Monkey Island

The Isla de los Monos is a privately run sanctuary on an island in the Amazon downriver from Iquitos, holding several hundred hectares of forest and a population of monkeys - woolly, spider, capuchin, squirrel, tamarins and others - taken from the illegal pet and bushmeat trade, rehabilitated where possible and living semi-free on the island rather than in cages. Visitors walk a trail with a guide and the monkeys come to them, which is the appeal and also the complication: animals habituated to people are not wild animals, feeding is controlled but contact is close, and opinions differ on whether this kind of arrangement serves the animals or the visitors. There are also manatees, sloths and birds. It is reached by boat from Iquitos in about an hour, usually as a half-day trip combined with a village stop.

What you actually see

• The semi-free monkeys - several species living loose in island forest.
• The rescue context - animals taken from the pet and bushmeat trade.
• The trail - a guided walk during which the monkeys approach visitors.
• The other animals - manatees, sloths and birds also held on the island.

When to go

June to October in lower water. Half a day including the boat from Iquitos. Mornings are cooler and the animals more active.

Honest expectations

Close contact with habituated animals is standard here and it raises legitimate welfare questions. Monkeys will take bags, hats and glasses. Hot, humid and buggy. Boat prices are negotiated in Iquitos and vary widely.

Nearby

Iquitos is upriver; Pilpintuwasi is on the Nanay near the city.