Loreto is a region in the northeastern Peru, It is the largest but at the same time, the least populated region in Peru. It is covered by thick vegetation and crisscrossed by many rivers of the Amazon River basin, which is born at the confluence of the Marañon and Ucayali Rivers.
Its capital is Iquitos, which is the main port city on the Amazon River and the largest city in the Peruvian jungle. Diverse indigenous people groups like the Bora, Cocama and Huitoto are the first inhabited this area. Then with arrive of the Jesuit missionaries who founded the city. At the end of the nineteenth century was when Iquitos experienced its greatest economic splendor due to the rubber industry. The economic bonanza meant that luxurious buildings like the Iron House, designed by the famous French architect Gustave Eiffel, made in Europe and shipped here and assembled in 1889.
In contrast to these buildings, you will find the homes in the Belen neighborhood that are constructed entirely on rafts and pylons to protect them from the flooding of the river during the rainy season. One of the greatest attractions in Loreto is navigating on the rivers and lakes and enjoying the beautiful beaches.
You can’t forget to visit The Pacaya Samiria National Reserve (2,080,000 hectares), the largest reserve in Peru and one of the most beautiful, is located 183 kilometers from the city and is home to wide variety plant and animal species, many of them in danger of extinction like the charapa river turtle, the giant river otter, the black caiman, and the river dolphin.
Likewise, The Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve (58,000 hectares) protects the largest concentration of white sand forests, or varillales, as they are known in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest. This is one of the best areas to go for bird watching. |