Iquitos, Peru, is part of the lowland jungle. It’s called the Capital of the Amazon. Iquitos was established by the Jesuits in about 1750 as a mission. Today, the Iquitos area has some 300,000 to 400,000 people in the area. You will still see Moorish architecture of Spain and other influences.

At Iquitos, the Amazon River is 2,300 miles from the Atlantic Ocean which makes Iquitos the farthest inland port city in the world. Iquitos is accessible only by boat or plane, not by road. It is the largest Peruvian city east of the Andes. We found it to be a bustling place to visit.

These are tuk-tuks, or motorized three-wheel vehicles, which are the primary mode of transportation in Iquitos. Our guide said there are 20,000 tuk-tuks in Iquitos. Gas was about $4 a gallon (in 2004) despite having their own oil and their own local refinery. Our guide said that everyone was upset with George W. Bush since the price of gas shot upwards after he started the Iraq War.

This was a fairly typical street but at a slow time of day. During rush hours, it was a madhouse.

This was the Central Plaza de Armas and one of my favorite places in Iquitos.

Here you can see some of the European influence in the buildings.