Another well-managed outfit that has been around since 1975 is Paseos Amazónicos (Pevas 246, tel. 065/23-1618, www.paseosamazonicos.com). It has excellent guides and three lodges, built in native style and purposefully left rustic with simple rooms and kerosene lamps. The lodges are listed from most comfortable to most adventurous.

Amazonas Sinchicuy Lodge

Amazonas Sinchicuy Lodge (two days/one night US$212 pp; four days/three nights US$419 pp) is located on the Río Sinchicuy, about 30 kilometers from Iquitos. It has 32 pleasant wooden rooms with mosquito screens, thatched verandas, private bathrooms, and kerosene lamps.

The lodge organizes a visit to a local shaman, who gives a talk on medicinal plants and is recommended for those interested in ayahuasca experiences. There are also visits to Yagua villages close to the lodge. There isn’t much wildlife in the area other than dolphins and birds.

Tambo Yanayacu Lodge

Tambo Yanayacu Lodge (three days/two nights US$320 pp) is on the shores of the Río Yanayacu, about 60 kilometers from Iquitos in a patch of flooded rainforest. It has 10 wooden rooms with private bathrooms, kerosene lamps, and a simple dining room where all food is cooked over an open hearth. There are many birds here, and at night the stars are reflected in the black, still waters alongside the lodge. It is a magical place that can be visited as part of a joint package with Sinchicuy Lodge (four days/three nights US$400 pp).

Tambo Amazónico

Tambo Amazónico (four days/three nights US$383 pp) is upriver from Iquitos in flooded rainforest along the pristine Río Yarapa. It is a rustic campsite used as a stop for backpacker excursions into Reserva Nacional Pacaya Samiria. There are two bunkrooms, each with 10 beds covered with mosquito netting. The services are basic: cold-water showers, kerosene lamps, and outhouses.