Location: Iquitos
Top Things to do in Iquitos
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Top 10 Nature & Wildlife Areas in Iquitos, Loreto Region
Make the port town of Iquitos your base camp for exploring the Peruvian Amazon basin. The river and rainforest are the main attractions, of course, and once in Iquitos it's easy to book a stay at one of numerous nearby jungle lodges. Closer to town, travelers recommend visiting the market and "floating village" of Belen, seeing colorful creatures at the butterfly farm and animal rescue center, and taking a cruise on the great river.
Restaurants in Iquitos
1. Tapiche Reserve
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 138 reviews
The Tapiche Reserve is a private Amazon rainforest conservation project based out of Iquitos, Peru. We preserve primary forest, rehabilitate disturbed areas, and support local communities with eco-friendly employment opportunities. We believe jungle animals belong in their natural habitat in the wild, not domesticated or manipulated for human entertainment or mass consumption. Come for an adventurous stay at our jungle lodge, where researchers and nature enthusiasts marvel at the high density of wildlife on our property. The income we receive from visitors provides wages for locals whose alternatives are logging and poaching; you can travel confidently knowing that you are making a direct, positive impact on local communities and the forest.
Reviewed By MrCarrie - Hamilton, New Zealand
One of the craziest adventures I have been on. My partner and I are from New Zealand and went to Tapiche reserve at the beginning of November 2019 (beginning of the wet season- we would have limited access to swamp areas but other areas would open up). We flew out of Auckland 6pm 1/11/2019 NZ time and arrived in Iquitos 11pm 1/11/2019 local time! We were picked up at the airport by the pre arranged private transport by Tapiche Reserve. We spent 2/11/2019 buying supplies for the tour to start on 3/11/2019. We met a tour guide from another company while exploring Iquitos, who tried to sell us a tour of the amazon, we advised we had already booked with Tapiche, he replied that we would see a lot, he had nothing but high remarks of Tapiche Reserve. Transportation entails a public 2 hour bus and 4hour hour speed boat ride to the last town ( where you have lunch and we were served this very nice honey water) nearest the reserve, followed by a 5 hour private speed boat ride. We went on a 3 night/ 4 day private tour, of which a total of 2 days were sadly dedicated transit. When we arrived we wished we could have gone for longer! Unfortunately due to travel constraints we could only do the 3 night tour, it was worth the travel. The lodge is very rustic; village huts which makes this unique and authentic. It was comfortable enough to sleep on the beds especially with the long days of adventuring. We were able to charge our cameras easily. Their permanent staff is : Patricia (operates the backpackers in Iquitos) - very warm and welcoming. Informative especially when she gives you the details on the transport to the reserve, she even made us a traditional breakfast on departure day. She can give good local information on shops for example mobile phone card shops that work well in Iquitos. Deborah (works from the US who deals with bookings and operations)- Quick to reply and informative. Very hard working and can make things happen! We very much appreciate her efforts for the planning and during the end of our trip. Katoo (founder/owner/operator/guide)- Fascinating person, with many stories. Expert in the jungle. Please follow his instructions and leads to have the best experience. Very friendly, funny and open. Make sure you ask him as many questions as possible and inform him on what you want to see and visit during your stay. He even made us a sound recording of the sounds we heard in the jungle. We were luckily to have Katoo on both days, possibly due to booking the private tour. Verdi (chef),- excellent cook, we enjoyed each meal. She made a lot of different quality food! Guides: Jose - We meet at Requena, he spoke little English but was very friendly and was . We had a good conversation at the restaurant with the help of Google translate. We even met his family! We didn't know much Español which is our fault, but the transport and hiking went well and he would pro actively show us the environment eg. Spotting out dolphins, monkeys and birds . Very knowable of the environment and good leadership. He is from the area so this is his backyard,. He is talented with taking images with the combination of mobile a phone and binoculars. Segundo- We had Segundo on the second full day hike and transport back. He spoke 0 English and we speak no Spanish (We were in his country so should have learnt Español ). He did initiate great service by trying to enhance the trip eg. Helping us see better from different advantage points and giving us pointers on how to use the binoculars. Friendly , expert in the jungle. He has the natural expert ability to track wildlife as he is from the area. There was a lot of charades, nodding and shaking of the head. Very hard worker to upkeep the service Tapiche operates. The mornings began with breakfast at 5am, leaving at 6am for a 7 hour hike and then a 3 hour boat ride at 3pm. We booked a private tour but expected other tourists at the lodge. Surprisingly we had the entire lodge to our self's from the Sunday until 4 friendly German backpackers arrived on the Tuesday night. The breakfasts, lunches and dinners are the open parts to communicate with all staff and other clients. Definitely be proactive as you will learn a lot. Our lodge had a private bathroom with running cold water. The food was good! Processed ingredients were almost always non existent. We had a mix of known and local food with hints of Mexican and Incan food ideas especially with the hard corn. During the nights you could spend hours just listening to the sounds and guessing what they were coming from. During those 2 full days in the reserve, we witnessed many various types of monkeys in close proximity (10-50m away). The list includes the Woolly monkey, Squirrel monkey, Tamarin, Brown Fronted Capuchin, Red Howler, Red Uakari, Pigmy Mimisota, White Fronted Capuchin (potentially new species or sub species in the world). Other interesting sights include: Endless beautiful birds such as Parrots, Eagle's, Woodpeckers, Kingfishers, Toucans, Owls, Herons and Falcons. Caimans, Pink Toed Tarantula, Viper snake, Gian Cane Toad, Centipedes and also 15 dolphins(grey and pink species)! 3 Toed Sloths and butterfly's including the Tiger. Different species of turtles, huge Bullet Ants, Fishing bats and fresh Jaguar foot prints. We heard a large pack of boar maybe 100m away and boy did they leave a stench. the main ingredient to Ayuwaska nicknamed the cannon ball fruit ( monkeys take it to cleanse their bodies, not sure how they would react on it). We saw how nature can recover when there isn't any human interference and impacts. We witnessed many symbiotic relationships. Whether it was Katoo providing the reserve with protection and in return the nature would provide clients or with ants and the trees. The tree would provide the ants with nutrients and a home, in return the ants would make sure that the tree didn't have to compete with other trees and plants. Imagine what else we would've witnessed with an extra day :D We witnessed much much than what was describe or even captured. Tapiche reserve has a small group of knowledgeable hard working individuals in the common goal to protect, preserve and grow the reserve. Their operation is exceptional. We were comfortable and their service helped the experience even with our limited Español. We will hopefully return in the next 6 years! Our YT video is titled "Tapiche Reserve - Amazon Adventure Iquitos Peru". Insta is "djzecarri " for more images.
