Port Bellavista Nanay

Port Bellavista Nanay Review

About 3 km (1½ mi) north of downtown Iquitos, at the end of Avenida La Marina, is this muddy beehive of activity with a large open-air market, dilapidated shops selling everything from fruit to moonshine, boats of all shapes and sizes, and seedy bars perched on wooden posts. You can hire a boat to take you to the the Bora or Yagua Indian villages, near San Andrés, or the Pilpintuwasi Butterfly Farm. Bringing a donation of school supplies (pencils, crayons, and notebooks) is a kind gesture that will be appreciated by the Boras and Yaguas.

Pilpintuwasi Butterfly Farm. A 20-minute boat ride and a short walk from the port of Bellavista Nany will bring you to Pilpintuwasi Butterfly Farm, which raises some 42 butterfly species and also serves as home for wild animals that have been confiscated from hunters and wildlife traffickers. It thus has macaws, monkeys, a jaguar, a tapir and other animals. During the dry season you'll need to walk along a forest path for 15 minutes to get there. It's best to go with a guide. A private boat to and from Padre Cocha should cost 30 soles. Near village of Padre Cocha on Nanay River, 20-min. boat trip from Bellavista Nanay. 965-932-999. www.amazonanimalorphanage.org. S/20 without transportation. Tues.-Sun. 9:30-4, tours start at 9:30, 11, 12:30, 1:30 & 2:45.