Iquitos

Even if the colonization had started several decades before, the city of Iquitos was founded in the year 1864. It is well located between the Nanay river and the left margin of the Amazon river, which makes it an obliged starting point when traveling to other regions.

During Colonial times, the Jesuits and Franciscans evangelized and founded different towns. All those years, they contributed by opening routes and cutting down distances between tribes and villages.

When the missions fell, a long period of ostracism followed, taking on most part of the nineteenth century. Nonetheless, this was the time when the foundations of the future political organization were being set. Also, the time when the navigation on steamboats, the rubber heyday and the foreign immigration was starting.

The Golden Age of Iquitos started at the end of the last century with the rubber fever. Since the region was very rich in this species and its price went so high, it turned into the center of all looks and ambitions in the world. This period lasted 25 years and gave way to a gigantic development once the rubber fever passed.

MAIN ATTRACTIONS IN THE CAPITAL CITY

Parque de Quistococha. This park has a zoo site with exotic animals and various species of serpents.

Laguna de Moronacocha. A lagoon with a paiche breeding center. The paiche is a very big species of Amazon fish (one or two meters long).

Amazonas, Itaya, Yarapa and Manatí River Banks, in which several lodgings have been built.

Nineteenth Century Mansions. Sumptuous and exquisite, they display the opulence of the rubber heyday. Most of these mansions are located in front of the river sidewalk. Most outstanding among them is the Casa de Hierro (Iron House), the so called first prefabricated house in America. It was designed and constructed by Gustave Eiffel, brought from Europe in parts (bolts and nuts included), and assembled in the site in which it currently stands.

Barrio de Belén, also known as The Venice of the Jungle. This quarter is located in the center of the city and built over the waters of the Amazon river. Transportation must be done in canoes or by swimming.

Cruise Services offer navigating through the Amazon river for a whole week. These cruises include visits to the cities of Leticia in Colombia and Tabatinga in Brazil; walks into the Jungle; visits to native settlements; and night excursions and fishing.

Ecotourism. The Amazon region offers a great opportunity to enjoy this type of tourism. It is the biggest and most assorted natural reserve in the world. It houses no less than 25,000 species of plants already classified; approximately 4,000 species of butterflies; and 2,000 species of fish.

Camping over the Sucusari River. This is considered one of the most attractive Ecotourism sites worldwide. It holds the first aerial corridor in the continent, which offers visitors a privileged view of the abounding fauna and flora. This wire-net corridor is made of a hanging bridge 200 mt (656 ft) long, located at 30 mt (98 ft) high.

Reserva Nacional del Pacaya-Samiria. This natural reserve is the biggest in the country, with an extension of 21,000 km² (8,108 sq ml). It was created to preserve the distinctive fauna and flora of this enormous extension of Low Jungle territory. Access and guided visits can be done setting off lodges located at a four-hour distance by glider boat.

TOURIST CALENDAR

First Week on January. Anniversary of Iquitos. Week-long festivities to celebrate the founding of the city.

Third Week in February. Carnivals.

June 24. Fiesta de San Juan. The local people go to the Nanay and Amazonas river banks, taking with them the traditional juanes, cooked on the eve. In front of the waters, they merrily drink and dance.

First Two Weeks in August. A farm, livestock and crafts fair takes place in the small town of Santa Clara de Nanay, at 14 km (7 ml) from the city of Iquitos.

September 7. Señora de la Natividad. Date in which the people Tamashiyacu, in the province of Maynas, honor their patron.

December 8. Fiesta de la Purísima, celebrated in the district of Punchana, at 3 km (1.86 ml) from Iquitos.