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Visit the Colombian Amazon from Leticia

Paddling by canoe in the Amazon

Base yourself in the quirky river port Leticia to explore the indian communities and discover the jungle and wildlife of Colombia's Amazon. 

The Colombian Amazon, for decades shunned by visitors concerned about security, is now peaceful and slowly opening up to tourism. Colombian families are now joined by overseas visitors keen to experience a genuine, time-ignorant Amazonian ambience before the commercial big hitters move in.

Wander the mango tree-shaded streets of an unmodernised Leticia. The modestly sized but principal port hosts a thriving market with rainbow-coloured mountains of exotic fruits and freshly landed fish, and a crowded dock where fishing boats and dugout canoes jostle with traditional wooden Amazon river vessels and zippy motor launches.  

The river dominates the town: rickety houses on stilts crowd the waterline, and works art - sculptures and murals featuring dolphins and indigenous icons decorate public buildings and squares. If you stay at one of the modest but well-equipped hotels here you can also experience the invasion of parrots in Parque Santander at sunset – a glorious feast of colour and sound.

Outside town, visit the well-run Tanimboca Nature Reserve (11km away) offering jungle walks, zip lines and kayaking, Puerto Nariño, a delightful and tranquil eco-village 75km upstream, Tabatinga on the Brazilian side of the border and Isla Rosa or San Antonio settlements on the Peruvian side. You can visit all three countries in one day. It’s only a short boat ride to visit any of a number of welcoming, unspoilt riverside indigenous settlements such as Mocagua, or Marashá in Peru.

Tropical wildlife can be spotted along the river with grey and pink dolphins breaching the water’s surface on the Amazon and lagoons: a glorious sight at any time but especially at sunset. 

Colombia
The Colombian Amazon
The Amazon

Holidays Visit the Colombian Amazon from Leticia

From expertly designed Private Journeys to trail-blazing Group Tours, browse our range of carefully crafted holidays.

Amazon rainforest of Colombia

Private Journeys

Colombia / The Amazon

Off the beaten track Colombia: San Agustin and the Amazon

12 days from £3,625pp

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

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  • Hannah
    Hannah Donaldson - Travel Expert

    Having spent part of her childhood in Colombia and worked in Brazil and Costa Rica, Hannah's ties to Latin America run deep. Hannah is a much valued Travel Expert in our Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tours sales team.

  • Sallly
    Sally Dodge - Travel Expert

    A former Journey Latin America tour leader, Sally spent 7 years working, travelling and living throughout Latin America before returning to the UK to help people arrange their own adventures to this wonderful destination.

  • Heloise
    Heloise Buxton - Travel Expert

    Heloise started her Latin American journey as an exchange student in Santiago, Chile. With extended summer holidays this was the perfect opportunity to backpack through Bolivia, Peru, Argentina and Brazil.

  • Paul Winrow Giffin
    Paul Winrow-Giffin - Travel Expert

    After graduating in Computer Science, Paul spent seven months travelling from Colombia to Argentina and came home hooked on Latin America.

  • Hannah
    Hannah Waterhouse - Travel Expert

    Hannah had an early introduction to Latin America when her family moved to Ecuador and she returned to study in Buenos Aires for a year before backpacking across the continent.

  • Maggie
    Maggie Wilson - Travel Expert

    Maggie visited Latin America on her first backpacking trip when she was 19. Since then, she has taken every opportunity to travel, and has managed to explore a lot of the region in subsequent trips.

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