Puerto Nariño, Colombia: A Must-Visit in the Amazon
If you are planning on visiting the Colombian Amazon, then I highly recommend visiting Puerto Nariño. It is an amazing, peaceful town in the middle of the Amazon.
We loved Puerto Nariño because it still feels like an authentic town in the middle of the Amazon. But at the same time, there is everything you need as a tourist.
In our five days in Puerto Nariño, we went on tours to check out the wildlife during the day. Then in the evenings we ate delicious fish BBQ on the streets and listened to the sounds of the jungle at our cabanas.
In our travels, we have visited the jungle in multiple places around the world. But Puerto Nariño has been our favourite experience.
Many people who visit the Colombian Amazon will just do day tours from Leticia. But if you want to experience local life in the Amazon, then spending a few days in Puerto Nariño is the perfect town.
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How to get to Puerto Nariño
To get to Puerto Nariño you will first have to fly into Leticia. Leticia is the biggest town in the Colombian state of Amazonas. You will have to fly there because the nearest road to Leticia is over 800 km (500 miles) away!
I was blown away by flying over the Amazon. For a couple of hours, we just saw thick, non-stop jungle with enormous rivers snaking through it. The scale of it is hard to comprehend unless you see it with your own eyes.
There are direct flights to Leticia from Bogota. So any other major city in Colombia, like Medellin, will transfer through Bogota on the way to Leticia.
Once you are in Leticia you will have to catch a boat for 2 hours down the Amazon River to Puerto Nariño. Read here how to get from Leticia to Puerto Nariño by boat 🚤
Puerto Nariño Weather
As Puerto Nariño is in the middle of the Amazon jungle it is hot and humid all year round. Temperatures are about 33°C (90F) during the day with humidity of 80%. So you will get sweaty! ☀️
But the Cabañas we stayed in were surprisingly cool at night. So even without AC, we were able to sleep without being too hot. Plus there was a fan.
Best time to visit Puerto Nariño
The best time to visit Puerto Nariño is when it fits your schedule. June to September are the driest months and February to April are the wettest ones. But all seasons have their benefits and downsides.
For example, in the wetter months, the Amazon River carries way more water, making it much easier to spot wildlife above and below the water. It also changes the landscape around Puerto Nariño, making it more lush and green.
While in the drier season, you have to worry less about rain and mud. We went in the drier season (September) and had only one rainy day and night out of 7 days. That rainfall was actually awesome to experience in the jungle.
The dry season is the most popular because you can go on hikes in the jungle. In the wet season everything is flooded so you will have to just stay in the boat.
We learnt in a small museum in Puerto Narino that locals do not view the seasons as summer and winter, or dry or rainy season. They view the seasons as high and low water.
This is because life for them changes so much based on how high the water in the rivers is. So the two seasons are high water and low water.
Getting around Puerto Nariño
Getting around Puerto Nariño is super easy, as it is a small town so you can walk everywhere. The walking paths in town are wide and made with bricks, so if you expect dirt roads, you will be pleasantly surprised.
Puerto Nariño only has two vehicles in town: One is used for construction, and the other is to take people to and from the hospital. Amazing!
Because there are no vehicles, walking around town is peaceful and relaxing. You never have to dodge loud speeding motorbikes, which is the case in most of Colombia. Plus you will hear jungle sounds 24/7!
Tip: Download the offline map for Puerto Nariño on Maps.me before arriving. There are a lot more details on it than on Google Maps. Plus there is not much wifi in Puerto Nariño 🧭
What to do in Puerto Nariño
Despite its small size, there are lots of cool things to do in Puerto Nariño that will keep you busy for a few days. We could have easily stayed longer than 5 nights.
1. Go On A Dolphin Watching Tour
Many people have no idea that there are dolphins in the Amazon. But around Puerto Nariño, you are almost guaranteed to see them in the rivers and lakes nearby.
