What to see, where to stay and the best time to visit Leticia, Colombia.
Photo: Nancy / Pexels
Leticia is a small Colombian town of about 55,691 people on the Amazon. Most visitors come for the nature around it. The centre is easy to explore on foot. Parque Santander and the Museo Etnográfico Amazónico take about 1 hour each, and the riverfront and market take 1–2 hours. The main draw lies beyond town: lakes, forest reserves and boat trips upriver to Puerto Nariño. The best months to go are May and June.
The town's own sights fit into 1 day. Puerto Nariño needs another 1–2 days. Lago Tarapoto, Lagos de Yahuarcaca and Reserva Natural Tanimboca each take half a day. Plan several days if you want both the river and the forest trips.
Town centre
Leticia's main square is where most visitors start. At dusk, huge flocks of small parrots fly in to roost in the trees, which is loud and impressive to watch. Locals gather here in the evening, so it is also an easy way to get a feel for the town.
Upriver on the Amazon
Puerto Nariño is a small, car-free village on the Amazon, reached by fast boat from Leticia. It has quiet walkways, a strong focus on recycling and conservation, and Indigenous communities nearby. Most people stay at least one night to join river and forest trips from here.
Near Puerto Nariño
This lake system sits near Puerto Nariño and is one of the best places in the area to see pink and grey river dolphins. Trips usually go by small boat and pass through flooded forest. Water levels change through the year, which affects the routes boats can take.
Edge of Leticia
These lakes are just outside town and are the closest place to Leticia to take a canoe trip. Depending on the season, you can see giant water lilies, birds and sometimes river dolphins. It is a good short trip if you do not have time to go further upriver.
Town centre
This small museum, run by the Banco de la República, shows tools, masks, clothing and other objects made by Indigenous peoples of the Amazon. It gives useful background before you visit communities along the river.
Leticia–Tarapacá road
Tanimboca is a private forest reserve outside town. It offers canopy walks, tree climbing, zip-lines and kayaking. Some visitors stay overnight in raised treehouses to hear the forest at night.
Leticia–Tarapacá road
This ecological park and botanical garden has guided walks that explain Amazon plants, their medicinal and food uses, and local farming. It is an easy, low-effort introduction to the rainforest, and it suits families.
Town centre
The waterfront is where the river boats come and go, and the nearby market sells fish, fruit and other produce from the region. It is a good place to watch daily life on the Amazon and to try local food.
Average weather and our month score, from 10 years of climate data.
| Month | High / low | Rain days | Sunshine | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30°C / 23°C | 28 days (358 mm) | 8.2 h/day | 2.8/10 |
| February | 30°C / 24°C | 26 days (353 mm) | 7.6 h/day | 2.8/10 |
| March | 30°C / 24°C | 28 days (359 mm) | 7.6 h/day | 2.7/10 |
| April | 30°C / 23°C | 28 days (314 mm) | 7.8 h/day | 3.0/10 |
| Best month: May | 29°C / 23°C | 27 days (266 mm) | 8.5 h/day | 3.1/10 |
| Best month: June | 29°C / 23°C | 24 days (197 mm) | 9.1 h/day | 3.2/10 |
| July | 30°C / 23°C | 21 days (140 mm) | 9.9 h/day | 3.0/10 |
| August | 30°C / 23°C | 19 days (129 mm) | 9.8 h/day | 2.6/10 |
| September | 31°C / 24°C | 20 days (133 mm) | 9.5 h/day | 2.2/10 |
| October | 31°C / 24°C | 23 days (192 mm) | 9.0 h/day | 2.2/10 |
| November | 31°C / 24°C | 25 days (255 mm) | 8.6 h/day | 2.5/10 |
| December | 30°C / 24°C | 29 days (361 mm) | 7.9 h/day | 2.9/10 |
Hot and very wet. Highs reach 29.9°C with 28.3 rain days and 358 mm of rain. Score 2.8: heavy, near-daily rain is the main drawback.
Highs of 29.8°C and 26.2 rain days bring 353 mm of rain. Score 2.8: steady heavy rain and heat make it a tough month.
One of the wettest months, with 28.4 rain days, 359 mm of rain and highs of 29.9°C. Score 2.7, held down by near-daily rain.
Highs of 29.5°C with 27.5 rain days and 314 mm of rain. Score 3: still very wet, though with a little less rain than March.
Rain eases slightly to 266 mm over 27.4 rain days. Highs of 29.3°C and 8.5 hours of sun a day. Score 3.1.
