Has anyone been to Belen in Iquitos, Peru in the dry season??

Question

Hi, I might be going to Peru for all of August. I really would love to go to Iquitos just to see the slum called Belen. I just would like to see the houses on the water and take a nice trip around them by boat. However, August is the dry season, so I am worried there won't be any floating houses. Does anyone know if there is still some flooding in August?? Is it still worth going there is there isn't any flooding?

Answer 1

I've seen it by picture from a friend who visit it in March (also dry season). I'm goin there with my family on July.

You're not going to see all the houses floating, but I guess that some are over the water, if you go there in flooding season you'll see them floating but it would be raining for days, sometimes electrical storms, so on the other hand no chance to go around to other interesting places.

http://pachamama.ciap.org/IMG/cache-400x...

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/183/42980...

As you know, Belen is a poor neigborhood. A friend of mine who visited Iquitos in 1989, took a ferryboat around the river. There were many tourist on board. When the boat was near Belen, a boy around 16 years old grabbed a lady's purse left on a chair, jumped off the boat and swamed into belen where he disappeared! That's part of the attraction, don't you think?

Answer 2

I am from Iquitos, so I've been in Belen quite a few times, and the answer is no, you cannot see the houses on the water on dry season, you should be there in flood season, so you can see them. If you still want to travel, I will definitely would say that its worth going there. If more help is needed, just ask. Have a good trip

Answer 3

Iquitos????? Iquitos is horrible, but if you want to, do it.

I'm peruvian and I'd never go out from LimaMetropolitana.