Iquitos is the most important Peruvian city of the Amazon region. With a municipal population of nearly 440,000, it is the largest city on earth that cannot be reached by road. Its location on the vast Amazon Basin plain east of Andes is accessible only by air or via the river. Along with Manaus in Brazil, Iquitos burgeoned during the period of the rubber boom, and its oldest sections reflect the same Eurocentric taste of the period’s affluent rubber barons, such as the unique Iron House, purchased during the Paris Exposition of 1889, disassembled, and transported through the jungle to be rebuilt in its present location. Today tourism is an important aspect of the city’s economy, with visitors using it as a hub for river cruises and stays in regional jungle lodges. For Seabourn, it is the western terminal for Amazon River cruises.

Iquitos is the most important Peruvian city of the Amazon region. With a municipal population of nearly 440,000, it is the largest city on earth that cannot be reached by road. Its location on the vast Amazon Basin plain east of Andes is accessible only by air or via the river. Along with Manaus in Brazil, Iquitos burgeoned during the period of the rubber boom, and its oldest sections reflect the same Eurocentric taste of the period’s affluent rubber barons, such as the unique Iron House, purchased during the Paris Exposition of 1889, disassembled, and transported through the jungle to be rebuilt in its present location. Today tourism is an important aspect of the city’s economy, with visitors using it as a hub for river cruises and stays in regional jungle lodges. For Seabourn, it is the western terminal for Amazon River cruises.

Depending on the water levels and other changing conditions, your captain and veteran expedition leader will choose from among the innumerable fascinating sites along this particular stretch of the Amazon River to plot itineraries for Zodiac and kayak explorations, treks and visits to places and people of interest. Expedition team members will also be on deck and in observation lounges offering insights into the passing terrain and pointing out wildlife and other highlights while the ship is at anchor or cruising the river.
​Join your kayak team to explore a bit of the remote and wild area of the Amazon. In true expedition style, the exact location and tour content will be decided on the day, based on decisions made by the Captain and Expedition leader, always with your best interest in mind.

The largest city on the Amazon and the main port for export and import on the river. It is actually located on the Rio Negro a few miles from where it meets the Rio Solimoes to form the Amazon at the famous Meeting of the Waters. The Teatro Amazonas is an Italian Renaissance Opera House constructed of imported materials, which hosted world-famous artists at the height of the rubber boom.

The name of this spot along the Amazon refers in Portuguese to Botos, the famous pink dolphins native to this river. Time-honored Caboclo legend has it that these graceful, intelligent creatures possess the ability to transform themselves at night into handsome young men, who court and seduce the unsuspecting maidens of the riverside villages. It is just one example of the ways all living things here are entwined with the river and its fluctuations. At Boca dos Botos, your Ventures by Seabourn expedition team provides opportunities to visit a “flooded forest,” resulting from the dramatic seasonal change from dry ground to river bottom. The flora and fauna of the region are perfectly adapted to, and in fact dependent on this cycle. As you explore the area, you are likely to see animals such as sloths, howler monkeys, squirrel monkeys and colorful birds in activities they pursue during this sub-aquatic part of their invisible calendar.

At this river town on the Amazon, there is a center that illustrates the history of mankind, both indigenous and immigrant, in the Amazonia region. 

Santarem is a busy port for the trade flowing up and down the Amazon between the Atlantic and the inland forests. The most famous site for visitors is the “Wedding of the Waters” where the clear, dark Tapajos River meets the muddy ochre Amazon. Due to their different densities, they flow alongside each other for quite some distance, between the same banks. Local boats specialize in taking visitors to the site. Local markets are fun to explore, and other excursions include visiting the smaller tributaries and forests, and fishing for the infamous piranha fish.

An optional opportunity to join the naturalists among your onboard Ventures by Seabourn expedition team on a zodiac adventure exploring the banks of the Guajara River -- a tributary of the Amazon. At riverside buffalo farms, take advantage of the chance to interact with the 'caboclos' - the people who have adapted to living and working in close association with the river, and to learn about their lifestyle. As you pass through an area of gallery forest, keep an eye out for some of the many colorful tropical bird species that inhabit the region, as well as reptiles and mammals that may be glimpsed either in the trees or on the banks. The elusive pink river dolphins called 'botos’ frequent this area as well. Caboclo legend maintains that the dolphins possess the capability to transform themselves into handsome young men at night, and seduce unwary maidens living in the riverside communities. 

If you are a “pollywog,” who has never crossed the line at sea, you will be expected to undergo a mock trial by King Neptune and his court for the entertainment of the “shellbacks” who have already done so. Mild but hilarious indignities will be conjured, and in the end a good time will be had by most, if not all.

On the north channel of the Amazon, at the river’s broad mouth, Macapá sits smack on the Equator, cut off from the rest of Brazil. The Marco Zero monument is a place where you can hop from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern. San Jose de Macapá Fortress, which supposedly guarded against riverine invasions, is an historic site, in a rather subdued way. Apa do Curiaú is a village of descendants of escaped slaves, with some unique local customs and commemorations. The Casa de Artesão sells handcrafts from the area’s indigenous tribes, as well as balatas, unusual ceramics covered in rubber.

Enjoy the onboard amenities and facilities. 

Before they were a notorious penal colony, the Iles de Salut (Islands of Salvation) provided French colonists with a welcome escape from the fever-ridden jungles of the Guiana mainland. Lying ten miles off the coastline, and swept by treacherous ocean currents, the trio of small islands provided a perfect isolated location for incarcerating criminals without danger or expense, since the shark-infested sea and the trackless jungles ashore precluded any possibility of escape. All three islands, popularly known as Devil's Island, were used as a prison from 1852 to 1953. Your day is free to explore the prison ruins or search for signs of the surprisingly abundant wildlife.

Enjoy the onboard amenities and facilities. 

Santiago is the largest of the Cape Verde islands, and nearly half the nation’s population lives on the island. Originally volcanic, Santiago is unusually fertile, and agriculture is an important part of the islands’ economy. The Cape Verde Islands only won their independence from Portugal in 1974, following a violent revolution. The nation is struggling valiantly to progress after a repressive history. Accordingly visitors will notice a striking difference in development between it and many of its neighbors. The Cape Verdeans, though, are friendly and optimistic, and welcoming to visitors. The old capital, formerly known as Cidade Velha, has been renamed Ribeira Grande de Santiago, which was its name when it was an important port in the infamous slave trade. Dating from 1466, it was the first European colonial settlement in the Tropics. Visitors will notice a cluster of well-restored colonial-period houses, as well as a monument to the original pelourinho, or pillory where slaves were both punished and sold. This area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Santiago is the largest of the Cape Verde islands, and nearly half the nation’s population lives on the island. Originally volcanic, Santiago is unusually fertile, and agriculture is an important part of the island’s economy. The Cape Verde Islands only won their independence from Portugal in 1974, following a violent revolution. The nation is struggling valiantly to progress after a repressive history. Accordingly, visitors will notice a striking difference in development between it and many of its neighbors. The Cape Verdeans, though, are friendly and optimistic and welcoming to visitors. The old capital, formerly known as Cidade Velha, has been renamed Ribeira Grande de Santiago, which was its name when it was an important port in the infamous slave trade. Dating from 1466, it was the first European colonial settlement in the Tropics. Visitors will notice a cluster of well-restored colonial-period houses, as well as a monument to the original Pelourinho, or pillory where slaves were both punished and sold. This area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.