Hotels in Iquitos

Iquitos: Gateway to the Peruvian Amazon

Iquitos sits on the west bank of the Amazon River in northeastern Peru, roughly 3,700 km from Lima by air. Founded as a Jesuit mission in 1757, it grew into a boomtown during the rubber era of the 1880s–1910s, leaving behind ornate tile-faced mansions along the Malecón Tarapacá waterfront. Today it is the largest city on Earth with no road connection to the national highway network — all arrivals come by plane to Coronel FAP Francisco Secada Vigneta Airport or by multi-day riverboat along the Amazon, Marañón, or Ucayali rivers.

Where to Stay and Getting Around

Most hotels concentrate in the central grid near Plaza de Armas and along the Malecón, placing guests within walking distance of the Belén floating market, where vendors sell live fish, medicinal plants, and river fruits from wooden canoes each morning. The Barrio de Belén neighbourhood, partly built on stilts over the river, offers the most immediate immersion in Amazonian daily life. River-lodge operators run transfers to properties one to four hours upstream or downstream by fast boat.

Practical Tips

• Getting there: Daily flights from Lima take roughly 2 hours; riverboats from Yurimaguas take 3–4 days downstream.
• Climate: Rain falls year-round; the high-water season (December–May) allows boat access deeper into flooded forest.
• Health: Yellow fever vaccination is required for entry to the Loreto region; antimalarials are recommended.
• Currency: Soles are standard; ATMs are available near Plaza de Armas but scarce outside the centre.