Colombian Amazon Holidays
Colombian Amazon
Holidays
Genuine wilderness at the heart of the world's greatest rainforest — pink dolphins, piranhas and primary jungle
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Flight Time
10–11h to Bogotá, then 2h domestic flight to Leticia (LET)
Best Time
June to November (low water — best for jungle hiking and wildlife spotting); high water (Dec–May) for river exploration
Country
Colombia
Suppliers
our travel partners ·
Colombian Amazon Holiday Guide
The Colombian Amazon is one of the most extraordinary destinations in South America — a genuine wilderness experience that requires more planning than the rest of Colombia but rewards with unforgettable wildlife encounters and a profound sense of being in one of the world's last great wild places.
Leticia is the only practical base — reachable by a 2-hour domestic flight from Bogotá. The town itself is small and functional; the experience is in the jungle and rivers around it. Most visitors stay in a jungle lodge outside the town rather than in Leticia itself.
The best way to experience the Amazon is through a multi-day lodge package — 3–4 nights is the minimum for a meaningful experience. The lodges organise all activities (piranha fishing, caiman spotting, jungle hikes, dolphin watching, indigenous community visits) and provide guides, meals and transport.
The dry season (June to November) is the best time for jungle hiking — the trails are drier and the wildlife is more concentrated around water sources. The wet season (December to May) is better for river exploration — the flooded forest (várzea) is accessible by canoe and the pink dolphins are more visible in the lakes.
We search across Travelpack and JTA Holidays for the best Amazon deals — call us on 01282 960 460 for tailored advice.
Average Temperatures
Jan
26°C
Feb
26°C
Mar
26°C
Apr
26°C
May
26°C
Jun
26°C
Jul
27°C
Aug
28°C
Sep
28°C
Oct
27°C
Nov
26°C
Dec
26°C
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Call 01282 960 460Top 8 Things To Do in Colombian Amazon
The pink dolphins, piranhas, caimans, indigenous communities and extraordinary primary jungle that make the Colombian Amazon one of the world's great wilderness destinations.
Pink River Dolphins — Amazon's Most Iconic Mammal
The Amazon river dolphin (boto or pink dolphin) is one of the most extraordinary animals in the world — a freshwater dolphin that has evolved in the Amazon basin over millions of years, growing up to 2.5m long and turning pink as it ages (the males are pinker than the females). The dolphins are found throughout the Colombian Amazon and are regularly seen in the rivers and lakes around Leticia and Puerto Nariño. Unlike marine dolphins, they are solitary and slow-moving — they surface frequently to breathe and can be approached closely by canoe. The Lago Tarapoto, 75km upriver from Leticia, has one of the highest concentrations of pink dolphins in the Colombian Amazon. Swimming with pink dolphins (in designated areas) is one of the most extraordinary wildlife experiences in South America.
Piranha Fishing
Piranha fishing is one of the classic Amazon experiences — and the Colombian Amazon is one of the best places to do it. Red-bellied piranhas (the most famous species) are abundant in the rivers and lakes around Leticia; fishing for them with a simple rod, line and piece of meat is a surprisingly easy and genuinely exciting activity. The piranhas are fast and aggressive — they bite through the line as often as they are caught. Most lodges and tour operators offer piranha fishing as part of their Amazon package; the fish are usually released (or occasionally eaten — piranha is a local delicacy). Night fishing for piranhas, by torchlight on a black-water lake, is particularly atmospheric.
Jungle Hiking — Primary Rainforest
The primary rainforest around Leticia is extraordinary — a cathedral of trees rising 40–50m above the forest floor, with a dense understorey of ferns, palms and epiphytes, and a canopy alive with birds, monkeys and insects. Guided jungle hikes (half-day and full-day) explore the forest around Leticia and the Amacayacu National Park — learning to identify medicinal plants, track animals, find camouflaged insects and understand the extraordinary complexity of the ecosystem. Night hikes are particularly rewarding — the forest comes alive after dark with the sounds of frogs, insects and nocturnal animals. Tarantulas, poison dart frogs, stick insects and sleeping birds are all visible by torchlight.
Indigenous Community Visits
The Colombian Amazon is home to several indigenous peoples — the Tikuna (the largest Amazonian group in Colombia), the Yagua, the Huitoto and the Bora. Many communities welcome visitors and offer cultural encounters — traditional dances, craft demonstrations (blowpipes, hammocks, pottery), medicinal plant knowledge and explanations of their relationship with the forest. The Tikuna community of San Martín de Amacayacu (inside the Amacayacu National Park) is one of the most visited. Puerto Nariño, 75km upriver from Leticia, is a model eco-village with no motorised vehicles — the most sustainable community in the Colombian Amazon, with a strong indigenous cultural identity.
Caiman Spotting by Night
Caiman spotting by canoe at night is one of the most thrilling wildlife experiences in the Amazon — paddling silently through black-water channels with a torch, scanning the riverbanks for the red reflection of caiman eyes. The Colombian Amazon has three species of caiman — the spectacled caiman (the most common, up to 2.5m), the dwarf caiman (the smallest crocodilian in the world) and the black caiman (the largest, up to 6m — rare but present). Most lodges offer night caiman tours as part of their Amazon package; the guides are expert at locating and approaching the animals. Giant river otters (up to 1.8m long — the largest otter in the world) are also sometimes seen on night river trips.
Amacayacu National Park
The Amacayacu National Park, 70km upriver from Leticia, is one of the most biodiverse protected areas in the Colombian Amazon — 293,000 hectares of primary rainforest on the banks of the Amazon River, home to over 500 bird species, 150 mammal species (including jaguar, tapir, giant anteater and all 10 species of Amazon monkey) and extraordinary plant diversity. The park has a visitor centre and several indigenous communities (Tikuna) within its boundaries. Access is by boat from Leticia (3–4 hours) or by speedboat (1.5 hours). The park has basic accommodation (hammocks and simple cabins) — staying overnight allows you to experience the forest at dawn, when the wildlife is most active.
Puerto Nariño — Eco-Village on the Amazon
Puerto Nariño, 75km upriver from Leticia, is one of the most extraordinary communities in the Amazon — a small town of 7,000 people with no motorised vehicles (everything moves by foot, bicycle or boat), solar-powered street lighting, a sophisticated waste management system and a strong indigenous cultural identity. The town is surrounded by primary rainforest and the Lago Tarapoto — one of the best places in the Colombian Amazon to see pink dolphins. The Mirador (viewpoint tower) above the town offers extraordinary views over the Amazon floodplain. Puerto Nariño is reached by speedboat from Leticia (1.5 hours) or slow boat (3–4 hours) — most visitors spend a night here as part of an Amazon lodge package.
Three-Country Border — Colombia, Peru, Brazil
Leticia sits at one of the most extraordinary geographical points in South America — the meeting point of Colombia, Peru and Brazil on the banks of the Amazon River. The Brazilian town of Tabatinga is immediately adjacent to Leticia (no border formalities required for day visits); the Peruvian town of Santa Rosa is on an island in the middle of the river, accessible by boat in 10 minutes. Visiting all three countries in a single day is a popular activity — crossing the Amazon between three nations, each with its own culture, language and character, is a genuinely memorable experience. The border area has a frontier atmosphere unlike anywhere else in South America.
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Key areas, beaches and attractions across the island.
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