Iquitos

The houses float when the water rises and stand on mud when it drops. Canoes pass along the lanes and the market trades on the water.

Calves orphaned by poaching are raised here and returned to the river. Timing a visit to the feeding shows how it is done.

Made in Paris, shipped as parts and bolted together here. The walls are iron sheet, which makes the inside very hot by day.

Boats work the main Amazon for several days and turn into the narrow tributaries. A torch along the bank at night picks out caiman eyes in red.

The second largest protected area in the country, moved through by water alone. Entry needs a permit and the visit runs several days with a guide.

Rescued monkeys live loose on this island and climb onto shoulders. Feeding them is not allowed and bags stay closed.

Three wheeled motorbikes carry most of the traffic and the noise runs all day. The fare is agreed before boarding, and short distances are walkable.

A lake outside the city has a sand beach laid along it with a zoo attached. Amazon fish and caiman are kept in large tanks.

A black water tributary whose bank villages sell craftwork. Twenty minutes by boat, and the colour of the water differs sharply from the main channel.

Bridges strung between trees run 500m at thirty five metres above the ground. They sway, so only a few people cross at a time.

A riverside promenade above the Itaya, lined with rubber-boom mansions. Painted tiles shipped from Europe face their fronts and give the street its look. After sunset, when the breeze picks up, food stalls and street performers draw the biggest crowd.

A rubber-boom steamer built in 1906, now moored on the river as a museum. Each cabin covers a part of the story, from rubber tapping labour to Amazon river trade. From the deck, the whole waterfront spreads out.

A butterfly farm and animal rescue in the village of Padre Cocha, across the Nanay. Amazon butterflies fly inside a netted house, and rescued monkeys and a jaguar are cared for too. Reach it by skiff over the Nanay and a short village path.

Where the Maranon and Ucayali meet and the river takes the name Amazon. Reaching it means a two-hour-plus drive from Iquitos to Nauta, then a boat. The two waters differ in colour and flow apart for a stretch before blending.

A reserve beside the Iquitos-Nauta road protecting an unusual forest grown on white sand. Several birds live nowhere else, which brings birdwatchers. Being close to the city, it allows a half-day jungle walk without a river lodge.