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Amazon cruise tips & insights
Manaus vs Iquitos - which is better?
They are the top two tourism gateway cities in the Amazon. Manaus is in Brazil, Iquitos is far upstream in Peru.

I've been to both. Iquitos easily wins. The Amazon river there is substantially narrower - and the tributaries are more remote, eco-diverse, and interesting. But this is not to say that the Manaus area isn't captivating. It is.

Iquitos
A few basics

• Iquitos has no external roads. You get there from Manaus by river boat (1400 kilometers or 800 miles) or from Lima, Peru by plane (2 hours).
• The town itself is of little interest to travelers. The highlight is a cruise to the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve.
• The average local Amazon cruise boat is appreciably smaller than its counterpart in Manaus. Typically they accommodate only a dozen or so passengers.
• And the eco-lodges around Iquitos tend to be more intimate.

Manaus
A few basics

• Manaus is the most popular gateway for Amazon visitors. Most fly in or sail 1,700 kilometers (1,050 miles) up the Amazon from the Atlantic coast on river ferries or ocean-going cruise ships.
• Contrary to popular opinion, Manaus is not on the Amazon River. It's on the Rio Negro.
• There's scant visitor appeal in Manaus, except for a 19th century opera house.
• Manaus' glory? You can take river cruises here to the nearby Amazon River and various tributaries. You can also book stays at remote eco-lodges.

When to go
Mid-May to mid-November is the dry and best season. It can rain heavily during the rest of the year. Downpours make jungle excursion walks mud-messy.

Untold truths

• Don't raise your expectations too high about seeing a wealth of jungle animals. To survive, they hide in the thick rainforest growth. They see you, but not the other way around.
• An Amazon cruise is not for everyone. The equatorial sun scorches, the high humidity zaps energy, and a billion insects are pesty. But if you are an adventure, nature-loving traveler, the Amazon will amaze and thrill you.

The "third" Amazon
Ecuador has eco-lodges on the Rio Napo, an Amazon River tributary. But there is no worth-mentioning cruise presence.

More insights

• Local Amazon cruises typically last 3 to 7 days.
• Shore excursions consist of both jungle boat rides up small tributary rivers and streams in motorized Zodiacs, skiffs, and canoes.
• You also go on educational jungle walks and visit small native villages.