🇵🇪 Iquitos, Peru
A&T Amazon Backpackers
📍 Jirón Putumayo, Iquitos
Your stay — A&T Amazon Backpackers
Live forecast for your dates · what's on · air quality & pollen📅 Pick your check-in & check-out above to unlock your day-by-day forecast, what's on during your stay, and live air quality & pollen for Iquitos.
The Property — A&T Amazon Backpackers
A&T Amazon Backpackers is a low-key, clean hostel a few blocks from Iquitos’s Plaza de Armas, with a small pool that offers genuine relief in the wet heat. It suits budget travellers who want a reliable base for jungle trips — the lobby feels like a functional travel hub, with tour booking desks and a communal area where people swap stories over beer. The USP is solid value and a central location, not charm.
Chronicles of Iquitos
Iquitos was founded as a Spanish Jesuit mission in the 1750s, but its boom came during the rubber boom (1880-1912), when European barons built ornate mansions tiled with Portuguese azulejos. That wealth vanished overnight when rubber seeds were smuggled to Southeast Asia, leaving the city suspended in a faded Belle Époque. Today it’s the world’s largest city unreachable by road, a gateway to the Amazon whose economy depends on river trade and tourism. Its contemporary identity is a mix of Indigenous, ribereño and mestizo culture, with a gritty energy along the Itaya and Nanay rivers.
Best Time to Visit
Full Iquitos guide →Best months
June and August offer the driest weather and best jungle-exploring windows, with lower river levels making hiking trails accessible and July (peak dry) also good though busier.
Peak / festival surge
July–August is the dry-season peak; city crowds swell for the Fiesta de San Juan (late June) and local festivals. Hotel prices can jump 20-30%, so book early or pay up.
Budget shoulder season
May and September see fewer tourists and lower rates (often 40% less than peak), with moderate rain that rarely ruins trips — the rainforest is still accessible.
Weather & packing
Iquitos has near-constant rain year-round, but July is relatively dry — still pack a lightweight, breathable poncho. Explicit rule: never leave your room without insect repellent containing DEET; sandflies and mosquitoes are vicious even in the city.
Live City Briefing — Iquitos
- The new airport terminal (opened late 2024) has improved baggage handling and customs, but Uber does not operate in Iquitos — use authorised taxis from the rank or mototaxis for short hops.
- The Plaza de Armas renovation is complete, with shaded seating and a fountain; the nearby Malecón Tarapacá riverfront walk is now better-lit and safer at dusk.
- July 2026 sees the annual Amazon River Festival (Fiesta del Río) on the first weekend, with boat parades and street food stalls near the Belén floating market — expect road closures and noise until late.
Your Perfect Room
✨ AI-generated · Jul 2026Before you check in to A&T Amazon Backpackers, here's what to know about choosing the right room.
Best rooms to request
Request a room on the third floor at the back of the building, away from Jirón Putumayo. This reduces street-level chatter and tuk-tuk noise, and puts you above the ground-floor bustle without climbing too many stairs (there’s no lift mentioned). Upper floors also catch the river breeze across the tile roofs.
Rooms to avoid
Avoid ground-floor rooms and any facing Jirón Putumayo directly. The street is a main thoroughfare in central Iquitos, with mototaxis and market activity from early morning until late evening. Ground-level rooms also risk noise from the reception area and any streetfront socialising.
Best views
Rooms at the rear or side of the building offer views over the low-rise roofs of Iquitos’ historic centre, possibly a glimpse of the Amazon River if you’re lucky. Front rooms just see the street and the market scene.
Quietest floors
Third floor is the quietest, as it’s highest from street noise and furthest from the ground-floor common areas without being the very top (if it has four floors, fourth might be hotter under the roof but still quieter than lower floors).
🔊 Noise notes
Jirón Putumayo is a busy central street with mototaxis, vendors, and late-night activity typical of Iquitos’ main commercial area. There’s no mention of soundproofing, so expect city noise until midnight, and early market sounds from 5am. The building’s age (typical 3-star in Iquitos) means thin walls – bring earplugs.
Insider tips
1. Check in early afternoon and ask if a quieter back room is free – the reception staff often know which rooms face the courtyard vs the street. 2. Pack a small fan if you’re visiting outside the rainy season; there’s no lift, so upper rooms can be stuffy, and a clip-on fan helps with airflow and masks street noise.
