Iquitos

Fact 1 - Iquitos is the largest city in the world that cannot be reached by road; it's accessible only by air or river, making it truly an island in the jungle.

Fact 2 - During the Amazon rubber boom of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, wealthy rubber barons imported lavish European tiles and prefabricated iron structures, giving Iquitos a surprising blend of Amazonian and Belle Époque architecture.

Fact 3 - Iquitos is home to the Amazon Rescue Center (Centro de Rescate Amazónico), which actively rehabilitates orphaned Amazonian manatees and other endangered wildlife for reintroduction into the wild.

Fact 4 - As the capital of Peru's Loreto Region, Iquitos serves as the primary gateway and commercial hub for a vast, largely undeveloped portion of the Peruvian Amazon, covering an area larger than Portugal.

Fact 5 - The floating neighborhood of Belén, known as "Venice of the Amazon," sees many houses and shops built on balsa rafts or stilts, adapting uniquely to the Amazon River's dramatic seasonal water level changes.

Fact 6 - The "Casa de Fierro" (Iron House), located in the city center, is an intricate prefabricated iron structure often attributed to Gustave Eiffel, shipped in pieces from Europe during the rubber boom era.

Fact 7 - Iquitos is a culinary hotspot for authentic Amazonian cuisine, offering unique dishes like Juane (rice, chicken, olives cooked in bijao leaves), Tacacho con Cecina, and a variety of exotic fruits found nowhere else, showcasing the region's rich biodiversity.

Fact 8 - Motorized rickshaws, known locally as "motocarros" or "mototaxis," are the predominant form of public transportation, making up the vast majority of the city's traffic and filling the streets with a constant, distinctive hum.