Iquitos Things to See and Do

Although most who visit Iquitos do so for what lies 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 architect who created the Eiffel Tower. It was originally built in Paris and then shipped to Peru in the late 1800s.

Outside of the actual town of Iquitos is where the activities that cater toward nature lovers lie. The Amazon Animal Orphanage and Pilpintuwasi Butterfly Farm give 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. Here 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.