I Visited The World’s Largest City You Can’t Drive To: 5 Reasons It’s Worth The Adventure

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Alright, folks. This is one where we’re unquestionably living up to our name by putting the last 2 words to good use:

Off. Path.

I had the adventure of a lifetime exploring the world’s largest city not accessible by roads, meaning you can either fly in or take a doozy of a ride down the Amazon River.

While I can’t say I recommend Star Peru as your carrier of choice, there are multiple options to get you here that actually serve refreshments and don’t have what appears to be toddler-drawn scribbles emblazoned on the fuselage.

Uhh, tight budget? Even Spirit can afford paint…

That said, every journey this deep has its hiccups, but I’m here to tell you that if Cancun just won’t scratch your travel itch, where I just returned home from will certainly get the job done.

Stick with me while I backtrack my trip from ‘A to Z’ through the Amazon, just like the popular brand that runs our lives.

We’ll unpack 5 reasons of do’s and don’ts through lesser-known Iquitos, Peru — and why it will always hold a special place in my heart despite being a little rough around the edges.

But hey, aren’t we all?

Here are 5 Reasons Iquitos Is Worth The Adventure: (in no particular order)

1) Urban Life & Wildlife Overlap

Ever sat riverside for a nice meal and had bats flying over you and exotic fish jumping out of water?

Me either, until I sat at La Balsa, who gave me a ‘you’re not in Kansas anymore’ welcome to the Amazon and a delicious meal.

At first glance, I won’t lie, Iquitos is pretty run-down, especially on a dreary rainy day that happens intermittently during the current wet season.

Though, I gotta say, there was a lot more sunshine than downpour and that’s when this full-fledged city of more than half a million residents comes alive.

For starters, your North Star per se should be Plaza de Armas, a vibrant town center plaza in walking distance to every worthwhile stopping point whether its waterfront restaurants, nice hotels, souvenir shops, tour guide offices, or venturing into Belen, which we’ll get to shortly…

2) Uber, Who? Over 500,000 Tuk Tuks Fuel Daily Life

It’s important to understand Iquitos does indeed have roads — they just end on the outskirts of town.

Car owners import them via ferry, so a majority of locals have motorbikes instead. Tuk tuks operate as mototaxis — a common way to get around in Asia but not so much in Peru.

Nobody ever turned me down, so I assume you can go anywhere on land. The airport is a bit far but I still took a breezy ride for across town for roughly $5, but if you’re hopping around closer to the city, back and forth trips from the Plaza to my boutique hotel was only about $1.50 per ride.

3) Safest Gateway To The Amazon

If you’ve done your homework for epic Amazon escapades, then you’ve likely compared gateways between Iquitos, Leticia, and Manaus.

That’s not to say you have a death wish for any of these places, but speaking from first-hand experience, I never felt unsafe or extra eyeballs on me in Iquitos.

There’s high police presence everywhere (except Belen), and you can easily spot who’s a tourist by patchouli-masked B.O. and eavesdropped crystal energy chats — yeah, there is that crowd down here…

As long as you’re not a first-time traveler, you can easily spot where to go. Since much of Iquitos is worn around the edges, the Plaza vicinity is the smartest area to stay.

Additionally, there were very few scammy vendors. The town center is laden with official guides with easy-to-purchase excursions — many of which stay open until 9pm so you can book thrilling excursions last-minute, such as pink dolphin spotting, jungle night walks, and even swims in the Nantay River.

4) The Floating Village: Enter Belen (If You Dare)

Google “Belen” and you will receive a smorgasbord of results from claiming it’s perfectly safe to saying it’s Peru’s most dangerous neighborhood.

Let’s call it an even split and say that it’s completely safe as long as you have a guide. I hired my new friend Miguel, who speaks perfect English and runs Ronsoco Guiding Iquitos.

This dude was incredible! He taught me so much I never would’ve learned had I wandered through on my own.

This constantly buzzing neighborhood is truly spellbinding.

He also took me piranha fishing through Belen’s famous canals lined with stilt homes that are purposely built this way to avoid seasonal floods — and what makes Belen even more insane is that some homes aren’t elevated, so residents are forced to move all their belongings upstairs while Mother Nature runs her course.

From its not-for-faint-of-heart market with exotic jungle meats, Amazonian “medicines”, and every locally-sourced produce imaginable, prepare for sensory overload navigating tuk tuk smog, rain puddles, and indiscernible shouting.

But Belen is a must-visit if planned right. You’ll feel like Anthony Bourdain. There’s simply no place comparable.

5) Off-Grid Authenticity

How rare is it to find a full-fledged city with no Starbucks or McDonald’s ruining the allure of storied facades?

Well, welcome to Iquitos.

Every place you eat or stay will be a new experience, with the exception of the DoubleTree Hotel in the plaza, but at least it overlooks a historic theater in front of Iquitos’ famous “blue building” that I jokingly called the Dubai building.

You’ll know when you see it…

But I can’t recommend Hotel Fenix enough. This lovely boutique hotel is run by some of the kindest people I’ve met in my travels and had warm showers and frigid A/C, not always easy to find in the Amazon.

Bonus: 5 Things To Avoid In Iquitos:

1) Do some hefty research before booking a wildlife tour. Some ‘sanctuaries’ seem to lack the sanctity part. I had iffy feelings about the conditions of Pilipintuwasi on my visit, but you decide for yourself.

2) Cash is king: do not rely on your credit card for payments anywhere as payment systems often lose signal due to rainy weather.

3) Visiting the Kukama tribe made me uncomfortable. It felt like forced labor to perform traditional dances. It was gimmicky at best — a classic tourist trap.

4) Don’t allow taxi drivers (cars) to trick you at the airport. Tuk tuks are much cheaper, as I mentioned.

5) Just say no: You will encounter people approaching you and feeding unprompted information about Iquitos. This is a ploy to get a tip for a walking tour.

Sam Sears

Sam, our Lead Writer & Journalist based in San Diego has visited 36 countries and written over 1000 articles with a focus on sharing his own travel experiences and shining a light on lesser-known gems.