HISTORIC BOAT MUSEM
The Historic Boat Museum in Iquitos is owned and run by Fundamazionia/ Amazoneco and has a permanent exhibit on the steamship 'Ayapua'. The themes include the discovery of the Amazon, the early missionary period, explores of the Amazon, old Iquitos, the rubber boom era, and steamboat navigation. You can visit the engine room and see an original old steam engine, and upstairs there is an original wheelhouse.
The elegance of Victorian opera and superfluous wealth of the rubber boom period are relished throughout the Ayapua. The original steam whistle would echo through the forest in harmony with the howls of monkeys and screeches of macaws. Dolphins would swim along the bows and swallows flutter through the masts as the Ayapua would gracefully steam up the mightiest river on Earth.
Steamboats were the heart of the rubber boom, transporting hundreds of millions of dollars of rubber balls from far reaches of the forest to cities, such as Iquitos in the Peruvian Amazon. This rich history was portrayed in the classic film “Fitzcarraldo” by Werner Herzog. The Ayapua portrays the rubber boom period, and its ambience recalls the elegance and opulence of times past. The Victorian details reflected against the tropical forests highlight the harmony of steam navigation in the Amazon.
The Historic Boat Museum has a fleet of three river boats spanning the early days of steam navigation in the Peruvian Amazon, including the oldest boat still navigating the Amazon River ‘Clavero’ and two rubber era cargo and passenger ships ‘Ayapua’ and ‘Rio Amazonas’. The 'Clavero' and 'Rio Amazonas' are part of the working fleet and are the base of the Rio Amazonas Research Station located at the Yarapa River Research Reserve.
Learn more about the Historic Boat Museum fleet.
View the Ayapua pdf
View the Clavero pdf
View the Rio Amazonas pdf
The Historic Boat Museum is located at the Plaza Ramon Castilla, Iquitos.
Open every day from 9am - 6pm
Entrance fee is S/15 soles
