Iquitos is a destination of staggering isolation and vibrant energy, famously known as the largest city in the world that cannot be reached by road. Perched on the banks of the Amazon River, it serves as the ultimate frontier for rainforest exploration. The city itself is a fascinating blend of faded rubber-boom elegance and bustling jungle grit, where colorful mototaxis zip through streets lined with historic mansions adorned with imported European tiles. The heartbeat of the city is the Belén Market, a sprawling, sensory-overload marketplace where everything from exotic jungle fruits to traditional medicines is traded. For a deeper look at the region’s biodiversity, the Amazon Rescue Center offers the chance to see rehabilitated manatees, while the nearby Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve provides one of the most pristine wilderness experiences on the planet.