Heliconia Amazon River Lodge

Heliconia lodge is a wonderful place to stay connected with nature. The food and drink options were delicious. Our tour guide Daniel and the Heliconia staffs were very attentive and respectful. They made our stay enjoyable. Will definitely recommend them to friends and family.

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.

The place is even better than in the photos. Lodge is very well maintained, rooms are specious and clean. There is electricity 24h a day. Food is various and tasty. The lodge supports local community and all employees are from nearby areas. Our guide Lucio has been very attentive, kind and knowledgeable about the river, wild life and local customs. As well boat driver was very professional.

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.

Excelent organization, all the requirements were covered. The food was fresh and delicious. Our room was very clean and the whole infrastructure is very beautiful and was always neat. We had the best excursions and a very professional and interesting guide

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.