---
title: "Top 10 Things To Do in Iquitos, Peru | Wimup"
description: "Iquitos in one page: Belén market, the Pilpintuwasi butterfly farm, Pacaya-Samiria, the rubber-boom riverfront and the Ayapua boat museum, plus river transport, festivals and Amazonian food."
url: https://wimup.com/city/iquitos
type: City guide
updated: 2026-10-10
publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com)
---

# Top 10 Things To Do in Iquitos

Iquitos, Peru · South America · By Wimup Editorial, 12 min read

Iquitos is the capital of Loreto and the largest city in the Peruvian Amazon, and no road reaches it from the rest of the country. Rubber money built its tiled riverfront. The reason to come now is the forest and the rivers that start at its edge.

## Quick answer

The best things to do in Iquitos are a morning in Belén market, a boat to the Pilpintuwasi butterfly farm, the manatees at the Amazon Rescue Center, sunset on the Malecón Tarapacá and the Ayapua boat museum. Give the city two days, then spend two or more in the forest at Allpahuayo-Mishana, a lodge downriver or Pacaya-Samiria.

## Quick facts

- **Best months:** Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep
- **Ideal length:** 4 days
- **Budget per day:** $45–95
- **Language:** Spanish
- **Getting around:** Mototaxis in town, boats beyond
- **Tourism board:** [Official site](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## The 10 best things to do in Iquitos

### 1. Belén market and Pasaje Paquito

Market · Belén, south of the Plaza de Armas

The city's great market spills down to the Itaya: river fish, aguaje, suri grubs on skewers and, on Pasaje Paquito, stalls of medicinal barks and tinctures. Go early, when it is busiest, and keep valuables out of sight.

- **Time:** 2 hrs
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Early morning
- **Tip:** Below the market, the stilt and floating houses of Belén are reached on foot at low water and by canoe at high water.

Links: [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 2. Boat to the Pilpintuwasi butterfly farm

Wildlife · Padre Cocha, across the Nanay from Puerto Bellavista-Nanay

A butterfly farm and animal orphanage in the village of Padre Cocha, home to rescued monkeys, a jaguar and a tapir alongside the flight house. The short boat ride over the Nanay is half the point.

- **Time:** Half a day
- **Cost:** Ticketed, plus the boat
- **Best at:** Morning
- **Tip:** Boats leave from Puerto Bellavista-Nanay; from the Padre Cocha dock the farm is a signposted 15-minute walk.

Links: [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 3. Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve

Nature reserve · Reached by river from Nauta, about 100 km south by road

About 2 million hectares of flooded forest between the Marañón and the Ucayali, home to pink river dolphins, giant otters and paiche. It is a trip of three days or more, by lodge, community camp or river cruise.

- **Time:** 3 days or more
- **Cost:** Reserve fee plus the trip
- **Best at:** High water, Dec to May
- **Tip:** Book through an operator authorised by SERNANP; independent entry is not practical.

Links: [Website](https://www.gob.pe/sernanp?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 4. Sunset on the Malecón Tarapacá

Promenade · Malecón Tarapacá, one block from the Plaza de Armas

The riverfront promenade runs past tiled rubber-boom mansions and the Old Hotel Palace, with the Itaya and its floodplain below. It fills at dusk with vendors, families and street performers.

- **Time:** 1 hr
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Sunset
- **Tip:** Walk it south to north and finish at the bars on the Malecón Maldonado end.

Links: [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 5. Ayapua boat museum

Museum · Plaza Ramón Castilla, on the Itaya

A river steamer built in Hamburg in 1906 for the rubber trade, now the Museo de Barcos Históricos. The decks cover explorers, rubber barons and the filming of Herzog's Fitzcarraldo.

- **Time:** 1 to 2 hrs
- **Cost:** Ticketed
- **Best at:** Late morning
- **Tip:** Admission has included a short ride on a historic boat; ask at the ticket desk.

Links: [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 6. Amazon Rescue Center

Wildlife · Km 13.8 of the Iquitos-Nauta road

A rehabilitation centre for Amazonian manatees orphaned by hunting, with monkeys, otters and turtles also in its care. Calves are bottle-raised and released to the wild once grown.

