Where to stay in Leticia? – Information and tips

Travel Guide Leticia

Where to stay in Leticia? – Information and tips

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Where to stay in Leticia in the Amazon? There are many options. For example, in the city itself there is plenty of choice for every budget. Also 10-20 km outside the city you will find several accommodations, accessible by road and where you still stay in nature. Furthermore, you can catch a boat in Leticia and spend the night deep inland with an Indian community, where you will be introduced to its special culture. A 2-hour boat ride from Leticia lies Puerto Nariño, a good alternative to Leticia as a starting point for day trips in the area. Read more here if you want to stay overnight in Puerto Nariño. In this guide you will find our tips for hotels in Leticia and the surrounding area and for overnight stays with Indian communities in the interior.

Tips for booking your hotel or hostel

Our 5 #Colombia tips

Tip #1
Stay with an Indian community deep in the jungle
Staying with an Indian community is the most authentic experience in the Amazon. The (basic) accommodations can arrange local guides who will take you on tours, hikes in the jungle and introduce you to the culture and traditions of the Indian community. The Indian communities below are accessible by 1 -1.5 hour boat ride from Leticia.

  • Mocagua, 1h sailing from Leticia.
    Here you can stay overnight at La Ceiba, which is next to the Amacayacu National Park.

  • Macedonia, 1.5h sailing from Leticia
    Maloka Barü: hostel with a terrace with nice view during sunset

Here you can read more about Leticia’s express boat that stops at indian communities. When you book, check with your hotel to see if they can reserve tickets for the boat for you.

Tip #2
Stay in a hotel in nature, not too far from Leticia
The accommodations below are in the middle of nature, but are accessible by cab, tuk-tuk or bus from Leticia. If you want a little more luxury in the Amazon, check out the Amazona lodge, with wellness center.

  • Reserva Natural Tanimboca
    A nature reserve, where you can spend the night in a treehouse. (11km) Other activities include ziplining, kayaking and night hikes.

  • Casa Azul Reserva Amazónica
    Here you spend the night in a nature reserve with a local family. You have to be willing to go out of your way to get there: After a tuk-tuk ride from Leticia, you have to hike 2-3 hours through the jungle.

Tip #3
Check what is included with your stay!
Most hotels require you to pay separately for transportation to/from the hotel, tours and activities. Also check if your stay includes breakfast and other food and drinks. If there is no on-site restaurant, you can prepare for this by doing some groceries in Leticia.

Tip #4
Check out our tips for hotels in Leticia here
If you’re staying in Leticia for a few days, then Decameron hotel is in a good location, 300 meters from the port and central square. Decameron is considered the best hotel in Leticia.

Another good option is Hotel Amazon Bed & Breakfast, Leticia’s first boutique hotel, less than 2 blocks from the central plaza.

Waira Suites is a comfortable hotel with two pools in downtown.

If you want to take a day trip from Leticia, the hotels can help you to arrange this. Tip: arrange a private tour, which is customised, so you don’t have to do the “standard” sightseeing in a large group.

$ price range up to $50

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Leticia

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More hotels in Leticia

Practical information Leticia

Travel Guide Leticia

Home 9 Category: Travel Guide Leticia

Practical information Leticia

Here you will find practical information and useful tips for Leticia, such as: can you withdraw money, is Leticia safe and how is the wifi in Leticia.

Practical info A-Z

Drinking water
Water is not drinkable, also be careful with raw vegetables and avoid restaurants where you have doubts about hygiene.
Food and drink

With its location on the border of three countries with their culinary influences, you can try something new every day in Leticia. At Tierras Amazónicas you can try specialties from the Colombian, Peruvian and Brazilian Amazon. If you really want to try something local -and adventurous- there are the mojojoy worms, which are grilled or stuffed. The Pirarucú fish is particularly recommended. If you don’t like fish, there is usually a chicken or meat dish available. 

One of the better restaurants in Leticia is Nativos. Besides fish, you can also order meat dishes here and the restaurant is known for its delicious ceviche.

