allwaysperu
Destinations
Iquitos and Pacaya Samiria
Iquitos, the capital of Loreto, is the main port city on the Amazon River and the largest city in the Peruvian jungle. The city has an authentic jungle feeling, maybe partly because there are no roads to get here, so you will have to fly, or go by boat along the river, and the people are very friendly. Iquitos is also the starting point for excursions into the rainforest. The centre around Plaza de Armas and the Boulevard is beautiful, mostly because of the rubber boom, for example are many of the late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century buildings decorated with Portuguese tiles. Close to the centre of Iquitos you will find Belen, or "Venice of the Peruvian Jungle", located on the left bank of the Itaya River.This is a nice place especially during the high water season when you can hire a canoe and float around in the area to see the daily life of the people of Belen. Pilpintuwasi Butterfly Farm is a very good choice if planning a day excursion outside of Iquitos town. There are boats from Bellavista Nanay Port, where you can eat fresh fish in some of the many restaurants.
The Pacaya Samiria National Reserve spans more than five million acres and is rich with wildlife and aquatic life. In winter, when the river is high, visitors can explore the small inlets and various winding river systems that make up the Reserve’s flooded forest. In summer, the river recedes and beautiful sandy river beaches form. Only about 30,000 people live in this vast tract of land.
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