Private Tour in Belen Market, Floating City and Amazon River
Description
You will experience local flavor and views of the Itaya River at the Malecón Tarapacá and Belen Marketplace, the most important market from Iquitos where local food and traditional medicine are sold. Then travel to our unique Floating City where you will see an entire city built on the water and witness how the local residents live and work. Afterward you will see the Amazon River itself where the Rio Itaya meets the Amazon.
Tour Options
Itinerary
You will visit Malecón Tarapacá which is the main boulevard of Iquitos where you will see grand buildings constructed during Iquitos' golden age, the rubber boom of the late 19th century. There are also many restaurants that you may wish to visit again later during your stay. We will take a short walk from there to the Belén Marketplace.
The Belén Market is the largest exotic local marketplace in Iquitos, there you will experience local flavor and see how the local people live. The market contains many food products harvested from the Amazon River and jungle: Alligator meat, wild boar, piranhas, turtle eggs, etc. There is also a jungle pharmacy called Pasaje Paquito that sells traditional indigenous medicine such as special herbs and roots.
Next we will travel to the Floating City of Belén adjacent to the Belén Marketplace. You will see spectacular views of the River Itaya (a large clearwater Amazon tributary). The Floating City is built entirely on the water, and depending on the river level and the time of year, you may see the enormous wooden support structure below the city which is anchored underwater in the riverbed. You will also see the local residents who live and work there, and the construction of their floating houses. Many boats of all sizes will pass by carrying fishermen, hunters, and merchants.
We will take a different route back to Iquitos City that will include spectacular views of the Amazon River itself, one of the seven wonders of the natural world. There you will see where the clear water of the Rio Itaya meets the chocolate-colored water of the Amazon. If we're lucky you may be able to spot pink and gray river dolphins jumping and playing in this area.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Note: Kelwin's Amazon adventures tourist agency doesn't pick up travelers from their hotels are located in the rivers or at places far away from the center of the Iquitos city. If your hotel is not on the list,please contact me.i recommend you booking your hotels near from the center of Iquitos city. Call to this WhatsApp number +51 964 906 262 Free pickup at selected hotels. For other hotels, please ask us if pickup is possible; otherwise, the meeting point will be at Malecon Maldonado and Napo Street first block.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Not recommend for people over 70 years old
- Not recommend for children from 3 to 6 years old
Reviews(25)
We had an amazing experience. Our guide, Kelwin, was truly an excellent guide. Friendly, knowledgeable and courteous. He even made sure to have his pet dolphins show up when we were on our river trip😀. Truthfully, laying on a hammock on a boat, with a slight rain, watching dolphins swim by and the Itaya and Amazon rivers converge. Magical! The tour of Belen market was out of this world. Be warned, you have to be a bit adventurous to appreciate the marketplace. Thank you, Kelwin.
We enjoyed a wonderful tour with our guide Kelwin. He was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about all the sites we saw. We were very impressed with the market and the floating city but we were most excited to see the Amazon River! This was a bucket list item for us and lived up to our expectations. We even were able to see a grey dolphin on our way back. AMAZING!
With a limited amount of time in Iquitos, I wanted to invest my energy into a single tour lasting maybe half a day. Kelwin’s tour of the Belén Market, Floating City and Amazon River fit that intention perfectly, and was an ideal mix of city and nature, starting in the packed urban market, moving to the quiet homes on the water, and finally opening into the vastness of river and jungle. Kelwin was a fantastic guide, fluent in English, combining knowledge and enthusiasm with the ease of a local. I didn’t absolutely need a private tour—and as a solo traveler, I did think twice about paying the single ticket premium of $50 (45%) extra—but I had no regrets. Since I am quite a curious person, it was a luxury to bring up every topic or question that sprang to mind in our rich conversation. Kelwin was constantly looking for noteworthy features to point out. There were many finds at the market—I loved the different fruits and spices; on the other hand, the monkey carcasses provoked horrid fascination. At the meeting of the Itaya and Amazon rivers he quickly spotted dolphins; I felt a sense of wonder as he then explained how temperature differences account for the river colorations, and encouraged me to dip my hand in the water to experience it for myself. After taking in the size of the Amazon, we headed for smaller tributaries north of Iquitos, for a quieter and more intimate experience with the lush jungle lining their banks. He thoughtfully set up a hammock in the boat for me to relax in. I finally ran out of questions, my mobile phone ran out of battery from taking all the pictures and video, and I started to feel contentedly sleepy as we meandered back toward the city.