- Call the hotel directly 24–48 hours before arrival and ask for a specific room type
- Add a note in your booking comments field
- Ask at check-in — front desk staff can often accommodate if a room is available
Hotel Facilities — A&T Amazon Backpackers
Free Wi-Fi in lobby and common area; speed approx. 10 Mbps; password from reception.
No lift — three-storey wooden building, stairs only.
No newspapers or digital newsstand. Public TV in lounge shows local news.
Check-in from 13:00. Early bag drop allowed from 07:00. Late check-out until 14:00 for 20 PEN; after 14:00 charged as extra night.
Free storage in locked room behind reception; no 24-hour access.
No step-free access; entrance has a single step; no wheelchair-adapted rooms or bathrooms.
No on-site parking. Nearest public parking is at Plaza de Armas (2 blocks away), 10 PEN overnight. No EV charging.
Fees, Taxes & Deposits
City / tourist tax: None (no municipal tourist tax in Iquitos)
Deposit & card hold: First night charged at booking; a $20 USD (approx. 75 PEN) cash hold for incidentals at check-in.
Faith & Dietary Nearby
- Church: Iglesia Matriz San Juan Bautista (207 m · ~3 min walk)
- Place of worship: Iglesia Virgen de Loreto (900 m · ~11 min walk)
- Church: La Lámpara (Unión Bíblica del Perú) (1.1 km · ~14 min walk)
- Church: San Agustin (1.2 km · ~15 min walk)
Local Lifestyle & Recreation
Plaza Serafín Filomeno — 362 m · ~5 min walk
Museo de Barcos Históricos — 472 m · ~6 min walk
5-Minute Radius Essentials
BCP — 91 m · ~1 min walk
Arcangel — 62 m · ~1 min walk
Ticcos Market — 406 m · ~5 min walk
Puerto Lao — 1.3 km · ~17 min walk
Money & Currency
Get a travel card →Peruvian Sol, PEN
Use ATMs (Multired, Banco de la Nación) at major plazas; avoid airport currency exchange booths for poor rates.
Visa/Mastercard accepted at mid-range hotels and larger shops; many markets, mototaxis, and smaller eateries are cash-only.
Round up taxi fares or leave 5-10% at sit-down restaurants if no service fee added; small change (2-5 soles) for hotel porters.
Eat, Shop & Travel on a Budget
Cheap car hire →Black coffee or café pasado from a local bodega or market stall—about 2-3 soles.
Menú del día (soup + main + drink) at a comedor—8-12 soles.
A main dish like grilled chicken with rice and fries at a pollería or simple restaurant—10-15 soles.
Along Jirón Putumayo near the Belén market or Plaza de Armas—juane, empanadas, anticuchos, and fresh fruit juices.
Plaza Vea (limited), Mass, or small bodegas; no large chains in this compact area.
Belén market and Mercado de Productores for budget clothing and textiles; mostly secondhand or basic local brands.
Mototaxi rides within central Iquitos—3-5 soles per trip (no day pass); from the airport take a mototaxi (10-15 soles) or bus (1 sol) to Plaza de Armas then walk.
Eat at market comedores for the cheapest cooked meals; negotiate mototaxi fares before getting in; avoid buying bottled water at tourist shops—reuse a bottle and get filtered water from a local dispensary (0.50 soles per litre).
Good to know — Iquitos
Type A/C · 220V
not safe — drink bottled
$1 ≈ PEN 3.4 · PEN
Emergency Contacts
IquitosIn Iquitos, dial 105 for police, 106 for ambulance, 116 for fire. For tourist assistance, call iPerú at (065) 236-144 or 0800-4-1001 (toll-free from landlines). For non-urgent medical advice, contact Hospital Regional de Iquitos on (065) 231-440. Keep your phone charged and note that mobile coverage can be patchy in remote areas.
💡 Save these numbers in your phone. In life-threatening emergencies, call immediately.
Where to Eat
💡 Booking tip: For popular restaurants in Iquitos, book at least a week ahead — especially for weekend evenings and during festival season.
Your arrival at A&T Amazon Backpackers
🕒 Check-in is from . Arriving earlier? Most hotels store luggage free — just ask at reception.
