🛒 Belén Market

Giant fish section: Paiche, gamitana, and dozens of Amazonian species displayed whole on banana leaves — some as large as a person. Exotic fruit stalls: Camu camu, aguaje, cocona, caimito, and fruits that have no English name — a guide identifies them and explains their flavors and uses. Natural remedies passage: Traditional Amazonian medicine on display — bark, roots, resins, and bottled preparations sold by vendors who explain each remedy's purpose. Market breakfast: Eat juane (the jungle's signature dish — seasoned rice with chicken wrapped in a bijao leaf) at a market stall surrounded by Iquitenos starting their day. Belén floating neighbourhood: The stilted houses behind the market rise and fall with the Itaya River — visit during high water when canoes replace streets. Suri grubs: Grilled palm beetle larvae are a local delicacy sold on skewers — rich in protein and surprisingly mild in flavor.

Belén's food stalls serve the cuisine of the Amazon basin — dishes built from river fish, jungle fruits, and root vegetables found nowhere else in Peru. Start at the juane vendors near the market's north entrance: this signature selva dish wraps seasoned rice, chicken, olives, and boiled egg inside a bijao leaf, steamed until fragrant — a complete meal for S/5-8. The tacacho con cecina stalls serve balls of mashed and fried plantain alongside strips of smoked pork — a hearty Amazonian breakfast that fuels the market vendors themselves. Fresh juice stands blend camu camu (sour, packed with vitamin C), aguaje (creamy, with a flavour somewhere between carrot and apricot), and cocona (tangy, tomato-like) into tall glasses for S/3-5. For the adventurous, suri grubs (palm beetle larvae) are grilled on skewers and sold near the meat section — surprisingly rich and nutty. The fish section offers grilled paiche steaks and patarashca (fish wrapped in leaves and cooked over coals). Combine a Belén breakfast with a morning boat ride to Pilpintuwasi for a full half-day Iquitos experience.