13 Colorful Floating Markets Around the World Bursting with Local Life

13. Belen Floating Market, Iquitos, Peru: Amazonian Abundance on Water

Deep in the Peruvian Amazon, the bustling Belen Market in Iquitos spills from land onto the Itaya River, especially during high water season, creating a vibrant, chaotic floating section. Local vendors in canoes and small boats offer an astonishing array of jungle bounty: exotic fruits, freshly caught fish (like paiche), medicinal plants, and local crafts. This market is a raw, authentic slice of Amazonian life, less polished than some Asian counterparts, offering a sensory overload of sights, sounds, and smells, truly reflecting the region's incredible biodiversity and resourcefulness.