🧭 First things nearby: cash · BCP — 91 m · ~1 min walk — pharmacy · Arcangel — 62 m · ~1 min walk
🚐 Pre-book an airport transfer →Getting Around
Coronel FAP Francisco Secada Vignetta International Airport (IQT) → Hotel La Casona (Jirón Fitzcarrald 147)
💡 Negotiate firmly before you get in—standard rate for a shared taxi is 15 PEN, private 25 PEN. Drivers often try to charge tourists double.
Iquitos Airport (IQT) – roadside → Hotel La Casona (drop-off near Plaza de Armas)
💡 Flag down any colectivo heading towards 'Centro' from the airport road. They’re cramped but cheap. Don’t expect a dedicated stop—shout 'baja' when you see the hotel’s street corner.
Hotel La Casona → Anywhere in central Iquitos (e.g. Belén Market or Plaza de Armas)
💡 Agree the price before you climb into the sidecar. Short hops inside the centre should cost no more than 3–4 PEN. Carry small change.
Hotel La Casona → Malecón Tarapacá or Belén floating market
💡 Best for short, scenic trips. The driver pedals, you sit in the bucket seat. Agree a round-trip price if you're headed to a market—they’ll wait for 20 minutes for free.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best rooms at A&T Amazon Backpackers?
Request a room on the third floor at the back of the building, away from Jirón Putumayo. This reduces street-level chatter and tuk-tuk noise, and puts you above the ground-floor bustle without climbing too many stairs (there’s no lift mentioned). Upper floors also catch the river breeze across the tile roofs.
Which rooms should I avoid at A&T Amazon Backpackers?
Avoid ground-floor rooms and any facing Jirón Putumayo directly. The street is a main thoroughfare in central Iquitos, with mototaxis and market activity from early morning until late evening. Ground-level rooms also risk noise from the reception area and any streetfront socialising.
Is A&T Amazon Backpackers noisy?
Jirón Putumayo is a busy central street with mototaxis, vendors, and late-night activity typical of Iquitos’ main commercial area. There’s no mention of soundproofing, so expect city noise until midnight, and early market sounds from 5am. The building’s age (typical 3-star in Iquitos) means thin walls – bring earplugs.
Which rooms have the best views at A&T Amazon Backpackers?
Rooms at the rear or side of the building offer views over the low-rise roofs of Iquitos’ historic centre, possibly a glimpse of the Amazon River if you’re lucky. Front rooms just see the street and the market scene.
What are insider tips for staying at A&T Amazon Backpackers?
1. Check in early afternoon and ask if a quieter back room is free – the reception staff often know which rooms face the courtyard vs the street. 2. Pack a small fan if you’re visiting outside the rainy season; there’s no lift, so upper rooms can be stuffy, and a clip-on fan helps with airflow and masks street noise.
What time is check-in at A&T Amazon Backpackers?
Check-in at A&T Amazon Backpackers is from null. Check-out is by null.
Does A&T Amazon Backpackers have Wi-Fi?
Free Wi-Fi in lobby and common area; speed approx. 10 Mbps; password from reception.
Is there a city or tourist tax at A&T Amazon Backpackers?
None (no municipal tourist tax in Iquitos)
Where can I eat cheaply near A&T Amazon Backpackers?
Menú del día (soup + main + drink) at a comedor—8-12 soles.
What is the cheapest way to get around from A&T Amazon Backpackers?
Mototaxi rides within central Iquitos—3-5 soles per trip (no day pass); from the airport take a mototaxi (10-15 soles) or bus (1 sol) to Plaza de Armas then walk.
When is the best time to visit Iquitos?
June and August offer the driest weather and best jungle-exploring windows, with lower river levels making hiking trails accessible and July (peak dry) also good though busier.
Top Attractions in Iquitos
💡 Try a 'helado de aguaje' (local fruit ice cream) from the stalls – it's cheap and tastes like a tropical sorbet. Best visited after 5pm when it's cooler.
💡 Walk the full stretch from the Clock Tower to the old Hotel de Turistas. The street food stalls sell fresh fruit juices for 2-3 soles.
💡 Free entrance but you need to sign in with your passport at reception. Allow 45 minutes. No English labels, so bring a translation app or guidebook.
💡 Check out the Casa de Fierro on the corner — an iron house designed by Gustave Eiffel. Free to admire from outside.
💡 Go early (6am-8am) to avoid heat and crowds. Keep valuables hidden; bag snatching happens in tight aisles. A boat tour costs around 15-20 soles per person.