Jenny Sky Is The Limit

Ah, the Amazon……. this vast, mysterious, and immense wilderness that stretches across Peru, Brazil, and Colombia, overflowing with wildlife and the bustling local life at every turn.

My latest escapade, right after luxuriating on a high-end cruise at the Pacaya Samiria Reserve, took me on a zero-luxury, 240-mile river journey from Iquitos in Peru to Leticia in Colombia, navigating the mighty Amazon River.

Before diving into the wild details of my chosen ferry, let me recount the research journey that led me to this experience. The quest for accurate information and reviews felt like an odyssey in itself! I searched through countless YouTube backpacker videos, travel forums, Couchsurfing sites, and official Promperu pages, only to find ambiguous and often contradictory details. In the end, I realised I would have to wait until the moment of truth! when I was finally on the ground to figure out how I’d make my way back to my birthland from Peru via the mighty Amazon River.

So, these were the options found during my moment of truth:

Option 1: Slow Cargo Boats: The “Authentic” Amazonian Experience

Picture this: a slow, lumbering cargo boat moving at a steady, rhythmic pace through the Amazon River, stopping at every tiny village to drop off goods and pick up passengers. These boats, with names like Gran Loretana and Jorge Raúl, among many others, offer a truly “authentic” Amazonian experience. And by authentic, I mean spending 2.5 to 4 days crammed on a deck with hundreds of people, all desperately hanging their hammocks in a bid for some personal space.

Now, do not get me wrong, there is a certain charm to this rustic mode of travel. The adventure begins at Embarcadero SAFARI, right next to the new ENAPU terminal in Iquitos. The cargo boats set sail daily from Monday to Saturday in the late afternoon, typically around 5 or 6 p.m., depending on the amount of cargo they need to load.

Tickets cannot be booked in advance, so it has first-come, first-served. You pay $25 to string up your hammock or $35 for a “cabin” that is more suited for baggage than humans. Hygiene? Let us just say it is not a priority.

By the time I saw the deck upon arriving at ENAPU, already packed with people by midday, I knew this was one adventure I confidently happily skip!!. Perhaps I am losing my edge, or maybe I just prefer to avoid overcrowded, overheated spaces where the only thing worse than the lack of air conditioning is the lack of toilets. No way Jose, next!.

Option 2: Ferry Amazonas: The One That Got Away!!!

Next up, the Ferry Amazonas, the one that got away!. This would have been my first choice, the golden ticket of Amazonian travel! Operated by the Fluvial Consortium of the Amazon, the service uses two vessels: Amazonas I and Amazonas II, which serves as a backup in case of breakdowns or failures of the main vessel. I was told that ensures continuity of service, making it a more reliable option for travellers planning their journey.

The ferry operates out of the modern passenger terminal at ENAPU S.A. in Iquitos, the same terminal where luxury cruises depart. The infrastructure here is top-notch, allowing passengers to embark and disembark with decent comfort, a stark contrast to the more rustic boarding processes for other vessels in the area. However, getting information about this service is a bit of a challenge.

Unfortunately the ferry does not have a well-maintained website, and the only online presence is an ambiguous Facebook page.

Luckily, during my previous cruise exploration, I had the pleasure of meeting Juan, an expert local guide, who shared some valuable insights (as well as the inside photos above) about this service and confirmed that this ferry service is indeed the best option among the available choices. He also strongly advised against taking the slow cargo boats due to occasional reports of robberies. (Not surprising!)

Here are the essentials about this service:

Schedule:

• Iquitos to Santa Rosa: Monday to Friday at 5:00 p.m.
• Santa Rosa to Iquitos: Tuesday to Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

Fares:

• With immigration card: Iquitos to Santa Rosa (1st floor): S/ 250.00 soles (Approx. US$ 68)
• Without immigration card: Iquitos to Santa Rosa (2nd floor): S/ 300.00 soles (Approx. US$ 83)

Travel Time: 14-16 hours

The only problem with the Ferry Amazonas? Well, the problem for me!! is that it does not run on Saturdays. Of course, I arrived in Iquitos on a Saturday, so this dream was dashed before it even began. Waiting until Monday was not an option, given the scorching Iquitos weather and my eagerness to continue my adventure.

