Pucallpa to Iquitos by Cargo Boat
Let me introduce you to the floating Prison that, in the end, we truly loved. This September we traveled over the Amazon River in a cargo boat from the picturesque city of Pucallpa to the Amazon capital of Iquitos. 5 days of sleeping in a hammock, food served in Tupperware and feeling sticky. It was worth it. If you are prepared to be slightly uncomfortable, you will be rewarded by one of the most authentic experiences in Peru.
Quick facts
- Where
North-East Peru, in “la selva”, the jungle. - When
Begin September 2018 - Duration
96 hours on the boat - Cost
100 soles for the boat, 65 for sleeping and eating equipment, about 35 soles for food. 60 USD for 5 days.
Why you should do it?
It is very authentic
Iquitos is only reachable by boat or by plane, so for the people of the villages around Iquitos traveling by cargo boat is thé way to get to Iquitos.
Off the beaten track
Not many tourists make it to Iquitos, let alone have time to be on a cargo boat for 5 days. Accordingly, you will be one of very few tourists on the boat (we were with 5 gringos vs 200 peruvians)
Lose track of time
There is not much to do on the boat, so time seems to pass by very slow. There is no phone service for about 90% of the trip. So, if you need a break from society this is the way to do it.
You get to sleep in a hammock
This is a Bring-Your-Own-Bed sleep over and everyone brings a hammock and ties it up next to each other. Isn’t it everyones dream to sleep in a hammock for a week?
The Route
The posts
There is a lot to write about this unique experience, so to prevent an overflow we split it up for you!
All the information you need, from how to get to the boat to safety, food to bathroom business.
Have you already decided you want to undertake this adventure and you only want to know what to pack?
Wondering how we experienced it ourselves? We typed out our adventure on a day to day basis too!
If this does not convince you, maybe these photos will
