Amazonas’ biggest attractions are found outside Leticia. These include the abundant wildlife of Parque Nacional Natural Amacayacu, jungle hikes and stays in Puerto Nariño, upstream of Leticia – a great base for dolphin-spotting trips.
Category AMAZONAS
Puerto Nariño
Eco-friendly PUERTO NARIÑO sits around 75km upstream of Leticia and makes a great base for spotting the Amazon’s pink dolphins; half-day excursions to Lago Tarapoto cost around COP$55,000 for up to three people. You can learn more about the endangered creatures at the riverfront Fundación Omacha (omacha.org), located right near the docks. The village itself, peopled mostly by the indigenous Yagua, Tikuna and Cocoma, is a shining example of recycling, organic waste management and rainwater collection; other Colombian towns could learn a great deal here, and this may well be the only Colombian settlement with zero motorized traffic.
PARQUE NACIONAL NATURAL AMACAYACU
Around ninety minutes upstream from Leticia, the 3000-square-kilometre Parque Nacional Natural Amacayacu is a spectacular slice of wilderness, home to five hundred bird species, plenty of crocodiles, anacondas and other reptiles and 150 mammal species, including big cats. Here you can go hiking, kayaking and birdwatching, but come prepared for squadrons of mosquitoes.
LETICIA
This compact riverside town, its partially unpaved streets abuzz with a fleet of scooters and motorcycles – the local transport of choice – has worn many hats during its lifetime. Founded in 1867, LETICIA was part of Peru until it was awarded to Colombia in 1933 in a ceasefire agreement following a war between the two countries in 1932. A den of iniquity and sin (well, drug trafficking) in the 1970s, Leticia had to clean up its act when the Colombian army moved in, though visitors are still warned not to wander out into the outskirts of Leticia after dark. Today it’s a hot, humid, yet relatively tranquil place, with a lively waterfront and houses hidden amid the greenery. It makes a good base for short trips up the Amazon and for crossing over into Brazil or Peru.
The main attractions lie outside the town, but in Leticia proper you can stop by the Museo Etnográfico Amazónico to check out the collection of indigenous weaponry, splendid (and scary) ceremonial masks, pottery and more. For high-quality crafts made by local indigenous tribes, the best selection is at the Galería Arte Uirapuru.
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