Iquitos on 22/06/10 by Alexandria Prain

The largest city in the world, with no connecting roads leading to the outside world, Iquitos, Peru sits encircled by the rushing rivers and lush rain forests of the Amazon. The city stands as the major port of the Amazon Basin and is surrounded by the Nanay, Itaya and the Amazon rivers.

Iquitos is extremely unique in the fact that it literally can only be reached by airplane or boat, except for a very small and and poorly maintained road that reaches our to tiny village of Nauta. Within the city, people move about by bus, motorcycles and and small motorized and public boats.

The area is an amazing hub for nature lovers and eco-tourism enthusiast, who can venture out and enjoy a truly unique opportunity to explore the Amazon Basin. From the streets of the city, visitors have access to a number of amazing jungle lodges, beautiful parks and nature reserves that hold within them a plethora of exotic and verdant fauna and flora, as well as native species still left undiscovered by science.

When visiting this unique area, make sure to have a stop at some of these must see places:

1. Pacaya Samiria National Reserve: The largest national reserve in Peru, this protected flooded forest is the richest biological area of the entire planet. Within its 2 million hectares there are a known 449 types of tropical bird species, 102 mammals, 256 freshwater fish, 69 reptiles, and over 1000 varieties of plants.

2. City of Iquitos: Although the city is used mainly as a base for exploring all that the Amazon Basin has to offer, Iquitos is in itself a very interesting place. The Main Square is both the city's economic and social heart. It is home to a number of famous houses from the rubber era, including the Iron House. The main commercial center lies on Prospero Street and the most traditional neighborhood with the famous floating river houses is Belen. Make sure to have a glance at the Municipal Museum, situated on Tavara Street.

3. Quistococha Zoo: For your first introduction into the species of the Amazon, head over to this wonderful and informative zoo.

4. Boras and Yaguas: If you are interested in learning more about the native culture, make sure to have a good look in that city.