and a few well-chosen precautions), it’s totally possible to stay healthy and enjoy every sweaty, bug-bitten, unforgettable moment.
First, the water. Don’t drink it. Don’t brush your teeth with it. Don’t even flirt with it. Stick to bottled or purified water, which is cheap and easy to find. Most hotels will provide it, and even tiny jungle lodges usually have filtered sources. Ice in drinks is generally fine at restaurants that cater to tourists—but when in doubt, go without.
Food-wise, Iquitos actually surprised us. The restaurants we tried (see above) were clean, the produce fresh, and the fish spectacular. That said, this isn’t the place to eat raw lettuce from a street stall or grab a mystery skewer from a cart with a visible swarm of flies. If it’s hot and cooked in front of you, you’re probably fine.
Mosquitoes, though—those are non-negotiable. Bring DEET, long sleeves, and lightweight pants for jungle excursions, even in the dry season. Malaria isn’t a major issue in Iquitos itself, but dengue, Zika, and other mosquito-borne joykillers are very much in play. Talk to your doctor ahead of time—some travelers do anti-malarials just to be safe, especially if heading deep into the rainforest.
Heat and hydration are real concerns, too. Iquitos is basically a sauna with buildings. You’ll sweat more than you think is humanly possible. Drink water constantly. Wear a hat. Don't try to prove anything. The sun here doesn’t care how tough you are.
Finally, expect a few minor invaders in your hotel room—geckos, ants, moths, maybe something that looks like it belongs in a biology lab. They’re harmless (and often helpful), and they live here. You don’t. Unless you see bedbugs, in which case it’s time to panic appropriately and tell the internet.
Speaking of bedbugs, before you even think about flopping onto that hotel bed, do a quick bedbug check—it takes two minutes and can save you from weeks of regret. Pull back the sheets and inspect the mattress seams, especially at the head of the bed, where they like to hide. Use your phone flashlight to look for tiny rust-colored spots, black specks, or actual bugs (they’re about the size of an apple seed and reddish-brown). Check behind the headboard, if it’s not bolted down, and peek under the mattress tags. If anything looks sketchy, trust your instincts—no view or breakfast buffet is worth a bedbug infestation.
But otherwise? Stay clean, stay cool, slap on the bug spray, and let the Amazon do its thing. Your immune system can handle it. Probably.
What To Do in Iquitos
For most people, the main reason to come to Iquitos is to leave it. That is—to head into the Amazon. The city serves as a gateway to a sprawling world of river journeys, wildlife encounters, and jungle lodges tucked into the green. You’ll see tour agencies scattered around town offering last-minute packages, but most travelers we met had already booked their jungle lodges in advance (as had we). It’s a smart move, especially if you want to stay somewhere deeper in the rainforest. The further you go from Iquitos, the more the jungle starts to feel like the real thing—untamed, rich with wildlife, and just far enough removed from the city buzz to hear yourself think (or listen to howler monkeys instead).
Another highlight we’ll never forget—and one we’ll cover more fully in a separate post—is the Isla de los Monos (Monkey Island). We went independently by boat (which was half the fun), but most visitors go with a guide (you can book tours in Iquitos, or on platforms such at Get Your Guide). However you get there, it’s magical: a sanctuary for rescued monkeys who roam semi-freely and love to say hello. Prepare for adorable chaos. This is my all-time favorite day trip I have ever done.
Back in the city itself, Iquitos has its own charms if you know where to look. The main square is a great place to slow down, grab an ice cream, and watch the world go by. It’s one of those rare spaces that actually encourages doing nothing. And nearby, the Malecón—the riverside promenade—is especially lovely in the cooler hours of the evening. Street performers show up, kids race around, and the whole city seems to exhale. It’s a great place to stroll, snack, and soak in the atmosphere. Just watch out for the face-sized moths (yes, they are the size of your face—no, don’t ask me how I know that).
For something a little more intense, head to the Belen Market—one of the most fascinating, chaotic, and gritty markets you’ll ever see. It’s a sensory overload of sights, smells, and slippery pathways. Depending on the season, it can be muddy or semi-flooded, and always just a little lawless. Leave your wallet at the hotel, or at the very least, carry nothing in your pockets you aren’t willing to donate to a pickpocket’s retirement fund. Go during the day, not at night, and consider hiring a local guide through your hotel if you want to explore the more hard-to-navigate areas safely. In fact, if you don’t have a fair amount of travel experience, and/or at least basic Spanish skills, I would say you are much better off taking a guide here even for the easier to access parts.
Just a few blocks from Iquitos’ main square, you’ll find the Casa de Fierro—the Iron House, which may or may not have been designed by Gustave Eiffel (the jury is still out). Regardless, it’s a curious relic of the rubber boom, and its odd European facade looks almost theatrical in the middle of the jungle.
There are also a few small museums worth poking into if you have some time, including the Amazonian Museum and the Museum of Indigenous Cultures. They won’t take long, but they offer a little context on the region’s history and peoples, and a welcome excuse to soak up some air-conditioning.
In the end, Iquitos rewards the curious. It’s a place where you might plan very little—and still end up having your senses blown wide open.
Iquitos wasn’t difficult or uncomfortable—it was just different, in all the best ways. It felt like a place unto itself: not quite like anywhere else in Peru, or anywhere else we’ve been. The pace was slower, the air heavier, the colors louder. We came for the Amazon, but ended up loving the city too—the sound of tuk-tuks buzzing past the malecón, the taste of fish pulled straight from the river, the feel of the jungle just beyond the edge of town. It wasn’t what we expected, but it was exactly what we needed.
We came to Iquitos thinking it was just a jumping-off point, a waypoint on the way to the real adventure. But some places surprise you. Some places, meant only as stepping stones, turn out to have their own kind of magic. Iquitos wasn’t just the path into the Amazon—it became part of the story. Because travel has a way of turning waypoints into destinations, and detours into the moments you remember most.
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