We were traveling to Iquitos for an Amazon river cruise but our LATAM flight at 9 AM was changed to 5:30 AM. So we contact Kelwin about a half day tour including picking us up at the airport and dropping us off at the meeting site for the cruise. Kelwin was exceptionally responsive via WhatsApp and designed an absolutely fantastic tour for us. He was waiting for us at the Iquitos airport at 7:30 AM and we visited the market in Iquitos, saw the floating city, visited a fish farm, and overall had a great time. He was very knowledgeable about Iquitos and the local culture. His price was fair. I highly recommend his services.
It was a really nice trip, completely private, just me and the friendly guide Javier. We visited Bethlehem Market, an absolutely amazing place, full of unforgettable sights, tastes, smells and sounds. We took a boat ride along the Amazon River and spent time away from the crowds of tourists. Javier was excellent; he knew the area very well and told me very interesting stories. The trip is highly recommended.
I have been fascinated with markets and my excursion with Kelwin did not disappoint! Kelwin, being a local, was able to bring me through the Belen Market sharing local knowledge. Being from AK, the heat was a challenge for me. Kelwin made sure we took our time and I was feeling well. He even held an umbrella on the boat through the floating village so I could take pictures and was protected from the sun. I would highly recommend Kelwin’s tours - he has made our trip to Iquitos extra special.
Kelwin customized the perfect day for me. First, we took a tuk tuk from my hotel to visit the Belen market, where he pointed out some unusual local foods and herbs. Then, we took a kayak trip on the Itaya River to see "urban" homes on stilts, and he explained the lifestyle of the Indigenous people who live in them. Next (and to me, the most interesting), we took bigger boat (with a hammock, for comfort) down the Amazon to look for dolphins, and we docked at Indepencia Village where a tuk tuk met us to take us through the village, and observe "suburban" Indigenous homes and farms, to see the La Lupuna 300 year old tree. Kelwin understood that I had no interest in the turistic sights that organized group tours show visitors. He made sure that I was comfortable for the entire trip (water, and a sun umbrella for the kayak trip). I'm a "senior", and he helped me navigate the steep (for me) climb to and from our boat to the tuk tuk. This was a COMPLETELY different experience from a standard group tour. and a truly memorable experience. Thank you SO MUCH Kelwin!!!
Kelwin was very accommodating and a pleasure to work with. We were so grateful for the time he spent helping our group be immersed in the culture. He allowed us to pick and choose our adventures, and was even flexible when our flights got delayed, and we had to squeeze two days into one. We had a great time. I would definitely trust him with another tour!
We had a great experience with Kelwin. He introduced us to the Belén market and the life of the floating city with many interesting explanations and always in a good mood. At the market, we discovered exotic fruits, Amazonian fish and even local medicinal herbs, all explained with passion. On the Amazon, we had the chance to see dolphins, including pink dolphins, a magical moment! Kelwin is an excellent, attentive and passionate guide. We highly recommend this visit.
Hey all! My husband and I want to share the incredible day we had. We started at the Belen market and saw so many different foods as well as locals shopping. We then saw the jungle pharmacy in awe. The floating houses gave us a lot of perspective; I recommend the rainy season so you can boat around the neighborhood! Then we saw where the Amazon river meets the Itaya River and the mixing of their waters. We were also lucky enough to see the grey & pink dolphins! Arguable most important, Kelwin made me feel safe the entire time!
