Planning a Trip

Getting There

Water-locked Iquitos can be reached only by airplane or boat. For most travelers, air is the only practical option.

By Plane -- Iquitos's Aeropuerto Francisco Secada Vigneta, Av. Abelardo Quiñones Km 6 (tel. 065/260-147), was once an international airport, receiving flights from Miami, but those were suspended several years ago. LanPerú (tel. 01/213-8200; www.lan.com), AeroCondor (tel. 01/614-6014; www.aerocondor.com.pe), and StarPerú (tel. 01/705-9000; www.starperu.com) fly daily to Iquitos from Lima and from Pucallpa and Tarapoto, other cities in the Loreto department. Flights from Lima cost between $69 and $89 (£35-£45) one-way.

The airport is usually chaotic when flights arrive, with dozens of representatives of tour operators, and countless touts and con men competing for your attention. Do not let anyone take your bags, and don't let anyone you don't know hop in a cab with you. Definitely wait before even discussing Amazon lodge packages. To downtown Iquitos, an automobile taxi costs about S/10 ($3.30/£1.70); a motocarro costs S/7 ($2.30/£1.20). If a taxi driver offers to take you for less, he will certainly take you directly to a hotel where he can earn commission, not where you necessarily want to go. (The difference could be a lot more than the few soles you save on the taxi fare.) City buses (S/.50 or 20¢/10p) are available outside the gates of the airport on the main road (they travel along Ocampo/Tacna/Grau), but unless you have a very manageable backpack as your only luggage, it's not worth the hassle.

By Boat -- Arriving by boat is an option only for those with the luxury of ample time and patience. It takes about a week when the river is high (and 3-4 days in the dry season) to reach the capital city of Loretos upriver along the Amazon from Pucallpa or Yurimaguas.

To travel to Colombia or Brazil by boat, your best bet is by river cruise, although in 2002, trips to Manaus were suspended and there is no word of them being reinstated. The Iquitos port, Puerto Masusa, is about 3km (1 3/4 miles) north of the Plaza de Armas.

Visitor Information

A municipal tourism information booth (tel. 065/260-251) is at the arrivals terminal baggage claim at the airport. It maintains a chart of hotels and costs, and the staff is happy to dispense information (and frequently opinions) about the various jungle-tour and lodge operators.

One of Peru's most helpful tourism information offices is on the north side of the Plaza de Armas at Napo 232 (tel. 065/236-144). The English-speaking staff has free maps and lists of all recommended hotels and tour operators (including photo albums of lodges), and will try to sort through the (often intentionally) confusing sales pitches of jungle-tour companies. The office is open Monday through Saturday from 8am to 8pm, as well as occasional Sunday mornings.

Fast Facts -- ATMs and banks are located along Putumayo and Próspero, on the south side of the Plaza de Armas. Two banks that exchange traveler's checks and cash are Banco de Crédito, Putumayo 201 at Próspero, and Banco Continental, Sargento Lores 171. Money-changers can usually be found hanging around the Plaza de Armas and along Putumayo and Próspero, but calculate the exchange beforehand and count your money carefully.

If you're looking to cross into Brazil or Colombia, the Brazilian Consulate is located at Sargento Lores 363 (tel. 065/232-081), and the Colombian Consulate is at Callao 200 (tel. 065/231-461). You should make contact with the embassies in Lima or even at home before traveling to Peru. For questions about border-crossing formalities for jungle travel to and from Brazil and Colombia, visit or call the Migraciones office at Malecón Tarapacá 382 (tel. 065/235-371).

In an emergency, call tel. 105. You can also call Cruz Roja (Red Cross) at tel. 065/241-072 for medical emergencies, and tel. 065/267-555 for fire emergencies. For medical attention, go to one of the following hospitals or clinics: Clínica Ana Stahl, Av. la Marina 285 (tel. 065/252-535); EsSalud, Av. la Marina 2054 (tel. 065/250-333); or Hospital Regional de Loreto, Av. 28 de Julio s/n, Punchana (tel. 065/252-004). The tourist police office is located at Sargento Lores 834 (tel. 065/242-081). There's also a Tourist Protection Service office at Huallaga 311 (tel. 065/243-490).

Most Internet cabinas in Iquitos stay open late, and rates are about S/2 (70¢/35p) per hour. One to try is Estación Internet, Fitzcarrald 120 (tel. 065/223-608). Several other cabinas are located near the Plaza de Armas, particularly on Próspero and Putumayo. The small cabina (no name) next to the entrance to the Casa de Fierro is pretty dependable.

Iquitos's post office is at Arica 403, on the corner of Morona (tel. 065/223-812). The Telefónica del Perú office is at Arica 276.

Getting Around

For all practical purposes, Iquitos is an island city, defined by water -- not just the mighty Amazon, which borders it to the west, but also a complex network of smaller rivers and streams, and a series of lakes just outside the city. The riverfront along the Amazon is a long boulevard, Malecón Tarapacá, with a pedestrian walkway. It reaches all the way from the focal point of downtown to the shabby but picturesque Belén district. Próspero is the main avenue of communication from the main square to residential zones south.

By Mototaxi & Taxi -- Motocarros are everywhere in Iquitos; if you don't mind the noise and wind in your face (and aren't worried about accidents), it's a great way to get around. In-town fares are S/1.50 (50¢/25p). Regular car taxis are only slightly less ubiquitous; most trips in town cost S/2 (70¢/35p).

By Bus -- Combis and omnibuses (buses) travel principal routes but are much less comfortable and not much less expensive than more convenient motocarros. The fare is S/.50 (20¢/10p).

By Motorcycle -- If you want to travel around town as Iquiteños do, rent a small moto, or motorcycle. Try Visión Motos, Nauta 309 (tel. 065/234-759). Rates are about $40 (£20) per day or $5 (£2.50) per hour.

By Foot -- Although the city is spread over several square miles, the core of downtown Iquitos is compact and easy to get around on foot, and even the waterfront Belén district is easy to walk to. Some hostels and hotels are a distance from the main square, though, requiring at least the occasional use of inexpensive motocarros.

Malaria & Yellow Fever in Northern Peru -- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, epidemic malaria rapidly emerged in the northern Amazon most recently in the 1990s. Peru has the second-highest number of malaria cases in South America (after Brazil), with the majority of cases from the Loreto department. From 1992 to 1997, malaria increased 50 times in Loreto, a rate more than 10 times greater than in the rest of the country. Malaria around the city of Iquitos accounts for the greatest number of cases in Loreto.

In 2001, the Peruvian Ministry of Health also reported an outbreak of yellow fever in the Loreto department in three districts, including Iquitos. Eight cases of yellow fever were confirmed, with two deaths. In 2003, the Pan American Health Organization recorded 22 cases and 13 deaths in Peru, just one of five Latin American nations grappling with an outbreak that claimed 99 lives by the end of the year.

These outbreaks should not deter most travelers from visiting the Amazon of northern Peru, but they should emphasize the need for proper vaccinations and medication before (and during) traveling to the region.