Iquitos Transportation

Iquitos is large well developed city. There are every kind of vehicle like a normal city which is a puzzle because its an isolated city. Modified motorcycles like the tut-tuts is the best way to move around the city to do a tour. Even with luggage you can fit 3 people in the tricycle because there is a rack on the back you can secure your luggage at.

For longer trips like to airport to the Amazon river docks, a taxi would be more comfortable or if you booked an Amazon lodge, they will arrange for all the transportation.

Since there are no roads connecting Iquitos from the rest of the country, flying in is the only viable option. Early morning flights from Lima to Iquitos. Late afternoon flights out from Iquitos to Lima. Timing has to do with weather and the flight patterns of the vultures in Iquitos.

Prepare your expectations, just because its an isolated CITY, don't think its small and primative. There are 4 million people living in the city, with buildings, shops, business and everything.

As there are no roads leaving Iquitos (all is jungle around) there are very few cars here, just motorbikes and trucks. So most of the taxis here are motorbikes, though they have place for 2-3 people in the back. Is a funny way to discover the city, but remember to BARGAIN FIRST!

I flied with TANS Lima-Iquitos because it was the cheapest. LAN is definetly a bettter company and schedules are more strict, and the on-board service is better, but TANS was OK after all. It took a little longer than LAN, as it stopped in Pucalpa on both ways, but I was not really in a hurry.
BTW, I read in the newspapers that past august the plane of TANS doing this Lima-Iquitos crashed and many people died in the jungle, near Pucalpa, due to bad weather conditions... Could have been me... these things make you think, don't they?

Local buses are cheap and frequent, and a good way to move around... if you know where you are going! I just took one to go to Belen (a south quarter, about 15 minutes from Plaza de Armas). For moving around the center, there is really no need of buses, you can walking anywhere.
Buses are open (no window glasses, as the weather is always mild). You enter through the front door, where there is a guy shouting the stops. If you know exactly where you are going you pay in advance (50 cts of sol). If not, just keep looking where you are going by, tell the guy to stop wherever you feel like and pay then.

Iquitos has no rad access, so the best way to arrive here is flying from Lima. There are at least 2 companies doing this flight: LAN and TANS and there are several flights daily. The flight takes about 1'40h to get here and some flights make a stop in Pucalpa.
From the airport there are taxis and motorbikes that can take you to the city (6 soles, 15 minutes). There are public buses too, but you have to walk out of the airport and stop them in the main road. The bus costs 1/2 sol, but I don't think is worth the effort, as you have to know exactly where to stop and that's hard if you don't speak spanish.

Now this may hve been one the funniest things I've ever done. We took a launcha to Dolphin Corners from Iquitos. It's a big ship that gets filled up with people, goats, chickens, boxes, crates, and where do you sleep---in a hammock of course!

Usually the boats lodges use are midsize (10 person or so) motorboats that are fairly fast, but can be very noisy. Bring earplugs. My lodge's transportation wasn't that enjoyable (and was only an hour away), but it was worth it for the relaxation I got there.