When we think of a big city, we think of one with great infrastructure and, of course, good access, but that is not the case here. In fact, the peculiarity of Iquitos , located in northern Peru , is that it is the largest (163,502 inhabitants according to the 2020 census) in the world among those without road access. In other words, it is completely impossible to get there by car… unless it is through the countryside or on board a boat.

The history of Iquitos and its difficult access

But this is no coincidence, and the origin of this peculiar characteristic dates back to the end of the 19th century. Since 1880, Iquitos experienced disproportionate economic growth due to the exploitation of rubber , from which companies such as Ford benefited. The natives took this material to the port areas of the Amazon (since the great American river passes through this city) so that from there, it could be transported to the United States or Europe.

However, this rapid growth was nothing more than a bubble that lasted for about three decades, but it burst after about 1914. Complaints about the exploitation of the indigenous population, coupled with the emergence of synthetic rubber, suddenly ended the economic boom , and thus any vestige of progress in Iquitos, leaving it without roads or infrastructure of this type. Thus, the only way to get there, other than by air, is to travel through the Amazon, an experience that would take no less than a week.

However, there are roads and highways in Iquitos where you can see motorcycles and fun motocarros , which are nothing more than a type of three-wheeled motorcycle with a small cabin built into the rear of the vehicle.