The Amazon is the heart of South America. The Amazon is not just one river but many rivers that combine form a huge area called the Amazon Basin. Brazil, Perú, Colombia, Bolivia,-Ecuador, Venezuela, and the countries formerly known as the Guineas all contain parts of the Amazon Basin.

The source of the Amazon River starts high in the Andes Mountains, passes thru the eastern hills of the Andes, and flows easterly across the endless jungle to the Atlantic ocean.

The Amazon Basin is almost as big as a continent all by itself. The river is some 4100 miles long with countless tributaries and smaller streams that form a vast “network” of waterways. 17 of these tributaries are larger than the Mississippi river. In this vast network of rivers, streams, waterways and jungle there are islands, settlements, and cities such as Iquitos, Nauta, Letecia, Belem, Manaus, Santarem, Yurimaguas, and Pucallpa.

Iquitos is one of the few starting places that allow you to go deeper into the surrounding jungle and river areas. It has a modern international airport with easy access from Lima, Perú.

The Amazon is one of last vast frontiers of the world. Its can not be explained and must be experienced to comprehend. It should be visited as an adventure type area. There a many different Peru jungle tours online to choose from. But many types of leisurely cruises are also available for the less adventurous. The Amazon has many treasures for visitors to experience and learn to appreciate.

The most comfortable, varied, and rewarding way to view this vast river network is to cruise on the Amazon with one of our many wonderful boats.