Getting to and away from Leticia

By Lorraine Caputo

Leticia is accessible by river and air. The only road that exists is a dry-weather track to Tarapacá (with public transport only as far as kilometer 18) and the one to Tabatinga. See Getting Around for details.

By River

Leticia’s port is at the end of Calle 8. The street is quite muddy in the rainy season. From the three floating docks you can catch a launch to villages along the Amazon and its tributaries. Two types of boast ply the routes: The fast boat, with an enclosed passenger compartment, and the peque-peque, an open canoe with a long-shafted outboard motor. In the past it was cheaper to take a boat from Puerto Asís to Leticia, but this route now goes right through the war zone, with heavy fighting and bombing occasionally reported.

For the following routes, go directly to the docks; launches leave every 15-20 minutes.

To Santa Rosa: daily 6 a.m.-8 p.m., $1.05.

To Tabatinga: daily 6 a.m.-8 p.m., $1.05.

You can ask around the docks for information about slow-boat peque-peques to the different villages.

To Puerto Nariño: Twice weekly, $9.50, 6 hours or more.

Several agencies at the end of Calle 8 sells tickets for fast boats to PNN Amacayacu, Mocagua and Puerto Nariño, including Transportes Fluviales del Amazonas (daily 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Calle 8 11-183, Tel.: 8-592-5999). You may want to buy your passage the day before.

To PNN Amacayacu, Mocagua and Puerto Nariño: 8 a.m., 10 a.m., 2 p.m., $10.50 / $11 / $11.50, 1.5-2 hours.

For information on international boats—to Manaus, Brazil, and Iquitos, Peru, see Colombia-Brazil-Peru Border Crossings.

By Air

Leticia’s Aeropuerto Internacional Vásquez Cobo is 1.5 kilometers (1 mile) from downtown. Avenida Vásquez Cobo in front of the airport becomes Carrera 10.. AeroRepública flies to Bogotá daily ($142-190 one way, including taxes) (Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-noon, 2-6 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.-noon. Calle 7 10-36, Tel.: 8-592-7838). On Sundays you can buy your ticket at the airport. Satena also now has flights to Bogotá three days per week ($77 with taxes) (Monday, Wednesday, Friday 2-6 p.m. Calle 11 5-73, Tel.: 8-592-4845). Flights are cheaper on some days rather than on others. Shop around and check the companies’ websites.