River dolphins are much different from their cousins in the ocean. They have very different-looking faces and one species even has pink skin!
There are two species of river dolphin around Puerto Nariño: Grey and pink dolphins. The Colombian part of the Amazon has protected them and banned hunting.
This is great because other neighboring countries such as Peru and Brazil have not outlawed the hunting of these amazing creatures.
To see the dolphins around Puerto Nariño, you will jump in a boat with a guide and cruise around until you see them. It’s one of the activities you can book on-site.
Amazon river dolphins are much shyer than ocean dolphins. So do not expect close-up photos of them jumping out of the water. The ones above are our best shots 🙈
We saw the backs popping out of the water over and over to breathe but never really got a glimpse of their faces. But it is still an amazing experience, particularly if you see a pink river dolphin up close and hear them breathe!
Our private dolphin tour was 120,000 pesos (30 USD) for two people. We booked it on-site at our accommodation Cabañas Alto del Aguila. The tour lasted for 5 hours and included piranha fishing so it was great value for money 🐬
2. Fish Piranhas
After the dolphin watching, you will have the option to go piranha fishing. This ended up being one of our favorite things that we did in Puerto Nariño, so I highly recommend it.
We caught 3 piranhas and 2 other types of fish within 20 minutes. We used basic fishing lines that were provided by the guide. They are made of a piece of wood with a line attached to them. It works!
Katharina even caught 3 different species of piranha in a row. The guide was super excited because he had never seen that before. Usually, people catch the same piranha species.
The only species we didn’t catch was a black piranha. So if you go, you can try and catch all 4 and break our record!
Tip: We booked all of our Amazon tours at our accommodation. The owners know two guides that they recommend for all their guests. So just ask your accommodation for tours. This will save you tons on tour operator costs, plus you support local guides directly 💛
3. Spot Sloths in San Antonio, Peru
San Antonio is a Peruvian village on the opposite side of the Amazon River from Puerto Nariño. It is well known as a great place to spot sloths in the wild. This is because sloths only feed on a certain type of tree and there are plenty of them near San Antonio.
To visit San Antonio from Puerto Nariño you have to book a tour. We did the full-day tour and can highly recommend it! Once again we booked it directly at our accommodation.
- The full-day tour includes transport (boat), a jungle walk in San Antonio, lunch, sloth spotting and seeing the lotus flower for 300,000 COP (70 USD) for 2 people.
- The half-day tour includes transport (boat) and sloth spotting for 220,000 COP (50 USD) for 2 people. It’s worth it to pay 20 USD more for the other activities!
We really enjoyed doing the jungle walk before looking for sloths. Our guide was so knowledgeable and showed us many interesting plants, huge trees and insects.
But be prepared to get hot! Each part of the tour requires walking through the jungle for about 1.5 hours. So you will get very sweaty, and you will need some protective layers.
4. Go on a Jungle Nightwalk
Going on a walk through the jungle was one of our favourite things we did in Puerto Narino.
At night, the jungle really comes alive with all kinds of unusual sounds coming from the darkness. Our guide took us through the darkness and showed us all types of interesting creatures.
We saw a few tarantulas, a poison dart frog, and many other cool-weird-looking insects.
This tour costs 90,000 pesos (20 USD) for 2 people and lasts 2 hours. You will need a headlamp and boots, but our guide provided them for us at no extra cost. Wear light long sleeves and long pants!
Even though it felt very safe with the guide, it is for sure one of those moments we were grateful to have travel insurance in case something goes wrong.
We have been using SafetyWing Nomad Insurance for the past 4 years and have been very happy with their service.
You can sign up from anywhere, pay monthly or yearly, and pause or cancel at any time – a feature most health insurances don’t offer.
It’s quick and easy to get insured because their website is straightforward and their plans are flexible, which we love.
SafetyWing’s Essential plan (which we are on) covers unexpected medical emergencies, hospital stays, and travel issues like lost checked luggage or trip delays for about $2 USD a day!