In Santa Rosa, Brisas del Amazonas is highly recommended and in Tabatinga Restaurantes 3 fronteras. Particularly popular for the Brazilian drink. For a meal of fish and rice you will pay around COP20,000 $5.

ATM

There are several ATMs in Leticia. The ATMs do not always have enough cash, so we recommend that you already withdraw money in Bogotá as well. Make sure you have enough cash with you to pay for tours and in restaurants. Poor wifi means you can’t always pay by card.

Electricity

If you go to an accommodation deeper in the jungle, there is often only a few hours a day of electricity, during which you can charge your devices. In the jungle there is no air conditioning and usually no fan, but since it cools down at night, that is not necessarily a problem.

Phone / Wifi

Claro has the best coverage in Leticia. It is recommended to bring a local SIM card. Wifi is slow and not all hotels have wifi.

Safety
  • Leticia is known as safe. However, it is not recommended to travel between the different countries at night, even if it is just to cross the “border.” There are gangs that smuggle between the 3 countries and therefore you should avoid Tabatinga at night or use cabs and tuk tuks. The center of Leticia is safe, but avoid the suburbs.
  • Don’t go into the jungle alone, but hike with a guide who knows his way around and knows the animal!
  • Check here the travel advice of the ministry of foreign affairs of Canada   and the United States.
Supermarkets

The better-known supermarkets in Leticia are supermercados Hipercosto and supermercado la Ceiba.

 

What to do in Leticia?

Travel Guide Leticia

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What to do in Leticia, in the Amazon? There are plenty of fun things to do in Leticia and the surrounding area to keep you entertained for a few days. Here are our 10 tips for the best things to do in Leticia.

ToColombia

10 Tips

Must do’s

1. Visit 3 countries in 1 day

Take a boat from the port to Isla Santa Rosa in Peru (15 min.) You can have lunch right there and try the Peruvian specialty ceviche at Brisas del Amazonas. On the Brazilian side of the border in Tabatinga are many stores, bars and restaurants. A great place to order the popular caipirinha cocktail is la Komara, where you have a nice view of the Amazon River. You get there by tuk-tuk.

Tip#1
In Brazil and Peru there are other currencies, (Real and Sol) but you can usually pay with Colombian pesos.

Tip #2
You do not have to go through immigration if you are just going back and forth for a day. If you stay overnight then you do have to go through immigration.

 

2. Spot the many parrots in Parque Santander

Around 5 p.m. masses of parrots come from the jungle to the park to sleep in the trees, a spectacular sight (and sound)! The best view is from the church tower. For COP5000/$1.25 you may enter to enjoy the best view. Even during the day, the park is a nice place to observe the daily life of the locals.

 

3. Visit Parque Ecológico Mundo Amazónico

Want a taste of Amazon nature and culture before your jungle trip? Then visit this park with botanical gardens, aquarium, jungle trails and a recreated village of an Indian community. For the cheapest ticket, you pay 100,000COP/$25 including transportation to/from your hotel and 140,000COP/$35 including jungle trail +lunch. You can also do a night hike there for 120,000COP/$30. Check out the website of Mundo Amazónico for more info.

4. Mingle with locals at the market

We think the local market is always the best way to get a glimpse into the lives of the locals, so too in Leticia! Check out the fish from the Amazon River and the many beautifully presented tropical fruits. The market is close to the port, making it a good place to visit before you get on the boat.

5. Visit the Ethnographic Museum

In the library of Leticia you will find the Ethnographic Museum. The museum has a collection of objects from the various Indian communities of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Urabá and Chocó, and particularly from the Amazonian Indian communities, such as the Uitoto, Yukuna and Tikuna (Magutá). The museum is free to enter and closed on Sundays and Saturday afternoons.

6. Visit Reserva Natural Victoria Regia

If you want to take a short trip by boat from Leticia (about 30 min.), you can visit this small nature reserve, with the water lily Victoria Regia Amazónica. The leaves of the largest water lily in the world can grow up to 2 meters wide. The 5-10 cm high rim allows the leaves to support a weight of as much as 40 kg without sinking!

