Iquitos

Iquitos, Amazon River port, northeastern Peru. It is located about 2,300 miles (3,700 km) upstream from the Atlantic Ocean and 640 miles (1,030 km) north-northeast of Lima. Iquitos is the capital of Peru’s Maynas province and the Loreto region, and it is the largest city in the Peruvian Amazon, situated east of the Andes. Iquitos holds the distinction of being the world’s largest city that cannot be reached by road; access is limited to air and river travel. Most visitors fly into the city’s Coronel FAP Francisco Secada Vignetta International Airport (IQT). Alternatively, some travelers reach the city by riverboat, departing from various locations along the Amazon River, such as Caballococha, Yurimaguas, Contamana, and Requena.

Iquitos was originally established by Spanish Jesuits in the 17th century, under the name San Pablo de Nuevo Napeanos. The name was changed to Iquitos in 1864, when the city became the capital of the newly created Loreto department. Prior to the official establishment of Iquitos, the area had been inhabited by the Indigenous Ikitu peoples, who had lived in the Nanay, Pintuyacu, and Chambira river basins of the Loreto region for centuries. Indeed, when the Jesuits arrived, Indigenous peoples in the region were widely dispersed. The missionaries dramatically altered these settlement patterns by concentrating communities into reducciones, or mission towns, along major rivers.

In the 19th century, Iquitos emerged as a major port in the global rubber trade, becoming a hub of economic power. The city attracted numerous rubber barons, whose fortunes financed the construction of lavish homes and monumental buildings. Notable structures, such as the Casa de Fierro (Iron House) and the Palace of Justice, stand as enduring symbols of the wealth that defined this era of rapid industrial growth. However, for Indigenous peoples in the Amazon region, the rubber boom era was a particularly traumatic chapter in their collective history. Among those peoples, many individuals were forcibly displaced, subjected to harsh labor conditions, or drawn into violent extraction networks that operated far from state oversight. Although Iquitos flourished as a commercial center, its prosperity came at the expense of widespread social and environmental disruption—effects that continue to shape the region.

Modern-day Iquitos presents a striking juxtaposition: the bustling urban center blends with the encroaching jungle along the banks of the Amazon River. As a key gateway to the Peruvian Amazon, the city serves as a base for travelers exploring the region. The city includes residential neighborhoods, markets, and service establishments with a focus on hospitality infrastructure, such as hotels and restaurants, concentrated along the river.

Among the notable landmarks of Iquitos is the Museum of Indigenous Amazonian Cultures, which is dedicated to the acquisition, preservation, and exhibition of materials related to the Indigenous peoples of the Amazon. The museum’s diverse collections provide valuable insights into the cultural evolution of the region’s Native inhabitants. Additionally, visitors can explore the aforementioned Casa de Fierro, a striking structure originally built in France and transported to Iquitos piece by piece during the rubber boom to enhance the city’s architectural landscape. Completed in the late 19th century, the building stands out for its walls, ceilings, and balcony, all clad in sheets of iron, which lend the structure its distinctive name.

Iquitos is surrounded by extraordinary ecosystems and rich wildlife. An 18-mile (29-km) boat ride northeast of the city is Monkey Island, where visitors can observe many different species of monkeys and experience the region’s vibrant biodiversity. The nearby Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, one of Peru’s largest and most ecologically diverse protected areas, spans more than 4,942,000 acres (2,000,000 hectares) of undisturbed rainforest. Preserving the diverse ecosystems of the Amazon, this vast sanctuary offers unparalleled opportunities for ecotourism and wildlife observation.

At the southeastern edge of Iquitos lies the “floating village” of Belén, home to both a residential community and a unique market built on rafts that rise and fall with the changing waters of the Amazon River. Here residents use canoes to move between homes and market stalls to trade the region’s produce. The Belén market is renowned in Peru for its location on the water and its wide array of Amazonian products. Among the offerings are rare plants, such as the chuchuhuasi (Maytenus macrocarpa), along with botanicals that are key ingredients in herbal remedies for pain relief and arthritis. In addition, Iquitos is the site of the National University of the Peruvian Amazon (founded 1961) and is the cultural, religious, and tourist center of eastern Peru. Pop. (2017) 157,731.