Peruvian Amazon By Boat

Peruvian Amazon by boat: 700 km. journey to the largest city in the world inaccessible by road

Peru 2023

peru Amazon river Photography boat ship journey trip jungle Travel

Yurimaguas is the city where the road ends – from here on, all the traveling is done by boat. Located in northern Peru, in the Loreto Region, Yurimaguas is the gateway to the Amazon River and the last town connected by road to the rest of the country. As you venture into this remote corner of the world, your journey starts at La Boca port in Yurimaguas. This bustling riverfront hub is a hive of activity, with cargo boats of all sizes loading and unloading goods bound for distant Amazonian communities. It’s a place where the rhythm of life is dictated by the ebb and flow of the river.

Map of the rivers of northern Peru

La Boca port, Yurimaguas

The journey from Yurimaguas to Iquitos, a major city deep in the heart of the Amazon is the best thing I did during my three months in Peru. If you are planning on going to Iquitos, which you should, don’t deprive yourself of the pleasure of spending three days on a cargo boat loaded with pigs and chickens and slowly cruising along the Amazonian waterways and getting a glimpse of life in remote Amazonian villages. The cargo boats, though not luxurious by any means, offer an authentic experience of river travel. You'll share deck space with locals and possibly fellow travellers, and the days will be filled with the mesmerising sights and sounds of the Amazon rainforest.

Mean offload plastic cages with chickens in them, Maipuco

Cargo boats are the lifeline for the communities along the river, and they also provide a unique travel experience. They depart regularly from La Boca port at the intervals of a few days, the departure date solely depends on how quickly the boat is loaded with goods and cattle, and that always takes longer than expected. Our boat - Eduardo 7 - was bound to leave at 5.30 pm. on Saturday. However, we were told that realistically it won’t leave until 7 am. on Sunday. Finally, we ended up leaving at 2.30 pm.

San Jose De Saramuro

Chambira

Eduardo 7 took 52 hours to complete the 700 kilometre journey through the rivers of Huallaga, Marañon and Amazon, which are all part of the Amazon river basin that covers more than 6 000 000 square kilometres. Along the way multiple stops are made at small villages and communities to pick up and drop off passengers, offload cargo or deliver packages to people. Several of those stops were long enough to disembark and spend a few minutes on land having a glimpse of life in the Amazon villages that depend solely on these kinds of boats for their survival. Some of those villages were large enough to even have a couple of streets and shops selling some basic food products, snacks and even wine!

Man with his delivery of hens, San Roque

The small boat regularly performs reconnaissance missions to make sure there are no obstacles and shallow waters on Eduardo 7's way

Chickens travel on the top floor of Eduardo 7

Tamshiyacu

Eduardo 7

Bananas are being offloaded on a smaller boat as we approach the port of Iquitos

Mototaxis and trucks wait to pick up the passengers and cargo as our boat arrives at the port of Iquitos

Iquitos

Finally, our journey leads us to Iquitos which is situated in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. Iquitos is the largest city in the world inaccessible by road. The city holds immense historical significance as the epicentre of the rubber boom during the 19th and 20th centuries. This remote city became a symbol of the rubber trade’s economic boom, drawing adventurers and entrepreneurs from around the world. Rubber extracted from the vast rainforests surrounding Iquitos fuelled industries worldwide. The city’s prosperity led to the construction of opulent buildings and infrastructure, but it also witnessed harsh labour conditions and ecological devastation. The rubber boom’s eventual decline brought economic challenges to Iquitos, but its legacy endures as a reminder of the complex and often destructive consequences of resource exploitation in the Amazon.

The Belén district of Iquitos is a floating community on the Amazon River characterised by its stilted houses, bustling markets, and vibrant street life.