Everything about Iquitos totally explained
Iquitos is the largest city in the
Peruvian rainforest, with a population of around 400,000. It is the capital of
Loreto Region and
Maynas Province. It is generally considered the most populous city in the world that can't be reached by road.
Located on the
Amazon River, it's a mere above sea level even though it's more than from the mouth of the Amazon at
Belem in
Brazil, on the
Atlantic Ocean. It is situated downstream of the confluence of the
Ucayali and
Marañón rivers, the two main headwaters of the Amazon River. Iquitos has long been a major port in the
Amazon Basin. It is surrounded by three rivers: the
Nanay, the
Itaya, and the Amazon.
The city can be reached only by airplane or boat, with the exception of a road to
Nauta, a small town roughly south. Most travel within the city itself is via bus, motorcycle, or
auto rickshaw (
mototaxi,
motocarro or
motokar). Transportation to nearby towns often requires a river trip via
llevo-llevo, a small public motorised boat.
The climate is hot and humid, with an average relative humidity of 85%. The wet season lasts from around November to May, with the river reaching its highest point in May. The river is at its lowest in October.
History
Iquitos was established as a
Jesuit mission in the 1750s, and in 1864 it started to grow when the
Loreto Region was created and Iquitos became its capital. It is currently the seat of a
Roman Catholic Apostolic Vicariate.
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Iquitos was known for its
rubber industry through the
rubber boom of the first decade of the 20th century, and there are still great mansions from the 1800s, including
the Iron House (Spanish:
Casa de Fierro), designed by
Gustave Eiffel. The boom came to an end when rubber seeds were smuggled out of the country and planted elsewhere. The 1982 movie
Fitzcarraldo, about the life of rubber baron Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald, was filmed near Iquitos.
Economy
Iquitos has become important in the shipment of
lumber from the
Amazon Rainforest to the outside world, and it offers modern amenities for the residents and tourists in the area. Other industries include
oil,
rum and
beer production.
Education
Iquitos is home to numerous research projects that cover the studies of ecology in relation to ornithology and herpetology.
Cornell University in particular owns a field station dubbed the
Cornell University Esbaran Amazon Field Laboratory. Founded in July of 2001 under the direction of Dr.
Eloy Rodriguez as a research facility dedicated to education,
conservation, and the discovery of novel medicinal compounds from applied field chemoecology, the field laboratory strives to Survey and catalog the inventory of biological diversity found along the Yarapa River Basin while providing researchers with field experience in the broad range of disciplines necessary for this task. Another main goal is to explore potential value-added derivatives of biodiversity. This includes both tangible returns in the form of new discoveries in the biomedical and related sciences, as well as the less tangible goods such as the promotion of
ecotourism and an ecological aesthetic, and the corresponding benefits to the local communities, and to participating students and researchers.
Tourism
Iquitos has a growing reputation as a tourist community, especially as a jumping-off point for tours of the Amazon rainforest and the
Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, and trips downriver to
Manaus,
Brazil - the other rubber-industry city in the interior of the Amazon basin - and finally the
Atlantic Ocean, which is away.
A boat tour of Belén is a common tourist attraction.
Belén is an area of Iquitos that can be accessed by foot in the dry season but is only accessible via boat in the wet season. Many of the homes in this area are tethered to large poles and float upon the rising waters every year, and some homes float year-round. Where the waters begin there are often a few men with their boats who transport locals and tourists for a small fee.
There is also an open-air market in Belén (in a part that doesn't flood). This too is a common tourist attraction. Most notable is the medicine lane, "Pasaje Paquito", an entire block of the market lined with local plant (and animal) medicines, stocking everything from
copaiba to
chuchuwasai.
During the 1990s,
homosexuals fled the repressive police in other cities of
Peru to live in this
frontier town. Many now live in Belén.
Ayahuasca tourism has increased in Iquitos in recent years, with Westerners seeking traditional shamanic experiences using the visionary Amazonian medicinal tea. Although there are some reputable
curanderos who can provide a safe context for such experiences, others don't have the specialised training or skills. As with any tourist activity, consumer discretion is advised.
Iquitos is served by
Crnl. FAP Francisco Secada Vignetta International Airport.
Universities
Iquitos has two
universities:
Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana, the local state university, and
Universidad Particular de Iquitos, a private institution. It is also home to the
Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana (IIAP), the Institute of Investigation of the Peruvian Amazon.
Sport
Colegio Nacional de Iquitos is a soccer team based in Iquitos.
Notable people from Iquitos
Maps and aerial photos
Further Information
Get more info on 'Iquitos'.
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