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The city of Iquitos, capital
of the department of Loreto, is Peru's main port along the
Amazon River. Founded in 1757, the city began to boom from
1880 onwards as a result of the rubber tapping industry. One
can still see signs of that economic bonanza in buildings
such as the old Hotel Palace, built in Art Nouveau style with
materials brought from Europe, and Casa de Fierro, designed
by French architect Gustave Eiffel. These constructions contrast
with the rustic homes that line the Belén quarter,
where all constructions rest on pilings due to the fact the
river rises several meters during the rain season. A boatride
along the major rivers and lakes around Iquitos is particularly
bewitching for visitors. Native tribes mainly live along the
banks of the Amazon, Napo, Ucayali, Marañón
and Nanay Rivers.
The most popular beaches are Tunchi Playa, on Lake Quistococha,
and Santa Clara and Santo Tomás along the Nanay River,
which are ideal for water sports. Some 150 km from Iquitos
lies the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, the largest reserve
in Peru, the second-largest in the Amazon Basin and the fourth-largest
in South America. The area is home to an astonishing biodiversity
of fauna and flora.
The Festival of San Juan in June is an ideal time to taste
the local cooking at some of the many good restaurants in
the city, as well as to buy superb quality arts and crafts
and take in the joyful music of the people of Iquitos. |
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