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Voykit pocket guide · Brazil
Tabatinga
Go for 1–2 nights only as a border crossing between Brazil, Colombia and Peru; the sights are thin, the triple-border logistics are the point.
Tabatinga is a Brazilian river town of about 70,000 on the Solimões, fused with Leticia in Colombia and a short boat ride from Santa Rosa in Peru. There is no road in: you arrive by plane from Manaus or by boat up the Amazon. Most travellers use it for one or two nights to sort immigration stamps, then move on to Leticia or a riverboat.
- Country
- Brazil
- Best months
- Jun–Sep (less rain)
- Avoid
- Dec–May (heavier rain)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- BRL
- Money
- Currency is the Brazilian real (BRL, R$). About R$5–5.8 per US dollar in 2026 — check. Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere, even at beach kiosks.
- Daily spend
- Budget R$120–200 excl. bed · Mid R$200–350 excl. bed · High R$350+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vivo, Claro and TIM cover the country; buying a prepaid SIM needs a passport and sometimes a CPF — an eSIM before you fly is easier.
- Emergency
- Police 190 · Ambulance 192 · Fire 193
- Plugs
- Types N, C · 127 V (Rio, São Paulo) or 220 V (Brasília, much of the Northeast) · Check the voltage on the socket; most chargers are dual-voltage.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 10% service (serviço) usually on the bill; optional but normal.; Beach kiosk / bar: Often included; round up.; Taxi / Uber: Not expected; round up.; Guide: US$5–15 per person per day.; Hotel staff: Small tip for porters.
- Water
- Do not drink tap water; filtered water is provided in most homes and hotels.
- Toilets
- Put toilet paper in the bin, not the toilet, in most places.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or snack | R$5–15 |
| Noodle or rice plate | R$20–40 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at a shop | R$8–15 / R$4–8 |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) taxi3.1 mi (5 km) taxi | R$20–30 |
| Moto-taxi ride | R$5–10 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | R$40–80 |
| Riverboat Tabatinga → Manaus | about R$370 (2026 estimate) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- TBT · Tabatinga International Airport
- Azul flights to Manaus; Leticia's airport across the border has Avianca and LATAM Colombia flights to Bogotá.
Typical fares
- Moto-taxi across town
- R$5–10
- Taxi-boat Tabatinga → Santa Rosa
- about R$10, 10 min
- Riverboat Tabatinga → Manaus
- about R$370, 36 h speedboat to 6 days slow boat
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Taxis and moto-taxis cover the town; agree the fare first and avoid taxis waiting at the port, which charge two to four times the normal rate. Walking is possible but the midday heat and humidity make it slow. Leticia is a short taxi or moto-taxi ride away; Santa Rosa is a 10-minute boat ride.
See and do
Known for
- Triple border with Colombia and Peru
- Amazon River boat hub
- Border immigration and Federal Police stamps
- Base for Leticia and Santa Rosa
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Leticia (Colombia) | Taxi or moto-taxi across the border, about 10 min | About 15 min |
| Santa Rosa (Peru) | Taxi-boat from the Tabatinga or Leticia waterfront, about 10 min | About 30 min |
| Manaus | Riverboat or speedboat down the Solimões | 36 h speedboat to about 6 days slow boat |
| Iquitos (Peru) | Fast boat from Santa Rosa, about 9–10 h downstream | About 10 h |
Sleep
- Avenida da Amizade
- Main avenue; walkable to the port, banks and immigration. Best for one night with bags.
- Near the port / Feira
- Budget pousadas and quick boat access; noisier and rougher at night.
- Leticia (Colombia)
- Across the border, no Colombian entry stamp needed for a short stay; wider choice of hotels and tax-free shopping.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Com licença / Desculpekohn lee-SEN-sah / des-KUL-pee |
| Thank you | Obrigado / Obrigadaoh-bree-GAH-doo / oh-bree-GAH-dah |
| How much is it? | Quanto custa?KWAHN-too KOOS-tah |
| Can I pay by card? | Posso pagar com cartão?POH-soo pah-GAR kohn kar-TOWN |
| Where is the toilet? | Onde fica o banheiro?OHN-jee FEE-kah oo bah-NYAY-roo |
| I need a stamp | Preciso de um carimbopreh-SEE-zoo jee oon kah-REEM-boo |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, hug or cheek kiss (one in São Paulo, two in Rio); avoid: Being stiff with new acquaintances
- Gestures: Use thumbs-up freely; avoid: The OK hand sign (it is rude)
- Language: Try Portuguese; say obrigado/obrigada; avoid: Defaulting to Spanish
- Time: Expect relaxed social punctuality; avoid: Being late for tours and flights
- Beach: Bring only a towel, cash and a copy of your ID; avoid: Leaving things unattended
Scams and watch-outs
- No road access: plane or boat only.
- Immigration offices keep limited hours; the Brazilian office is open Monday to Thursday only, and exit stamps come from the Federal Police next door, not immigration.
- Port taxis overcharge; use the street or a moto-taxi instead.
- Cost of living is higher than elsewhere in Amazonas; shop in tax-free Leticia instead.
- Peruvian soles may not be accepted; reais and Colombian pesos trade freely.
Tabatinga is a working border town, not a resort: stick to lit main streets after dark, use moto-taxis instead of walking, and keep your passport and stamps with you. The bigger risks are heat, mosquitoes and river currents.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Tabatinga yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Triple border with Colombia and Peru
- Amazon River boat hub
- Border immigration and Federal Police stamps
- Base for Leticia and Santa Rosa
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Brasil — Amazonas: www.visitbrasil.com/en/destinos/amazonas/
- Navegam — riverboat schedules: www.navegam.com.br/
- Azul — flights to Tabatinga: www.voeazul.com.br/
- Wikivoyage: Tabatinga, revision 5303943 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5303943
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Tabatinga
Para este endereço, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Tabatinga; the US, UK and most other countries keep embassies in Brasília and consulates in Manaus (check).
Immigration offices keep limited hours: the Brazilian office is open Monday to Thursday only, and exit stamps come from the Federal Police next door.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/tabatinga). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.