A whole world of flavors you've never tasted
One of the first things that catches you off guard in Iquitos is the sheer variety of fruit. The Peruvian Amazon is home to dozens of species that rarely leave the region (often because they ripen too fast to travel well), and most of them end up in juices, ice creams, or preserves. Tasting your way through them is one of the most rewarding, and cheapest, things you can do on a trip here. Here are the ones you really shouldn't miss.
Camu camu
A small, sharp little berry that hides a real superpower: it's one of the most concentrated natural sources of vitamin C on the planet. You'll almost never eat it on its own because it's so tart, but turned into a juice or a cold drink it becomes genuinely delicious. Think of it as the nutritional pride of the Amazon.
Aguaje
This is the fruit of a palm tree, with scaly, wine-colored skin and bright orange flesh inside. The flavor is hard to pin down, somewhere between creamy and lightly fermented. Locals eat it straight, freeze it into ice cream (and drink it as "aguajina" when it's served as a chilled refresher), or put it up as preserves. It's an absolute icon of Iquitos, and you'll spot it on practically every street corner.
Copoazú
A cousin of cacao, copoazú has white, creamy, intensely aromatic flesh with a bittersweet flavor that's unlike anything else. It shows up in juices, ice creams, jams, and desserts. For a lot of visitors, this turns out to be the single most addictive Amazonian fruit.
Cocona
Picture an orange tomato with a bright, tangy edge and you're close. Cocona is everywhere on the Amazonian table: in juices, in sauces (the classic "ají de cocona" that comes alongside savory dishes), and in desserts. Versatile and impossible to avoid, in the best way.
A few more worth hunting down
Ungurahui: another palm fruit, this one a deep purple, used to make a thick, nourishing drink. Taperibá (also called mango ciruelo): sweet and juicy, and at its best in a fresh juice. Macambo: a cacao relative whose seeds are roasted and eaten as a snack. Anona and guaba (pacae): both soft, mild, and sweet. Every season brings its own lineup, so it's always worth asking a vendor what's ripe right now.
Where to try them in Iquitos
The best spot, hands down, is the Belén market, where the stalls overflow with fruit you've genuinely never seen before. Our Belén market guide walks you through how to navigate it without getting overwhelmed. You'll also find juice bars (juguerías) around the city center and along the riverfront boardwalk, where you can order aguaje, camu camu, or cocona juice pressed fresh in front of you. And if you want to make sense of the savory side of the table too, our guide to Amazonian food and what to eat in Iquitos covers the main dishes.
At Bora Hotel we serve breakfast with local fruit (it's included in your stay), and we're just minutes from both the market and the riverfront, so it's easy to head out and taste everything. We're at Calle Raimondi 363, a short walk from the Plaza de Armas and the malecón, with 24-hour reception, free airport transfers around the clock, free luggage storage with no day limit, air conditioning, and Wi-Fi throughout. Message us on WhatsApp at +51 945 572 732 and we'll happily point you toward the best juguerías in town.
