Heliconia Amazon River Lodge

Heliconia is a fantastic place to stay for exploring the rainforest - on top of its location, the friendly staff, tasty local food and spacious room were all excellent. Activities are well organised, at 9am and 3pm typically, with time to relax after lunch and dinner in the communal spaces. There are also some 6am/6pm options such as bird watching at dawn + jungle walk in the dark (to see the spiders and snakes!). We had a brilliant, knowledgeable English-speaking guide, Lucio, who was from the local area and knew all the spots to see sloths, iguanas, pink dolphins, poison dart frogs, monkeys and so much more. Our room kept the bugs out very well (just one grasshopper) but mosquito repellent and long sleeved clothes are essential for the activities. Also recommend bringing binoculars for the boat trips as the sloths like to sleep high up in the trees! Plus torch for the night-time walk. We visited in May when the river is flooded, which allowed the boat to take us to a wide range of places. The lodge provides wellington boots so we didn't end up really needing our walking shoes. It also sells rain ponchos for anyone who forgets theirs - but bringing waterproof trousers and a jacket of your own is a better idea in case you're caught in a downpour while out on the (uncovered) boat, which happend to us. Took a few days for some clothes to dry out. We booked through Exoticca as part of a wider package, but other guests we did activities with had booked directly with the lodge. This is my first time visiting the Amazon and thanks to this amazing trip I will be returning.

Wonderful stay on the Peruvian Amazon. The lodge was excellent and ideally placed especially with the river in high flood. This led piranha to be under the walkways! The visit was part of an organised tour from Exoticca Travel. Wildlife was not as apparent probably due to the floods. We did have some monkeys in trees and trips into the forest were beautiful. Rooms very good. Food good. Staff helpful and guides excellent. Mosquitoes a pain.

Now with 24-hour electricity, hot water, and good WiFi. Always had good food. Staff is excellent. I'm not saying this is a five-star hotel in a developed country. This is still the Amazon jungle, but each time I go to Iquitos, I'm more impressed at what is possible in the middle of the jungle. They used to only have electricity in the daytime hours. Everything used to go off immediately after dinner so this is a luxury. The mosquitos are still there, but it's still not too bad because the walkways and rooms are built off the ground. Not every place I've stayed in Iquitos has it this nice. The hot water is a revelation, although getting the two pipes to give you warm water instead of scalding is difficult. Still, I was prepared for cold water, which is not bad, but occasionally warm is nice. The trees and the plants are beautiful, and the business is well-run. The rooms are clean and swept every day. There is a hammock in your room which is totally new. Hammocks plus privacy at any take in a screened off room! Finally, laundry was a revelation. Usually a day turnaround or less. They must use a machine because I'm used to people handwashing in the river and returning my white clothing as orange and stretched out. Really the business has done a good job of reinvesting their money for upgrades. Great hotel! I believe I came here before 2012, when they had a major flood and had to rebuild a lot of the buildings and walkways. I came in 2025, and I was so impressed. They also have good rooms to facilitate large workshops with daytime trips and guides, I believe. Overall a great choice for this area. About 1.5 hours downstream from the Iquitos port.

Mother Natures medicine at your fingertips. The enchanting Jungle, the mighty Amazon river and the staff that go beyond and make you feel like family. Delicious fresh food and amazing guides passionate about sharing the gifts of Nature and the importance conserving Her treasures. Highly recommend.

An amazing place to start an Amazon adventure. Beautiful grounds, comfortable rooms, great staff-very helpful, courteous, and interested in the guests. One of my favorite features was the raised walkway into the jungle: great night walks. Strongly recommended.

Great place with the nicest people waiting for you to make you live a great jungle experience! Delicious food, comfy rooms, very experienced and kind guides and exciting activities to enjoy your days in Iquitos. I am definitely going back!