2 Best Sights in The Amazon Basin, Peru

The most interesting structure on the Plaza de Armas is this “Iron House,” which was originally the home of a rubber baron but now houses a pharmacy and a restaurant, on the second floor. The building was forged in Europe and shipped across the Atlantic and up the Amazon River in sections to be assembled at this spot. According to locals, it was designed by Gustave Eiffel (of Eiffel Tower fame), but a Peruvian historian who has studied Eiffel’s contribution to South American architecture disputes the claim.

Iquitos enjoyed its heyday as a port during the rubber boom a century ago. Some of the wealth of that time can still be detected in the imported azulejos (tiles) that cover many of its older buildings. A notable example is the former Hotel Palacio, on the Malecón Tarapacá. The hotel was the city's best when it opened for business in 1908. It has since been converted into a police station and is now looking a little worn, but remains a stately building nonetheless.