7. Take a side trip to the Marasha Nature Reserve

In just half an hour by boat, you can reach this nature reserve in Peru, where you can kayak on the lake, spot birds and fish for piranhas

 

8. Go ziplining at Tanimboca nature reserve

In the nature reserve 12km from Leticia (half an hour by tuk-tuk), besides ziplining, you can do other activities such as kayaking and night hiking. If you have always wanted to sleep in a treehouse, this is your chance, because you can stay overnight in one of these treehouses.

9. Stay overnight with a Native American community

One of the highlights of a trip to the Amazon, learning about the rituals and the community’s special bond with nature. There are more than 60 indigenous tribes in the Amazon, with the Tikuna being the most important group. A 1.5-hour boat ride from Leticia is Mocagua and Macedonia. A 2.5-hour boat ride away is the Tikuna community of San Martín de Amacayacu. Read here our tips for special overnight stays at Native American communities in the Amazon.

 

10. Take a trip to Puerto Nariño and stay overnight.

Puerto Nariño is a relaxed eco-village 2 hours by boat from Leticia. You can go there on a day trip, but since there is a lot to do in the area, it is also nice to spend the night. In Puerto Nariño you can stroll around and admire the colorful houses with graffiti, spot river dolphins in Lake Tarapoto and see the work of the monkey sanctuary at Maikuchiga Monkey Sanctuary.

 

Bonus tip

Try local specialties from 3 countries!
With its location on the border of three countries with their culinary influences, you can try something new every day in Leticia. At Tierras Amazónicas you can try specialties from the Colombian, Peruvian and Brazilian Amazon. If you really want to try something local -and adventurous- there are the mojojoy larvae, which are grilled or stuffed with fish, meat or chicken and then deep-fried.

In terms of fish, the Pirarucú is highly recommended. If you don’t like fish, you can usually get a chicken or meat dish. Read more about the culinary specialties of the Amazon in this article.

How to get to Leticia

Travel Guide Leticia

Home 9 Category: Travel Guide Leticia

How to get to Leticia? No roads run to Leticia, so the capital of the Amazonas department can only be reached by plane and boat. Here you’ll find everything you need to know to get to Leticia. 

# 1 By plane to Letica
 Flights always go through Bogotá, there are no direct flights from other major cities in Colombia. If you are coming from Brazil, you can also fly from Manaus to the border city of Tabatinga in Brazil. Both Latam and Avianca fly from Bogotá to Leticia. Prices can vary, but you can buy a round-trip ticket starting at about 80$. The flight takes about 2.5 hours.

* Upon arrival at Alfredo Vásquez Cobo International Airport, you must pay the tourist tax a COP 38000/$9.50 (2024). There is no ATM where you arrive, so make sure you already have this in cash with you.

* There are cabs at the airport to take you to your hotel. The airport is very close to downtown Leticia. A 5-minute cab ride/around COP10,000/$2.50 will get you to most hotels. Want to start your arrival extra relaxed? Then book here book your cab to your hotel online.

#2 By boat to Leticia
You can also reach Leticia by boat if you come from Iquitos in Peru or Manaus in Brazil. Here you have the choice of “slow boats” or “fast boats.”

  • From Iquitos in Peru, you can take a fast boat that takes about 18 hours and a slow boat that takes about 3 days. The boats drop you off in Santa Rosa. Prices are between $35-$70.
  • From Manaus in Brazil to Leticia, there are fast boats that take about 36 hours. The price for a ticket is around $150.
  • From Manaus to Tabatinga on the Brazilian side of the border, there are slow boats that take around 155 hours. Tickets cost around $75.

#3 Taking an organized tour to Leticia
If you prefer a tour organization to take the organization of the trip to the Amazon off your hands, you can also book a tour. Check here the options for an organized tour to Leticia.

#4 Transportation in Leticia
The tuk-tuk is a popular means of transportation. For COP5,000-COP12,000 ($1.25-$3) you can take a ride around town or attractions nearby. In addition, there are cabs that can take you to attractions. There are also buses that leave from Parque Orellana.

#5 Are you traveling on by boat after arriving in Leticia?
Then check here info about the express boat to Puerto Nariño which stops along the way at Native American communities