Highs of 29.1°C, 24.3 rain days and 197 mm of rain. Score 3.2, the best of the year, as the rain starts to ease.
Drier and sunnier, with 140 mm of rain over 20.9 rain days, 9.9 hours of sun and highs of 29.5°C. Score 3.
The driest month, with 129 mm of rain and 18.8 rain days. Highs climb to 30.4°C and the score dips to 2.6.
The hottest stretch begins, with highs of 31.3°C, 19.8 rain days and 133 mm of rain. Score 2.2, one of the year's lowest.
Highs of 31.3°C, the year's hottest, with 23.4 rain days and 192 mm of rain. Score 2.2: strong heat and returning rain make it tough.
Rain builds again to 255 mm over 24.8 rain days. Highs of 30.6°C keep it hot. Score 2.5.
The wettest month, with 361 mm of rain on 28.9 rain days and highs of 29.7°C. Score 2.9, held back by heavy rain.
Climate averages 2015–2024 · Best time to visit Colombia →
The best areas to base yourself and who each one suits.
Good for first-timers, short stays
The compact grid around Parque Santander holds most guesthouses, cafés, banks and tour offices, and at dusk huge flocks of parrots come to roost in the park's trees. It is easy to arrange river trips and walk everywhere from here. Motorbike traffic and evening music can make some streets noisy.
Good for river views, tour access
The riverfront strip near the port puts you close to the boats heading up the Amazon and to the market where you can watch the morning trade. It is handy for early departures. The port area feels rough and smells of fish, and it is quiet and dimly lit after dark.
Good for nature lovers, birdwatchers
Along the road leading out of town towards Tarapacá, lodges and nature reserves sit in forest. You get birdsong, night walks and rain-forest air while staying a short taxi ride from the centre. You will rely on taxis or motorbike taxis to get into town, and humidity and insects are part of the stay.
Good for slow travellers, village life
This small Peruvian river settlement sits across the Amazon and is reached by a short boat ride. It offers a quiet, village pace and views back across the water to Colombia and Brazil. Facilities are basic, and you depend on boats to get back to Leticia.
A giant Amazon river fish with firm white meat. Locals eat it fried, grilled or in stews, often with fariña and plantain, at riverside restaurants and simple market stalls.
Coarse, toasted cassava flour with a crunchy texture, a sign of the Brazilian influence in this border town. People sprinkle it over fish, soups and beans, and the market sells it by the bag.
A large, flat river fish, also called tambaqui, with rich and fatty meat. It is usually grilled whole or cooked in a broth and served with rice, plantain or yuca.
Fish wrapped in leaves and slowly cooked or smoked over wood coals, an old Indigenous method from the region. You find it at family-run places and in nearby river communities.
Rice mixed with chicken, egg and spices, wrapped in bijao leaves and boiled. It comes from the Peruvian side of the river and is common across the border area.
Juices made from tart Amazon fruits. Copoazú is creamy and sweet-sour, while camu camu is very sour. Juice stands and cafés serve them fresh, and they also appear in ice creams.
June and May score best for Leticia. June has the lowest highs of the year at 29.1°C, with 197 mm of rain over 24.3 days and 9.1 hours of sun a day. May is a little wetter at 266 mm but still mild, with highs of 29.3°C. Rain is part of every month here, so plan for wet days whenever you go.
Yes, it rains in every month. Even the driest month, August, averages 18.8 rain days and 129 mm. December is the wettest, with 361 mm over 28.9 days. January, February and March are similar, at 353 to 359 mm. Between July and September rainfall drops to 129 to 140 mm, and you get 9.5 to 9.9 hours of sun a day.
August is one of the driest months, but it is also getting hotter. It has the fewest rain days, at 18.8, the lowest rainfall, at 129 mm, and 9.8 hours of sun a day. Highs reach 30.4°C, and they climb to 31.3°C in September and October. These are the hottest months of the year.
December is the wettest month in Leticia. It averages 361 mm of rain over 28.9 days, so you can expect rain on almost every day. It is warm and humid, with highs of 29.7°C and lows of 23.5°C. There are 7.9 hours of sun a day, so dry spells still happen between showers.
You need several days, because Puerto Nariño alone takes 1–2 days. Nearby Lago Tarapoto adds half a day. Around Leticia, Lagos de Yahuarcaca and Reserva Natural Tanimboca take half a day each, and Mundo Amazónico takes 2–3 hours. In the town centre, Parque Santander and Museo Etnográfico Amazónico take 1 hour each. The riverfront and market take 1–2 hours.
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