Leticia
Pristine jungle where groups of monkeys watch you from the treetops, where you can swim with pink dolphins in Lake Tarapoto and where you sleep with the sounds of the jungle: the Amazon, one of the greatest destinations in Colombia.
The Amazon is much more than Leticia. But this jungle town on the border with Brazil and Peru is definitely a highlight, and a must-visit if you want to experience your first jungle experience. Another must is San José de Guaviare, which forms a transition zone between the savannahs and the Amazon, and perhaps the best place for jungle-related activities. More experienced jungle travelers may think of the Cerros de Mavecure or the jungle expeditions in Vaupés and Caquetá as a ‘must experience’ rather than a ‘must see’.
Pristine jungle where groups of monkeys watch you from the treetops, where you can swim with pink dolphins in Lake Tarapoto and where you sleep with the sounds of the jungle: the Amazon, one of the greatest destinations in Colombia.
For a long time, Guaviare was impassable territory for the outside world. The region was known for coca cultivation and the conflict hit it hard. That time has passed, and with the help of the government, residents have been able to move from coca cultivation to ecotourism. Like in Playa Guío, where they will stay in an eco-lodge at the Laguna Negra lake. Thanks to these ecotourism projects, residents can finally leave their difficult past behind them.
In the heart of the Amazon, where the Apaporis River limits the departments of the Amazon and Vaupes, you can find some of the most impressive jugle destinations in Colombia; river rappids, waterfalls, and tepuis. Add to this some of the most conserved Indigenous cultures, with communities living according the ecological calander, and in traditional malokas, and you have an jungle experience hard to beat.
The landscape of the Mavecure hills, in the Amazonian department of Guainía on the border with Venezuela, is very special: four monoliths, also known as peñoles, rise above the jungle on the Inírida River between 170 and 712 metres. These 3 rock formations are named Pajarito, Mono and Mavicure, which is the hill where you will climb to observe the others with a 360 degree view of the surrounding jungle, through which the slow flowing rivers flow, with an indigenous community here and there.
