Iquitos, Peru

Floating village in Iquitos, Peru
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Amazonas_floating_village,_Iquitos,_Photo_by_Sascha_Grabow.jpg
Author: Sascha Grabow


Iquitos is a city in northern Peru. Located on the Amazon river, it is the largest city in the Peruvian rainforest. The city is over 3000 km (1,864 mi) from the mouth of the Amazon River, and yet is only 106 m (348 ft) above sea level. It covers 368.9 sq km (142.4 sq mi) and has a population of 406,000 people (2011 estimate), making it the firth largest city in Peru.

Iquitos was founded by Jesuit missionaries as a mission station in the 1750s. The settlement began to grow as settlers move in. By the turn of the 20th century, it became a booming town due to its rubber industry, which attracted migrant workers into the area. Many made their fortune from the rubber trade.

Among the immigrants to Iquitos were Sephardic Jews from Morocco. They established a Synagogue in Iquitos as well as a Jewish cemetery. Many of them intermarried with the locals and natives, and by the end of the 20th century, the majority were no longer practicing Jews. However effort by a Jewish descendant helped to revive Judaism in Iquitos, leading to the conversion of a few hundred. Many of these then emigrated to a new life in Israel.

Belen neighborhood, Iquitos
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Belen_Iquitos_Peru.JPG
Author: Jorge Mori


Iquitos experiences a tropical rainforest climate. Temperature is usually high, between 22°C (72°F) and 32°C (89°F). Rain is also evenly spread throughout the year, being heaviest in December, at 282 mm (11.1 in).

Visiting Iquitos

Iquitos is one of the largest cities in South America that cannot be reached by road. Hence the most common way to get there is by plane. The Coronel FAP Francisco Secada Vignetta International Airport in Iquitos receives commercial flights from Lima.

You can also reach Iquitos by boat from Coca, Ecuador. The journey takes over 8 days. There are also cargo ships from Yurimaguas, taking 2-3 days to reach Iquitos. There are also cargo ships from Tabatinga in Brazil and Leticia in Colombia. Each takes about 3 days to reach Iquitos.

Places of Interest in Iquitos

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