Malecón Maldonado

Location:
Iquitos, Peru

City Walk

By Kris Dreessen

Malecón Maldonado is a pedestrian-only zone and a magnet for crowds that gather to watch the sun set below the horizon in shades of bright and burnt orange, then celebrate the night. The main drag in Iquitos is part romantic river walk, part carnival.

Young couples hold hands on the concrete railings and street performers toss blazing batons into the air to catch the flaming rods behind their backs for applause and donations. 

Some nights, a woman and small girls decorate their skin with traditional indigenous white paint and dance with 10-feet long anacondas. They wow the crowd them slide the serpents into sacks for safe keeping. Travelers off their budget are also known to market their talents, selling homemade rope and bead jewelry or juggling. Slap-stick comedians dress in drag and put on goofy skits to pass the hat.

Sightseers, beggars, performers, families, adventurers—they are all here. It's always hopping and it's always pot luck. The promenade is always a great place to people watch and meet other travelers and locals. Arandú Bar (Malecón Maldonado 113) and Fitzcarraldo Restaurant and Bar next door (Napo 100) have patio tables that are great locations from which to watch the fiesta.

Getting There
Beside the Amazon River, on the city's east side, south of Pevas.