- **Time:** 1 hr
- **Cost:** Ticketed, guide included
- **Best at:** Morning
- **Tip:** Combine it with Quistococha, a few kilometres back toward the city on the same road.

Links: [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 7. Casa de Fierro and the Plaza de Armas

Landmark · Plaza de Armas, corner of Próspero and Putumayo

A house of bolted iron plates shipped from Europe in pieces during the rubber boom. Eiffel is credited locally; the evidence points to a Belgian foundry. Look at it, then the cathedral across the square.

- **Time:** 30 mins
- **Cost:** Free to view
- **Best at:** Early evening
- **Tip:** Climb to the upper floor, which now holds a café and shops, for the view of the square.

Links: [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 8. Allpahuayo-Mishana National Reserve

Nature reserve · Km 26 to 28 of the Iquitos-Nauta road

The closest protected forest to the city, on white-sand soils with a bird list of more than 500 species, including the Iquitos gnatcatcher found nowhere else. Trails start near the ranger post.

- **Time:** Half or full day
- **Cost:** Reserve fee
- **Best at:** Dawn
- **Tip:** Go with a birding guide and start at first light; the forest falls quiet by mid-morning.

Links: [Website](https://www.gob.pe/institucion/sernanp/informes-publicaciones/1718815-reserva-nacional-allpahuayo-mishana?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 9. Lunch at Al Frío y al Fuego

Food · Boat from Avenida La Marina, on the Itaya

A floating restaurant moored on the Itaya, reached by its own boat from a door on Avenida La Marina. Order the river fish: patarashca, doncella or paiche, then swim in the floating pool.

- **Time:** 2 hrs
- **Cost:** About S/50–65 a main
- **Best at:** Lunch
- **Tip:** Bring a swimsuit and book ahead at weekends.

Links: [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 10. Nauta and the birth of the Amazon

Day trip · Nauta, about 100 km south of Iquitos by road

The one road out of Iquitos runs to Nauta on the Marañón. From there a boat reaches the meeting of the Marañón and the Ucayali, where the river takes the name Amazon.

- **Time:** Full day
- **Cost:** Road plus boat hire
- **Best at:** Clear mornings
- **Tip:** Leave early; operators stop at Quistococha and Allpahuayo on the way down.

Links: [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## Best jungle and wildlife trips from Iquitos

Reserves, rescue centres and the forest at the city's edge.

1. **Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve** (Reserve · Multi-day · Loreto): Peru's great flooded forest, reached by river from Nauta. [Website](https://www.gob.pe/sernanp?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
2. **Allpahuayo-Mishana National Reserve** (Reserve · Day trip · Iquitos-Nauta road): White-sand forest and the city's best birding, 26 km out. [Website](https://www.gob.pe/institucion/sernanp/informes-publicaciones/1718815-reserva-nacional-allpahuayo-mishana?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
3. **Pilpintuwasi** (Butterfly farm · By boat · Padre Cocha): Butterflies and rescued animals in Padre Cocha. [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
4. **Amazon Rescue Center** (Rescue centre · Ticketed · Iquitos-Nauta road): Orphaned manatees raised for release. [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
5. **Quistococha** (Park · Ticketed · San Juan Bautista): Lake, zoo and aquarium on the road south. [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## Best museums and landmarks in Iquitos

What the rubber money built, and the museums that explain it.

1. **Museo de Barcos Históricos** (Museum · Ticketed · Plaza Ramón Castilla): The 1906 Ayapua, a rubber-trade steamer turned museum. [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
2. **Museo Amazónico** (Museum · Malecón Tarapacá): Life-size sculptures of Amazonian peoples in a 19th-century building. [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
3. **Museo de Culturas Indígenas Amazónicas** (Museum · Ticketed · Malecón Tarapacá): Objects from some 40 peoples of the Amazon basin. [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
4. **Casa de Fierro** (Landmark · Free to view · Plaza de Armas): The prefabricated iron house on the main square. [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
5. **Old Hotel Palace** (Landmark · Exterior · Malecón Tarapacá): Modernist rubber-era hotel, finished in 1912. [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
6. **Casa Morey** (Landmark · Hotel · Plaza Ramón Castilla): A rubber baron's tiled house, now a hotel. [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## Best restaurants in Iquitos

River fish, Amazonian classics and the best tables on the water.

