Hiking in Iquitos

V!VA User‘s Description

Although most who visit Iquitos do so for what lays outside of the town, there is a whole host of activities in Iquitos to keep tourists occupied during their time in this jungle city. There are handful of museums, such as the Museo Etnográfico, which features more than 70 statues of indigenous women, children and men. The Iron House, a house made out of, well, iron, is another interesting site. It was designed by Gustave Eiffel, the man who created the Eiffel Tower. It was originally built in Paris, and then shipped to Peru in the late 1800s.

If shopping is a must for you during a vacation, there are a few options of places to go in Iquitos. The Belén Street Market is located in a poor neighborhood, but don't let that stop you from visiting. It is crowded, and busy, and a wonderful example of daily life for many Peruvians. Other places to shop in Iquitos tend to cater more toward tourists, offering souvenirs such as jewelry and paintings.

Outside of the actual town of Iquitos is where the activities that cater toward nature loves lie. The Amazon Animal Orphanage and Pilpintuwasi Butterfly Farm gives tourists an opportunity to see wildlife that would otherwise be very difficult, if not impossible to see. The Reserva National Pacaya-Samiria is the largest national reserve in Peru. In the reserve one can see a fascinating mix of flora and fauna, with about 100 species of mammals, 500 species of birds, and 250 of fish. Anyone who is interesting in wildlife would be crazy to miss this wonderfully preserved Reserve.