So if you want to be covered for any mishaps during your Amazon adventure, check out SafetyWing’s website or calculate your coverage directly here👇
5. See Monkeys at Cabañas Alto del Aguila
Cabañas Alto del Aguila is where we stayed in Puerto Nariño. But it is also a tourist attraction because of all the wildlife that hangs around the property.
There are 3 different species of monkeys to see, and some of them even jump on you if you have some food in your hands. There are also plenty of other animals at the property (see photos below) so in my opinion the best idea is to stay there to spot them all.
If you don’t stay at Cabañas Alto del Aguila you can pay 10,000 pesos (2 USD) to see the monkeys 🐒 Organized tours from Leticia will also often stop there.
6. Watch Sunset from the Mirador
One benefit of staying in Puerto Nariño is that you can watch the sunset from the Mirador. Most people only visit Puerto Nariño on a day trip so do not get the chance to go up the lookout at sunset.
Entrance costs 5,000 pesos (1 USD) and the view is amazing! There will probably only be a few other people at the top with you. The view is still great during the day but it’s magic to see the pink-tinted clouds over the jungle at sunset 🌅
7. Enjoy Amazonian Food at a Street BBQ
Our favorite place to eat in Puerto Nariño was at one of the street BBQs at night. Every evening people set up BBQs in the street and grill local fish, meat, plantains and arepas. We ate at a BBQ nearly every night and it was always delicious.
The fish inside the banana leaves was some of the best fish I have ever eaten in my life. It was as good as fish fresh off the boat back in New Zealand.
Eating at the BBQs was also a great way to soak up the atmosphere of the town. While we ate, we loved taking in the small town atmosphere as kids played in the streets and families walked around.
You pay depending on what and how much you choose from the grill. Our meals usually ended up at about 20,000 pesos (5 USD) each. This was more than enough to fill us up.
To find the BBQs just walk past Las Margaritas restaurant up the hill and you will see them by the first intersection.
Tip: The banana leaves have fish inside them that have been steamed in a sauce. It was super good! So I highly recommend trying it 🫔
8. Find all of the Monuments in Town
A quirky thing about Puerto Nariño is that there are monuments all over town. Most of them are about local wildlife and the town’s history. Usually, I find this kind of thing tacky, but in Puerto Nariño it added to its charm.
If you find the strange dolphin statue it represents an even stranger local legend: Pink river dolphins transform into a man at night and impregnate local women! Very weird! But it is a funny statue to take a picture of 📸
9. Visit Reserva Wochine Fish Farm
Reserve Wochine is a fish farm and an area where a local guy looks after rescued animals. The star attraction of Reserve Wochine is the chance to see the monstrous pirarucu.
A pirarucu is a fish native to the Amazon that is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world. It regularly reaches up to 200cm (6.5ft) in length and weighs 200kg (440lbs)! But there are reports of pirarucu 450cm (14.7ft) in length being found 🐉
The piracucu is covered in large scales with red around them that makes its tail look like a dragon underwater. There is one piracucu in the pond at Reserva Wochine and it is huge! Even though it is not a wild piracucu, it is still awesome to see how big it is.
When you arrive at Reserva Wochine, you will need to pay 10,000 pesos (2 USD) to enter. The manager of the site will then take you to the pond to see the fish. After that, he will take you on a walk through the forest to see a huge tree 🌳
There may also be some animals on the property that they are looking after. When we went there, there was a baby sloth and baby monkey in the tree!
How to get to Reserva Wochine
To get to Reserva Wochine, you can hire a guide for 50,000 pesos (10 USD). He will walk from Puerto Nariño to the fish farm with you and back and tell you a lot on the way.
But we went by ourselves and enjoyed just taking in nature quietly while we walked. The easiest way to find it is to have Maps.me on your phone.
Head to Carrera 3 marked on the map and walk east along this street until you see a green sign pointing to Reserva Wochine. From there, you follow the path until the entrance to the farm. It’s easy to find and you will see many monuments on the way.
