Iquitos Travel Guide
MN Turquesa
Amazon Cruise
© Amazon River Expedition
Airport of Iquitos
Port of Iquitos
Hydroplane
(Photo © J.L. Tord)
Peque peque boat
(Photo © H. Mazzotti)
River boat
How to Arrive to Iquitos City
Where is Peru?: At 1'285,220 sq. Km, Peru is the third-largest country in South America, it limits to the north with Ecuador, to the northeast with Colombia, to the east with Brazil, to the southeast with Bolivia, to the south with Chile and to the west with the Pacific Ocean.
Maps of Peru
Maps of Iquitos
Travel to Peru by air
International airlines operate scheduled flights to Peru's Jorge Chávez International Airport, located in Lima - Peru.
From New York - Newark, Atlanta, Miami, Houston, Los Angeles, Mexico and Toronto exist direct flights to Lima.
From Europe exist direct flights to Lima from Madrid, Paris and Amsterdam.
Peru has direct flights from the main cities in Latin America as Bogota, Buenos Aires, Caracas, Guayaquil, La Habana, La Paz, Mexico, Panama, Quito, Rio de Janeiro, Santiago, Sao Paulo, San Jose de Costa Rica, Santo Domingo.
Flights from Asia or Oceania to Peru, connection by USA or Europe.
Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM Airport Code) in Lima is the main gate for international flights and it's the main hub to local flights connections.
How to arrive to Peru
Due to the geographical conditions, it is not possible to find means of terrestrial transportation; the vehicles only circulate in the city and by highway to the city of Nauta. The regional transportation is done by river or by air means. To Iquitos the airplane arrived first and then the automobile.
When arriving to Iquitos from abroad you may do it directly from the city of Manaos and Tabatinga from Brasil and Leticia from Colombia. If this is not your case you should do it through Lima. Then by air directly to Iquitos, Tarapoto or Pucallpa and from there by river to Iquitos.
The city of Iquitos counts with the small but busy International Airport "Coronel FAP Francisco Secada" (IQT Airport Code), with comfortable facilities, located 7 Km. from downtown of Iquitos city.
Regular flights to Iquitos from Lima (1 hour and 30 minutes), Tarapoto (50 minutes) and Pucallpa (1 hour). International flights with Copa Airlines from Copa's hub in Panama and all flights connecting from north and central America. Sporadic flights to Iquitos from Yurimaguas (40 minutes) and Leticia, Colombia (1 hour).
Itineraries and reserves for Flights from / to Iquitos
In this region you can find a very peculiar kind of boat called "peque-peque" (a canoe with motor), the boat called "pecamari" (medium craft with roof), gliders with potent overboard motors, and medium ships, dedicated to people transportation and others exclusively dedicated to cargo and transport; with regular itineraries. You can rent small boats for a particular service.
The voyage from Pucallpa to Iquitos can take from 4 to 7 days via the Ucayali River with stops at Requena and Contamana if you elect to travel by "motonave", a larger boat with room for 250 people, and from Iquitos to Yurimaguas 3 to 6 days. The rivers most frequently used, as routes are Amazonas, Napo, Marañón and Ucayali.
From Iquitos port, by the Amazon river, you can in theory travel to the Atlantic Ocean, and voyagers need change boats in Brazilian border.
Distance from Iquitos to:
Yurimaguas (Province of Alto Amazonas) 388 km (241 miles) / 4 days by boat.
Nauta (Province of Loreto) 115 km (71 miles) / 2 hours by bus or 14 hours by boat.
Caballococha (Province of Mariscal Ramón Castilla) 311 km (193 miles) / 2 days by boat.
Requena (Province of Requena) 157 km (98 miles) / 19 hours by boat.
Contamana (Province of Ucayali) 431 km (268 miles) / 3 days by boat.
Cruises by the Amazonas River
Cruise down the Amazon River and lose yourself amidst palm trees and exotic fruits as you marvel at the biodiversity of the surrounding forest. One can sail to the confluence of its two great tributaries: the Marañón and the Ucayali, also the exact location for the entryway to the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, land of lakes and pink dolphins, a paradise for nature lovers.
Sailing on the Amazon River is an incomparable experience and the tour operators in Iquitos offers you organized programs from 4 days to 8 days to the border with Brazil and Colombia and to Pacaya Samiria National Reserve.
You will experience "timeless" travel on the worlds' largest river and observe the diverse flora and fauna of the rainforest. You will see local people and their villages as well as wildlife such as pink and gray dolphins, blue and yellow macaws, herons, martin kingfishers, sloths, caimans, monkeys and more.
During the voyage, visits are made to some villages and native communities, and they are carried out hikes by the jungle, night expeditions and sport fishing sessions. Many expedition cruises offer excursions on skiffs to remote reaches of the Amazon rainforest.
The offer of cruises is varied, from economic to luxurious riverboats. Check Amazon tours in Iquitos.
Iquitos has all the modern communication systems, telephone, mail, television, cable television, fax, connections to Internet, courier services.
IQUITOS PHOTO GALLERY
Amazon Cruise by the Amazon River
Belen Neighborhood
Iquitos City
Jungle landscapes
Quistococha Tourist Center and Zoo
Sunsets in Amazon River
Wildlife of the Amazon
Bora Tribe - Ethno Photo Gallery (1)
Yagua Tribe - Ethno Photo Gallery
Yagua Tribe # 2 - Ethno Photo Gallery
Yagua Tribe - Handicrafts
Colors and Shapes
Amazon Birds # 1 - Iquitos area
Amazon Birds # 8 - Santo Tomás
PACAYA SAMIRIA PHOTO GALLERY
Amazon Birds in Pacaya Samiria National Reserve # 1
Amazon Birds in Pacaya Samiria National Reserve # 10
Fauna in Pacaya Samiria
Mammals in Pacaya Samiria
Pacaya Samiria
Reptiles in Pacaya Samiria
IQUITOS TRAVEL GUIDE - SEE ALSO:
Around Iquitos
Iquitos Cuisine
The Amazonian
Peru Bird Watching
Exploring the Jungle
Pacaya Samiria National Reserve
Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve
Native Communities in Loreto
Vaccines for travelers to rainforest
Natural Wonders of Peru
How to arrive to Iquitos
Cautions for trips to jungle
Tours in Iquitos
Hotels in Iquitos
Amazon Lodges in Iquitos