1. **Al Frío y al Fuego** (Amazonian · By boat · Avenida La Marina): Floating restaurant on the Itaya; river fish and a pool. [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
2. **Fitzcarraldo** (Amazonian · Riverside · Malecón Maldonado): Regional plates with tables facing the river boulevard. [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
3. **La Mishquina** (Amazonian · Set lunch · Calle Brasil): Cookery students cook paiche and a cheap set lunch. [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
4. **Dawn on the Amazon Café** (Café · Riverside · Malecón Maldonado): Peruvian and international plates on the riverfront. [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
5. **Huasaí** (Juices · Lunch · Off the Plaza de Armas): Fruit juices and a good-value lunch menu. [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## Best bars and nightlife in Iquitos

The Malecón bars and the local spirits worth trying.

1. **Arandú Bar** (Bar · Late · Malecón Maldonado): Loud rock and the best people-watching on the Malecón. [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
2. **Musmuqui** (Bar · Regional spirits · Calle Raymondi): Two floors of cocktails built on Amazonian roots and bark. [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
3. **Café-Teatro Amauta** (Live music · Calle Nauta): Live Amazonian and criollo music, often late. [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## Best markets and shopping in Iquitos

Where the river trade lands, and where the crafts are sold.

1. **Mercado de Belén** (Market · Free · Belén): Fish, fruit and grubs, busiest at first light. [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
2. **Pasaje Paquito** (Market · Free · Belén): The medicinal-plant lane inside Belén market. [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
3. **Mercado Artesanal San Juan** (Crafts · Avenida Quiñones): Hammocks, carvings and Shipibo textiles, often from the makers. [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
4. **Bellavista-Nanay market** (Market · Free · Punchana): River fish and fruit at the port for Padre Cocha. [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## Iquitos neighborhoods

Four districts, from the riverfront centre to the river ports.

1. **Centro** (Base · Walkable · Iquitos district): The plaza, the Malecón and the rubber-era mansions. [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
2. **Belén** (Market district · Belén district): The market district and its houses on stilts and rafts. [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
3. **Punchana** (River port · Punchana district): The northern port district on the Nanay. [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
4. **San Juan Bautista** (Toward the forest · San Juan Bautista district): The southern district, toward the airport and the Nauta road. [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## Best day trips from Iquitos

By road down to Nauta or by boat up the Nanay and the Amazon.

1. **Nauta and the confluence** (Day trip · Road and boat · Nauta): Where the Marañón and the Ucayali become the Amazon. [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
2. **Padre Cocha** (Half day · By boat · Río Nanay): The Nanay village behind Pilpintuwasi. [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
3. **Explorama canopy walkway** (Overnight · By boat · Río Napo): A suspended walkway in the forest canopy downriver. [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
4. **Quistococha** (Half day · Road · San Juan Bautista): Lake, zoo and a sand beach, 15 minutes south. [Website](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## Festivals & annual events in Iquitos (2026)

- **Iquitos anniversary** (Jan): The city marks its official founding date, 5 January 1864.
- **Carnaval Amazónico** (Feb–Mar): Costumed dancing round the húmisha tree; national cultural heritage since 2023.
- **Semana Santa** (Mar–Apr): Holy Week processions, and fish juane on the Easter table.
- **Corpus Christi** (May–Jun): Mass and procession, followed by street festivities.
- **Fiesta de San Juan** (Jun): The big one, on 24 June: river bathing, Mass, bands and juane everywhere.
- **Fiesta de San Pedro** (Jun): On 28 June the saint travels by boat to the river communities.
- **Fiestas Patrias** (Jul): Peru's independence holiday, 28 and 29 July, with parades.
- **La Purísima** (Dec): Punchana's patron feast in the first week, ending in a procession.

