IQUITOS AND THE AMAZON RIVER
| Altitude: | 106 m (348 ft) above sea level | |
| Area: | 119,859 sq km (46,278 sq mi) | |
| Population: |
492,992 (2007) |
Capital of the department of Loreto, Iquitos is the gateway to the Amazon jungle, the largest tropical forest in the world. The city itself has experienced successive periods of prosperity and depression. There are several hotels but most visitors prefer to continue on to the many jungle lodges along the different branches of the Amazon River which allow closer contact with the rain forest or take a cruise on the Amazon River and its tributaries.
