Top 10 Tips for Your Trip to Leticia Amazonas

Leticia is the capital of Colombia's Amazonas department and the country's southernmost city, neighboring Tabatinga (Brazil) and Santa Rosa (Peru). Here are the 10 most practical tips before you travel.

Traveling to Leticia Amazonas is an adventure from the start. Leticia is Colombia's southernmost city, on the banks of the Amazon River, with Tabatinga (Brazil) and Santa Rosa (Peru) as direct neighbors. The only way to get there is by plane from Bogotá or Iquitos, or by boat from Iquitos and Manaus — a small town surrounded by rainforest, with 100% humidity and hot temperatures.

Leticia's real climate

• Temperatures between 30 and 40 degrees Celsius, with 100% humidity and rain at any hour of the day — not a destination for anyone hoping for mild weather.
• Average daily temperature of 24° to 35°C; comfortable, loose, quick-dry clothing is recommended, along with long sleeves and a hat.
• Insect repellent and sunscreen at all times, in enough supply for every day of the trip.

Water and health

Tap water is not good to drink. Leticia has no water system of its own — what you get at the hotel is well water. It's not recommended for drinking; locals may tolerate it, but visitors typically have a more sensitive stomach. Always carry medication for nausea, diarrhea, and motion sickness, since tours involve hours on boats and meals with spices you may not be used to.

Agencies, transport, and footwear

• Always book with a certified travel agency — touring with street guides can be genuinely dangerous, with no insurance or guarantees.
• If the tour is by boat, it needs a roof — hours in the sun with no cover can end in heatstroke and sunburn.
• Rainforest hikes call for rubber boots (Willington's) — the jungle is 100% muddy, and trekking boots simply do not hold up here.

How to get there (and how not to)

There is no road or boat connection from Bogotá to Leticia Amazonas — the only way to get there is by air.

Prepare for the real Amazon

There are no Hilton towers or 5-star luxury hotels in the middle of the rainforest. Travelers to Leticia will find ordinary lodging in one of the most demanding environments on the planet — always with the best service possible, but without losing sight of the fact that this is the middle of the jungle, often without a connection.