In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Colombia
Leticia
Go for 3 nights as an Amazon base: fly in, do one river day, one jungle lodge night, then leave. No road in or out.
Leticia is Colombia's southernmost town, on the north bank of the Amazon at the three-country border with Brazil (Tabatinga) and Peru (Santa Rosa island). There are no highways: you arrive by plane or boat, and the town is the region's hub for hospital, airport and river transport. Three nights covers the town, a river day to Puerto Nariño or a lake, and one jungle lodge night. Add nights only for a lodge stay or a slow boat onward.
- Country
- Colombia
- Best months
- Jun–Sep (lower water, more beach and easier fishing); Dec–Mar also workable
- Avoid
- Apr–May (heaviest rain); check river levels for boat routes
- Stay
- 3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- COP
- Money
- Currency is the Colombian peso (COP, $). Cards work in hotels, malls and many restaurants; cash is needed for small shops, markets and rural areas.
- Daily spend
- Budget COP$90,000–160,000 excl. bed · Mid COP$160,000–300,000 excl. bed · High COP$300,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Claro (best coverage), Movistar and Tigo SIMs in malls and at airports; passport required and IMEI registration may apply for longer stays — check.
- Emergency
- Police, ambulance and fire 123
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 110–120 V · 60 Hz · US-style plugs.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: 10% propina voluntaria offered on the bill.; Guides: COP 20,000–50,000 per person per day.; Taxis: Round up.
- Water
- Tap water is safe in Bogotá and Medellín; drink bottled on the coast and in rural areas.
- Toilets
- Put paper in the bin in most places; bring tissues for bus stations.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Street skewer or fried rice ball | From COP$1,000 |
| Mototaxi, short hop in town | COP$2,000–3,000 |
| Bicycle rental, one day | COP$30,000–50,000 |
| Motorcycle rental, one day | About COP$50,000 |
| Full-day river tour | About COP$150,000 |
| Multi-day river trip with food and lodging | From about COP$700,000 |
| Coffee or juice in the centre | COP$3,000–8,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LET · Alfredo Vásquez Cobo International
- About 1.5 km north of the centre; taxi to Parque Santander about COP$6,000–8,000. Non-Colombian arrivals pay a tourism entrance fee in cash at the airport; no ATM there.About 0.9 mi north of the centre; taxi to Parque Santander about COP$6,000–8,000. Non-Colombian arrivals pay a tourism entrance fee in cash at the airport; no ATM there.
Typical fares
- Airport → centre, taxi
- COP$6,000–8,000
- Mototaxi, centre hop
- About COP$2,000
- Boat Leticia → Puerto Nariño
- About COP$25,000 one way, 2 h
Get around
Mototaxis (motorcycle taxis) and motocarros (covered tuk-tuks) cover the town; short hops were around COP$2,000 in 2021. Bicycles and motorcycles can be rented by the day. Walking works in the centre. Boats from the port serve Puerto Nariño, Santa Rosa and river lodges; when the river is very low the port shifts and you may need a short walk or a small boat to the new departure point.
See and do
Known for
- Triple frontier with Brazil and Peru
- Amazon River and Yahuarcaca lakes
- Pink river dolphins at Tarapoto Lake
- Parrots at Parque Santander at dusk
- Gateway to Amacayacu National Park
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Puerto Nariño | Public boat from Leticia port, about 2 h; three departures a day in the morning and early afternoon | About 2–2.5 h each way |
| Tarapoto Lake | Boat from Puerto Nariño with a local guide | About 30–45 min from Puerto Nariño |
| Tabatinga, Brazil | Mototaxi or bicycle across the border, about 10 min | About 15 min |
| Santa Rosa, Peru | Small boat across the river from the port | About 10–15 min |
| Mundo Amazónico | Bus toward Tarapacá, about 20–30 min; ask the driver to stop at Km 7.7 | About 30–40 min |
| Amacayacu National Park | Boat upriver, then arrange local transport | About 2–3 h |
Sleep
- Centro / Parque Santander
- Walkable core: banks, ATMs, agencies, street food, the parrot show at dusk. Best for a short first visit.
- Near the port (Carrera 9–11)
- Closest to boats for Puerto Nariño and Peru; a few minutes' walk to the market and waterfront.
- Road to Tarapacá (Km 7–10)
- Quieter, greener, near Mundo Amazónico; you need a mototaxi or bus into town.
- Jungle lodges upriver
- Marasha, Tucuchira and similar on the Colombian or Peruvian side; reached by boat, sometimes with a walk. Book ahead.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-to KWES-ta |
| Where is the port? | ¿Dónde está el puerto?DON-de es-TA el PWER-to |
| I want to go to Puerto Nariño | Quiero ir a Puerto NariñoKYE-ro ir a PWER-to na-REE-nyo |
| Do you have a return ticket? | ¿Tiene pasaje de regreso?TYE-ne pa-SA-he de re-GRE-so |
| Can I pay by card? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?PWE-do pa-GAR kon tar-HE-ta |
| Where is the toilet? | ¿Dónde está el baño?DON-de es-TA el BA-nyo |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, cheek kiss between women and mixed pairs; avoid: Launching into requests without a greeting
- Politeness: 'Con gusto', 'a la orden'; avoid: Blunt commands
- Topics: Coffee, football, food; avoid: Escobar jokes, drug talk
- Showing valuables: Keep phones away; avoid: 'Dar papaya'
Scams and watch-outs
- Yellow fever vaccination is required to enter the Amazonas area and must be done at least 10 days before travel; carry the certificate.
- Bring cash: the airport has no ATM and the tourism entrance fee is cash only. Some ATMs cap withdrawals at COP$300,000 per day.
- Border movement between Leticia, Tabatinga and Santa Rosa is unrestricted, but get stamped in the right country if you leave the border zone; the Brazilian federal police post in Tabatinga closes at midday.
- The port immigration office has been reported closed; confirm current entry and exit stamp points before you rely on them.
- Internet and mobile data are slow; download offline maps and tickets.
- Reserve your return boat seat from Puerto Nariño in advance; the last boat back is early afternoon and you can be stranded.
Leticia is a small, busy border town and generally calm in the centre by day. The real risks are river and jungle logistics, cash and ATM limits, and petty theft at night around the port and market: keep bags zipped, use registered agencies, and do not walk unlit roads after dark.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Leticia yet. Suggested stay: 3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Triple frontier with Brazil and Peru
- Amazon River and Yahuarcaca lakes
- Pink river dolphins at Tarapoto Lake
- Parrots at Parque Santander at dusk
- Gateway to Amacayacu National Park
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Leticia, revision 5300696 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5300696
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Leticia
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, ambulance and fire123
Colombia handles most consular matters from Bogotá; the US, UK and Canada have no consulate in Leticia. Check your embassy's Bogotá page for Amazonas coverage.
Cash is king in the border zone: carry pesos, and small notes for boats, mototaxis and street food.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/leticia). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.