## Must-try dishes in Iquitos, Peru

- **Juane**: Spiced rice, chicken, olive and egg, steamed in a bijao leaf.
- **Tacacho con cecina**: Mashed green plantain with smoked pork and chorizo.
- **Patarashca**: River fish steamed or grilled in bijao leaves with tomato and onion.
- **Inchicapi**: Chicken soup thickened with ground peanuts and herbs.
- **Paiche**: The giant river fish, grilled, fried or in ceviche.
- **Suri**: Palm-weevil grubs, grilled on skewers in the markets.
- **Aguaje**: The orange palm fruit, eaten fresh or as juice and ice cream.
- **Camu camu**: A sour river fruit, best as a juice.

## Iquitos transport & airports

- **Coronel FAP Francisco Secada Vignetta International Airport** (IQT): About 7 km south-west of the centre, with direct flights from Lima. A taxi or mototaxi covers the ride; agree the fare first. [Website](https://www.adp.com.pe/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- **Mototaxis** (Town): Three-wheelers are how Iquitos moves. There are no meters, so settle the price before you sit down.
- **River boats** (River): Puerto Bellavista-Nanay serves Padre Cocha and the lodges. Fast boats run downriver to Santa Rosa on the border in 10 to 14 hours.
- **Iquitos-Nauta road** (Road): The only road out of the city, about 100 km south to Nauta, past Quistococha and Allpahuayo-Mishana.

## Iquitos at a glance

- **Country:** Peru
- **Region:** Capital of Loreto, Maynas province
- **Population:** 377,609 in the four urban districts (2017 census)
- **Founded:** Jesuit mission about 1757; official date 5 January 1864
- **Rivers:** Amazon, Nanay and Itaya
- **Language:** Spanish
- **Currency:** Peruvian sol (PEN)
- **Time zone:** UTC-5, no daylight saving
- **Calling code:** +51 65
- **Airports:** IQT
- **Power:** 220V · Type A & C
- **Emergency:** 105 police · 116 fire · 106 ambulance

## Interesting facts

- No road links Iquitos to the rest of Peru; the city is reached by air or by river.
- The Ayapua, now a museum on the Itaya, was built in Hamburg in 1906 to carry rubber.
- Werner Herzog shot Fitzcarraldo (1982) in and around Iquitos.
- The Casa de Fierro is credited to Eiffel locally; the evidence points to a Belgian foundry.
- Pacaya-Samiria covers about 2 million hectares, one of the largest reserves in Peru.

## Iquitos travel FAQ

### How many days do you need in Iquitos?

Four days works: one for Belén and the riverfront, one for Pilpintuwasi and the Amazon Rescue Center, and two for the forest at Allpahuayo-Mishana or a lodge. Pacaya-Samiria needs three days or more on its own.

### How do you get to Iquitos?

By air, with direct flights from Lima, or by river. No road connects Iquitos to the rest of Peru; the only highway runs about 100 km south to Nauta. River boats are slow and are a trip in themselves.

### When is the best time to visit Iquitos?

It is hot and wet all year. High water, roughly December to May, lets boats reach deeper into the flooded forest. Low water, June to November, is drier, with more trails and beaches exposed.

### Is Belén market safe to visit?

Yes, by day and with care. It is crowded and pickpockets work it, so carry little and keep your phone out of sight. A local guide makes it easier, especially for the stilt houses below the market.

### Do you need a jungle lodge to see wildlife?

For the best of it, yes. Day trips reach Allpahuayo-Mishana, Pilpintuwasi and the rescue center, but dolphins, monkeys and macaws in numbers mean a night or more at a lodge downriver or in Pacaya-Samiria.

## Nearby guides

- [Cuenca](https://wimup.com/city/cuenca.md): Ecuador · 10 picks
- [Quito](https://wimup.com/city/quito.md): Ecuador · 10 picks
- [Bogotá](https://wimup.com/city/bogota.md): Colombia · 10 picks
- [All of South America →](https://wimup.com/south-america): 27 cities

Part of the [Peru guide](https://wimup.com/country/peru.md) · [South America](https://wimup.com/south-america.md)

## Sources

- [Iquitos tourism board](https://www.peru.travel/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve (official site)](https://www.gob.pe/sernanp?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Allpahuayo-Mishana National Reserve (official site)](https://www.gob.pe/institucion/sernanp/informes-publicaciones/1718815-reserva-nacional-allpahuayo-mishana?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Coronel FAP Francisco Secada Vignetta International Airport (official site)](https://www.adp.com.pe/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.