The Rio Amazonas

The Rio Amazonas is currently being restored back to her original splendour. She was built on the Clyde, Scotland in 1896 as a rubber transport steamship for the Amazon. The Rio Amazonas was commissioned by the firm Braga Sobrinho & Cie of Belem do Para, which is the city located at the mouth of the Amazon River in Brasil and named “Braga Sobrinho”. Adolfo Morey Arias, one of the most successful rubber barons on the upper Amazon purchased her in 1936, changed her name to “Arias”, and brought her up to Iquitos, Peru. The “Arias” navigated the route from Iquitos to Belem as a cargo and passenger ship travelling over 2,000 miles to the mouth of the Amazon. In the early 1980’s the “Arias” was converted to a tourist boat and her name was changed to “Rio Amazonas”.

We are now diligently putting her back to her former design and making improvements to accommodations and her overall ambiance. The restoration work should be completed by early 2012.

The Rio Amazonas was one of the largest riverboats on the Peruvian Amazon measuring 44 m long and 9 m wide and has three decks and a steel hull. The ship uses one main diesel engine and two generators.

Accommodations in the Rio Amazonas include 18 cabins fitted with air conditioning, desk, wardrobe and private bathrooms with showers. Two dining halls are used for meals, lectures and films. The bar on the upper deck has alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and a comfortable library has an impressive selection of classic books on the Amazon and its history.

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The Rio Amazon was one of the largest riverboats on the Peruvian Amazon measuring 44 m long and 9 m wide and has three decks and a steel hull.