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Destination ~ Iquitos
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The city of Iquitos is the capital of the Loreto province.
Found on the river Amazon, it is Peru's largest jungle city.
Iquitos
can only be reached by air or boat as no roads venture that
deep into the rain forest.
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The Rubber Boom
Most
of the surrounding jungle was cleared for the production of
rubber, and in 1880 the rubber boom was in full swing, by
1912 the boom had ended. However, this gave rise to a period
of wealth for the city and evidence of this can be seen today
in the interesting examples of architecture.
The Casa Eiffel, designed entirely of steel by the renowned
French architect, luxurious hotels and homes in the Moorish
style, decorated with objects bought directly from Europe
by their affluent owners are just some of the things to be
seen. After the First World War, as a consequence of the world
wide drop in the price of rubber, the city fell into decline.
A visit to Iquitos today reveals a spirited bustling city
with its people now making a living from the lumber industry,
ecotourism and river based commerce. |
Tours
and Excursions
On
the outskirts of Iquitos it is possible to visit the Artisan
Market which has a fine display of local crafts and potions
including the famous ‘Seven Roots’ herbal remedy.
A further 13 kilometres on the paved road to Nauta can be
found and interesting zoo and fish farm where you can take
a rowboat, eat in a restaurant and visit a small museum.
We highly recommend this place as suitable to explore independently
during a free day. Iquitos also boasts local beaches on
the banks of the Nanay River and is known locally as the
Playa Santa Clara, a place to enjoy a swim in the river
and a boat ride this area can be reached by a paved road.
From Iquitos you will start your jungle experience and as
a general rule the longer your journey, the deeper and more
interesting sights and sounds will be experienced. An example
of one of these explorations is to the National Reserve
of Pacaya-Samiria some 18 hours distance by river. With
an area of approximately two million hectares the reserve
extends of what is considered to be one of the principal
natural depressions of the Amazon. A vast network of lakes,
lagoon, canals, swamps and wetlands is home to an impressive
variety of flora and fauna. |
Jungle Lodges
| Peruvian
Secrets has a range of lodges offering a variety of experiences
all with qualified guides and comfortable accommodation.
Due to the extreme rise and fall of the rivers the very
nature of the jungle changes dramatically. In the wet season
the rivers rise to a point where a boat journey is taken
through the canopy of trees and in the dry season the same
route can be taken on foot. Due to the diversity this area
has to offer, we recommend anyone wishing to visit partake
in the itinerary planning and spend some time researching
this fascinating place. In this area the only thing you
will be short of is TIME. |
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