What comes to mind when you think about the Amazon Rainforest? Exotic plants? Piranhas? Venomous frogs? Deforestation? How about a thriving gay scene where the locals and adventure-seeking European elite slap skin together in nocturnal outdoor jungle parties? No? Well, then it’s time you heard about the Peruvian village of Iquitos.

Despite being an isolated city inaccessible by roads in the middle of the rainforest, Iquitos is a mecca for all things gay amidst the entire Amazon region. For being a relatively small jungle village, Iquitos is extremely gay-friendly, to the point where the city itself actively promotes gay tourism. Even statistically, this small city, literally in the middle of nowhere, has a higher-than-average gay population of residents. Now, it’s not as homosexual-heavy as, let’s say, West Hollywood, but for all intents and purposes, Iquitos is pretty much the West Hollywood of Peru and the Amazon Jungle as a whole. Sure, this isolated town in the rainforest has a building designed by Gustave Eiffel (the same guy who designed the eponymous tower in Paris), but it also hosts the annual “Miss Amazonas Gay” pageant, tribal male strippers, homosexual honeymoon cruises down the Amazon and late-night open-air “white parties” under the jungle canopy and warm rain waters.

So, what is there to do for the gay man in this exotic, statistically gay-heavy little village in the rainforest? Plenty! But you have to either pre-plan or get ready to be friendly with the locals, which, in so many words, is exactly what most gay men traveling to Iquitos plan on doing. You see, although very gay friendly, Iquitos is not an in-your-face rainbow explosion of homoeroticism like Castro Street in San Francisco or Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood. The city is cool with you walking down the street being a flaming homosexual, and it has many homoerotic activities and tour packages to sell you, but you have to ask for them. Being gay in Iquitos isn’t an aggressive political statement; it is a no-big-deal way of life that is accepted as normal. Of course, rainbow pride flags in front of tourist offices throughout the city would be your best clue that gay-specific things to do could be inquired of within. But for the best of all things gay in Iquitos you have to ask the locals themselves.

Now, asking the locals is not a dangerous activity. Most of them will gladly tell you about the gay goings-on of the city… for a small tip, of course. And since it’s an isolated city, everyone kind of knows everything that goes on there. If, by chance, you happen to ask someone who isn’t supportive of the gay lifestyle, they’ll most likely just lie by telling you “no” and then purposely ignore you. Still, there are things to be wary of in the town. Two things in particular: underage prostitution and price hikes. Unfortunately, much like other jungle towns such as Bangkok and Manila, Iquitos is notorious for their child prostitution. It’s a common sight to see kids being pimped out by their own parents as a means to escape poverty. So, if you’re looking for some sticky sweet jungle sex with the locals, be wary and avoid anyone under the age of 20, because while Peru’s age-of-consent is 14, it is highly frowned upon and often dangerous for tourists to get physical with anyone who looks like a teenager. Second, be wary of the price hikes. Foreigners will often be quoted prices much higher than the locals, and no matter how much you look like a local, remember that it’s an isolated town, so everyone kind of knows everyone. They know that it is expensive just to get there. There are no direct flights to the village, so international travelers must fly all the way to Lima, then purchase another flight on a small aircraft in order to arrive in Iquitos. That isn’t cheap, and the locals know this, so be prepared to negotiate, or better yet, if you offer a tip, you can easily get someone in the city to negotiate the local price for you, saving you much more money in the long run.

All in all, Iquitos is a little-known gay hotspot where exotic trysts and jungle rendezvous are commonplace and LGBT acceptance is as thick in the air as the humidity. It can be expensive to get to, but definitely worth it. With numerous gay-themed bars, nightclubs and jungle excursions, almost anything is available if you’re willing to ask. And of course, if you don’t know where to start, simply take a walk down the riverfront, and amidst all the gay cruising going on there, you’ll find something, or maybe even something will find you!  

Sources: Peru Rainbow, Percy Meza (Wikimedia Commons), Matthew Romack (Wikimedia Commons), Sin Etiquetas