2. Area de Conservacion Regional Comunal Tamshiyacu Tahuayo
3. Garzal de Santa Maria de Fatima
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2 reviews
The nature reserve Garzal de Santa Maria de Fatima houses many species of flora and fauna on a seasonal flooded forest. Discover the giant tree "Huimba" or the prehistoric "shansho", along with many others. The local people works the ecotourism for the conservation of this area that is their natural patrimony.
4. Rainforest Awareness Rescue Education Center
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 46 reviews
Be a part of the Amazon Conservation movement. Participate in conservation activities for our rescued primates, felines and amazonian manatees. Visit our butterfly house. Fish your own fish. Hike trails and swim with arapaimas. Full Day from 10 am to 5 pm. Includes round trip transport from Iquitos, beverages, lunch, specialized tourism guide and a souvenir. Contact us to reserve in advance.
Reviewed By nprangel
RAREC was an amazing experience and I would recommend it to anyone who would like to care for animals while raising awareness at the same time. This organization cares deeply for the welfare of its animals and strives every day to make sure that each and every animal is well cared for. By volunteering with RAREC, you’ll meet the incredible local staff as well as fellow volunteers from all over the world working on the same goal of amazon conservation. During my stay I was fortunate enough to prepare/feed monkeys, feed baby manatees, look after a baby sloth, train and provide enrichment for the baby giant river otter, and so much more! You won’t regret it!
5. Pilpintuwasi Butterfly Farm
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 650 reviews
Please visit us in Padre Cocha! See our website for more info. Please know that a previous employee of the refuge has also set up a butterfly house and is offering boat-drivers commission to take visitors to this alternative centre rather than the original Pilpintuwasi. The true centre offers homes to a number of rescued animals in addition to the butterfly house. Please ensure you follow our visiting directions as we would love to welcome you all to our centre during your visit to Iquitos. About us: Pilpintuwasi is a wildlife rescue and temporary custody centre located on 20 hectares of land in the village of Padre Cocha, 20 minutes outside of Iquitos, the largest city in the Peruvian Amazon. We are a non-profit organisation dedicated to protecting animals affected by the poaching and trafficking industry which thrives in Iquitos. We work with the ecological police to take in animals confiscated from markets, airports and homes, which often arrive with injuries and malnourishment.
Reviewed By maisiegoesup
I volunteered at Pilpintuwasi for a month, and it was my favorite experience while I was in the jungle. Having the opportunity to be there, care for the animals, and interact with individuals who sincerely care for the well-being of the animals there was spectacular! There are many animals there (including several species of monkeys, which are my favorite) that were previously in dire situations and given to the owner to care for. The owner never captivates animals on her own accord, but instead accepts caring for animals that are given to her after they are confiscated by the government or environmental police. The hearts of the owner and several people who work there are strongly oriented towards the conservation of nature and hope to educate people about the threats wildlife faces today. I would highly recommend visiting Pilpintuwasi to see all of the amazing animals there, and to learn more about their lives! Be careful not to go to the other "mariposario" across the street from Pilpintuwasi - just go to the end of the road and turn right! There will be a little pathway next to the river/ through the jungle before you arrive at the entrance. Enjoy! (:
6. La Isla De Los Monos
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 460 reviews
A cage-free rescue center 30km from Iquitos in the Peruvian Amazon, dedicated to the protection and conservation of abandoned and orphaned monkeys. We rescue, rehabilitate and release back into the wild monkeys orphaned through the illegal animal trade. Visit us by yourself using local transport or get in touch with us to book one of our full day or overnight tours and see behind the scenes at our rescue centre.
Reviewed By danadane0610 - Los Angeles, United States
This was one of the highlights of my trip! This place was amazing. I’m an animal lover so I’m always very concerned about the treatment of the animals. They treated the monkeys so well! During the whole time I had a monkey asleep on my back! We all did as we walked through the amazon. I didn’t want to leave this place. What an AMAZING EXPERIENCE! This is MUST DO when visiting Peru!!!
7. Amazon Rescue Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 886 reviews
Ecotourism; Rescue, rehabilitation and release of andangered animals; Environmental education.
Reviewed By DavidCorder - Peyton, United States
This great shelter and rehabilitation Center is part of the Dallas World Aquarium outreach and is a nice place to learn more about many animals in the rain forest.
8. Allpahuayo-Mishana National Reserve
9. Nature's Hospital
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 8 reviews
We are a plant medicine center in a lush, jungle retreat center. Indigenous Shipibo Healer Alfredo Cairuna offers plant medicine tours through our virgen forest, shares stories of healing serious illnesses with the plants, and offers workshops on how to responsibly use the plants as medicine.
10. MM Jungle Adventures
Amazon Jungle Tour