Option 3: Speedboat Ferry Zoe – Alexa: The Winner by Default

With the clock ticking, I found myself aboard the Speedboat Ferry Zoe – Alexa, the last viable option after my other choices were ruled out. This ferry departs from Puerto Ganzo Azul, located at Av. La Marina cuadra 5, a rather shabby-looking tiny port that does not quite inspire much confidence. However very cheap indeed.! Also, the 10-minutes tuk-tuk quick ride from Fitzcarraldo to the embarkation point was a steal at just 5 soles.

It was only then that I realised that getting to the port much earlier would have been crucial, since arriving at 4 p.m. was a big mistake!; I missed the opportunity to a decent window seat, by the time I got there, the best spots were already taken.

Puerto Ganzo Azul is basic and somewhat neglected, with heaps of rubbish scattered about, adding to the overall sense of disrepair. Nevertheless, the ferry promised to get me to Santa Rosa in about 12 to 13 hours, which, despite the rough start, seemed like a reasonable trade-off for avoiding the slower, much less comfortable cargo boats.

Schedule:

• Iquitos to Santa Rosa: Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 5:00 p.m.
• Santa Rosa to Iquitos: Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday at 2:00 p.m.

Fares:

• Fare (One Way): S/ 120.00 soles (Approx. US$ 42)
• An additional S/ 10.00 soles for internet access

Travel Time: 12-13 hours

The journey itself was less than ideal. Although the ferry was faster than the cargo boats, comfort was still in short supply, 3/3 seat configuration with leather-like material with a sort of rubbery texture that felts so sticky for the weather. The window seats were obscure due to old layers of plastic, and the air conditioning was more theoretical than actual, turning the cabin into a sauna for the first two hours. Nevertheless still better the option 1!.

As the ferry made its way down the river, stopping at various ports to let passengers off, the cabin gradually emptied out, and I finally managed to snag three seats to myself, offering a bit of respite from the overall discomfort.

I arrived at Santa Rosa (Peruvian side) at the crack of 7 a.m. aboard a ferry boat. The port was a bustling little chaos, kind of like Puerto Ganzo in Iquitos but with more scooters and a bit less charm. Moto taxis pounced on disembarking passengers, charging 5 soles for a ride I quickly took one which whisked me to the Peruvian immigration office in just 7 minutes.

The office opened at 8 a.m., and despite a brief wait, the process was as smooth as the coffee I desperately needed. With my passport stamped faster than you can say “bureaucratic efficiency,” I hopped back into the moto taxi.

Back at the Santa Rosa port, I boarded a peque peque, as locals call it, a tiny boat that cost another 5 soles, for a quick 10-minute jaunt across the river to Leticia on the Colombian side. Upon arrival, I breezed through the Colombian immigration point, which was as quiet as a library and took only two minutes. It was almost too easy! if only the rest of my travels could be this straightforward!

Conclusion: A True Amazon Adventure

So, what did I learn from this journey? The Amazon River is as unpredictable as it is beautiful, and the options for navigating it range from the charmingly rustic to the barely tolerable. Would I do it again? Maybe, but next time I might just wait until Monday for that Ferry Amazonas! and preferably if the schedule is during day!

For now, I will chalk this up as a true Amazon adventure, complete with all the oddities, discomforts, and unexpected moments that make travel so memorable.

And for those of you considering the trip, take my advice: bring a good hammock, a strong sense of humour, and maybe a nose plug or two. The Amazon waits for no one, and it certainly does not cater to the faint of heart!

“Navigating the world’s rivers reveals that every current carries the essence of life’s journey“

Love from

❤️

Jenny