Region

Amazonia

Go only for Leticia and the river; skip the Caquetá and Putumayo roads. Fly in, sleep in Leticia or Puerto Nariño, 3–4 nights.

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Key facts · Colombia

Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: Peso (COP, $)
Language: Spanish
Plugs: A · B · 110–120 V
Time zone: UTC−5 all year

Month by month hereIn detail ↓

Rules in force · 7Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the fir…

South America ↗Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the first day light; sleep lower where you can (Sacred Valley before Cusco) and descend if headache comes with vomiting or confusion.
South America ↗A yellow fever certificate is required on arrival in French Guiana, and asked for on some routes into Bolivia, Paraguay, Suriname and Guyana, or when arriving from Amazon areas — vaccinate at least 10 days before travel and carry the card.
South America ↗Overnight buses are the norm in Argentina, Chile and Peru, but pick top-tier companies and keep valuables on your body; on-board thefts from overhead racks are the common loss.
Colombia ↗Check entry rules for your passport with Migración Colombia or a Colombian consulate; some travellers must complete an online migration form before arrival.
Colombia ↗Security advice lists specific departments and border areas: check your own government's advice for every place on your route, including coastal roads.
Colombia ↗Never accept drinks, food or cigarettes from strangers, and be careful with people met on dating apps: drugging (including with scopolamine) followed by robbery is a known risk.
Colombia ↗Fill in Check-MIG only on the official Migración Colombia site; it is free, and lookalike sites charge a fee.

Colombian Amazonia covers over 400,000 km², more than a third of the country, and almost none of it is reachable by road from the cities you fly into. The workable trip is the far south: Leticia, on the border with Peru and Brazil, plus a boat up the river to Puerto Nariño and the Amacayacu area. Everything else — Mitú, Inírida, the middle Caquetá — is a flight lottery with multi-day delays and, in western Putumayo and Caquetá, a real security problem. Treat Amazonia as one destination, not a region to tour.

Where to sleep

4 places in this region

Sleep base

LeticiaCity guide
Airport, river boats, Tres Fronteras border-hopping.
Best Jun–Sep, Dec–Mar
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Leticia →
Puerto NariñoCity guide
Smaller river town, 2 h by boat from Leticia; quieter nights.
Best Jun–Oct
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Puerto Nariño →

Day trip

MocoaCity guide
Putumayo gateway by road from Pasto; check current security before committing.
Best Jun–Aug
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Mocoa →

Also here

San Vicente del CaguánCity guide
Former conflict zone; not a tourist base.
Best Jun–Jul, Jan–Feb
JFMAMJJASOND
Open San Vicente del Caguán →

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

3 nights: Leticia 2 + Puerto Nariño 1
4 nights: Leticia 2 + Puerto Nariño 2, with a river day between

Western Putumayo and Caquetá, and northern Guaviare, are conflict areas — leave them off the itinerary.
Amazonian weather cancels flights; build one spare day into any trip beyond Leticia.
Mosquito-borne disease is the main health risk; repellent and pre-trip shots are not optional.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Puerto Nariño	Leticia	120 min	check	Fast boats run the river through the day; the last return is mid-afternoon — confirm at the dock.
San Miguel (Peru side)	Leticia	60 min	check	Border hop for a passport stamp; bring your passport and check the crossing hours.
Amacayacu National Park	Puerto Nariño	60 min	check	Boat access; park facilities have opened and closed over the years — verify before you go.

Bags between cities

There is no useful luggage forwarding here; you carry everything onto the boat.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Leticia	go	go	go	×	×	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	go
Puerto Nariño	×	×	×	×	×	go	go	go	go	go	×	×
Mocoa	ok	ok	×	×	×	go	go	go	ok	ok	ok	ok
San Vicente del Caguán	go	go	ok	×	×	go	go	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok
Colombia (country-wide)	go	go	go	ok	ok	ok	go	go	ok	ok	ok	go

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month

Zone	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Amazon lowlandsLeticia, Puerto Nariño, the river	wet	wet	wet	wet	wet	wet	ok	ok	ok	wet	wet	wet

ok: workablewet: daily rain

Amazon lowlands: Hot and humid all year, 30–33 °C (86–91 °F) days. Rain is heaviest Dec–May; the drier window is roughly July–September, though it still rains.Hot and humid all year, 86–91 °F (30–33 °C) days. Rain is heaviest Dec–May; the drier window is roughly July–September, though it still rains.

There is no cool season. The river level, not the temperature, decides what you can reach: high water opens small creeks, low water exposes beaches.

Getting in and passes

Arrival times and regional passes

Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes1 partGet in

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate

From	To	How	p50	Note
Bogotá (BOG)	Leticia (LET)	Direct flight, about 1 h 50	~2 h in the air	The only practical way in. LATAM and Copa fly it; Satena's three-leg route via Araracuara and La Chorrera is for people visiting those towns.
Iquitos, Peru	Leticia	Riverboat down the Amazon	days, not hours	Slow boats take several days; many foreign visitors arrive this way. Check sailings and safety locally.
Rest of Amazonia (Mitú, Inírida)	Department capitals	Satena flights only	varies	Infrequent service and frequent multi-day delays. Only attempt with slack in the schedule.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next

Regional food

Where and when it works

Dish	Where	Timing / trap
Pirarucú and dorado	Leticia and river towns	The local river fish; pirarucú is lean, dorado rich. Fresh, and cheaper than imported food.
Piranha	River lodges	Small but eaten locally; often served after a fishing trip.
Fruit from the market	Leticia market	Amazon fruit is the strength of the local diet; vegetables, meat and dairy are scarce and pricier.
Chuchuhuasa	Jungle villages	Bark spirit mixed with aguardiente; rarely sold in towns.
Yagé (ayahuasca)	With a shaman only	A strong hallucinogen used ceremonially. Only under experienced guidance; expect vomiting and diarrhea on a first night.

Go next

Leticia

The base itself

Airport, boats and the Tres Fronteras border.

Chiribiquete National Park

planned

Permit and charter only

Prehistoric rock pictographs; access is tightly controlled.

Amacayacu National Park

planned

Boat from Puerto Nariño

Jungle trails and river wildlife.

Puerto Nariño

planned

2 h fast boat from Leticia

Smaller, quieter river town.

Orinoquía

planned

Fly via Bogotá or Villavicencio

Llanos grasslands; a separate trip.

Andino

planned

Fly back to Bogotá

The mountain heart of the country.

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids2 partsIn numbers · Going in…

Region in numbers

Where to sleep: 2 bases
Day trips: 3, 1 h to 2 h
Nights suggested: 3–4 nights
Ways in: 3 listed
Best months: No month rated best

Going in…

Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.

Pick a month.

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Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources

Sources

officialColombia Travel — official tourism site
officialAerocivil Colombia — airports and operators
officialParques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia
secondaryWikivoyage: Amazonia (Colombia), revision 5289753 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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