In Loreto, the experiences described here cover a wide range of interests: routes through protected areas combine birdwatching and hikes with activities on the water, while museums in Iquitos offer insights into Indigenous cultures and the region’s history. There are also opportunities to encounter wildlife, waterfalls, and distinctive landscapes. Which aspect you explore first depends on whether you prefer outdoor activities or discovering collections and architecture.
Routes and protected areas
The Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve extends across the provinces of Alto Amazonas, Ucayali, Loreto, and Requena in the Department of Loreto. To visit, you must use the services of tour operators authorized by SERNANP or local tourism groups. Check current arrangements before you travel.
Two named routes in the Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve offer different experiences. The Ruta de la Biodiversidad is in the district of San Juan Bautista and offers birdwatching and hikes. The Ruta Nanay includes recreational fishing and boat trips; birdwatching, hikes, and the observation of flora and fauna are also available there. The Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve is also home to endemic species associated with the white-sand Varillal forests. Outdoor activities here go hand in hand with a distinctive relationship between habitat and biodiversity.
Museums and architecture in Iquitos
The Museo de Culturas IndĂgenas AmazĂłnicas in Iquitos is dedicated to preserving, exhibiting, and sharing the cultural diversity of Indigenous communities in the Peruvian Amazon. Exhibits include artifacts, musical instruments, weapons, funerary urns, and crowns. The Museo AmazĂłnico offers another perspective, with 32 fiberglass sculptures of Indigenous people from the Peruvian rainforest. It also has three exhibition halls with displays that change monthly. The program occasionally includes educational workshops for children, talks on environmental protection, and temporary exhibitions; check what is currently on before your visit.
The Casa de Fierro, also known as the Casa Eiffel or Casa de Hierro, is another distinctive historic building in Iquitos: a prefabricated iron structure. The second floor houses a restaurant serving local cuisine, and the building is also used for cultural events and exhibitions. Check in advance to confirm the restaurant’s and events’ current operating arrangements.
The Museo Histórico Barco Ayapua is another building with its own story. This museum ship was built in Hamburg in 1906. It is 33 meters long and 5 meters wide, and has ten exhibition halls displaying a variety of antiques. The ship’s dimensions give it a different character from the collections in the city’s museums: here, you can explore exhibition spaces aboard a historic vessel.
Wildlife and nature experiences
Six primate species undergoing rehabilitation live on Isla de los Monos. A visitor and interpretation center explains primate conservation and briefs visitors on interaction and hygiene procedures before the tour. This pre-tour orientation makes conservation and appropriate behavior part of the experience, without reducing wildlife watching to a mere checklist of species.
The Parque TurĂstico de Quistococha in the district of San Juan Bautista also brings together several features of a day-trip destination: its zoo is home to animals and birds characteristic of the region. The park also includes Tunchi Playa, an artificial beach with white sand. At the Acuario del Amazonas in Loreto, you can see Arapaima, also known as Pirarucu, giant stingrays, and electric eels, among other species; there are also around 120 regional ornamental fish species.
Other nature experiences are more closely tied to the water. At Aguas Calientes in the district of Contamana, warm water collects in a pool where hot and cold water meet, and visitors can bathe there. Catarata Lágrimas de Amor is in the Sierra del Divisor Reserved Zone. The water plunges about 100 meters and forms a small pool where visitors can swim. The round trip follows a path and passes through a ravine with cold water: the route is 3.5 kilometers long and takes about three hours in total.
Traveling on the Amazon River
The Amazon River is also an important part of exploring the Loreto region. The river can be traveled by boat, motorboat, or canoe, and is also navigable by mid-sized cruise ships. This means the options range from small watercraft to larger vessels.
Discover more destinations
Mazán, Tamshiyacu, San JerĂłnimo, Iquitos, ParaĂso, Puritania, San Regis, Nauta, Yarina, Puerto Pardo, Yurimaguas, Santa Fe, Francisco De Orellana, Sucusari, Shapajilla, Pucate, Arica, Maynas, Lagunas
For the broader travel overview: Peru.