10. Visit Puerto Nariño’s Underwater Museum
Fundacion Nautama is a unique little museum that educates you on the local wildlife in and around Puerto Nariño and the town’s history.
You will need to speak basic Spanish to understand the person who shows you around. But you will learn some fascinating facts about the Amazon.
Entrance is 10,000 pesos (2 USD) and the tour lasts about 20 min. They made a cool exhibit demonstrating day and night in the Amazon ✨
11. Cool Off with Amazonian Ice Cream
Puerto Nariño has quite a few shops selling ice creams and popsicles for melting tourists. The cool thing is that many of them are flavored with local Amazonian fruits that you cannot find in other parts of the world!
The best one we tried (and didn’t give you a sugar coma) was Acai flavored and inside a travel agency. They are 5,000 pesos (1 USD) each and super good.
To get one walk to this point on Google Maps. You should see a statue of a turtle here. Make a left and walk about 100m (328 ft). The travel agency will be on the left-hand side and there will be a sign saying “Artisanal ice cream for sale“.
Where to stay in Puerto Nariño
We stayed in Cabanas Alto del Aguila in Puerto Nariño and loved it! It is one of our favorite places we have stayed in on all our travels.
However, do not expect a 5-star hotel. The Cabañas are quite rustic. So you will just have a pipe coming out of the wall for a shower and basic furniture.
But they are comfortable, cool at night, and the mosquito nets work well so you do not have to worry about being eaten alive.
The reason you stay at Cabañas Alto del Aguila is to get up close with the wildlife that visit the property. There are 4 species of monkeys, macaws, turtles, pugs, kittens and a baby caiman that visit or live at the property 🐒🦜🐢🐊🐕🐈
There is also a kayak at the property that you can take out on the lake by yourself for free if you feel like some adventure. They even gave us some fishing rods to try to catch some piranhas from the kayak.
Another huge benefit is that they have Starlink Wifi so you will have internet with 290 mbps in the middle of the Amazon! All of this from only 15 USD per night.
Cabañas Alto del Aguila is not for everyone. But if you have a bit of adventure in your heart you will love it there. You can book them here or here 👇
Puerto Nariño Hotels
If you want to stay at a slightly more comfortable accommodation, then Refugio Maiku is also a great option. They are closer to town and have much more modern rooms and very good reviews. Although it is still in the Amazon so do not expect a 5-star hotel.
Where to eat in Puerto Nariño
Most restaurants in Puerto Nariño are either open for breakfast, lunch or dinner but not the whole day. Google Maps is also not accurate so you will have to look around a bit.
Best lunch place
For lunch, I recommend Dona Iris, which is always popular with locals. The Menu del Dia is 18,000 pesos (5 USD) and comes with a hearty soup, a main meal and a refill of homemade juice. The owner is super friendly, and we loved the food!
The restaurant is not on Google Maps. But just look for Las Margaritas restaurant and then walk a couple of minutes past up the hill until you see a black chalkboard on the right-hand side out on the street saying “Dona Iris”.
Best lunch buffet
The most popular restaurant in town is Las Margaritas with a lunch buffet for 25,000 pesos (6 USD). I didn’t like Margaritas too much as it is where all the tourist groups go. But the food is good and you get a lot! Plus, the restaurant has a nice seating area.
Best dinner places
My favorite place to eat in Puerto Nariño was at the street BBQs. These are held every night, and what is cooked depends on who is doing the BBQ. Read more about it here.
If you feel like some good ceviche then I can recommend El Tigrillo. The ceviche here was super fresh for 25,000 pesos (6 USD). They have pizzas and burgers on the menu as well but I recommend eating local fish and food in Puerto Nariño.
Puerto Narino Essentials
- Mosquito Repellent – this is a must for the Amazon. I hate using repellent with DEET in it but the spray works. In some areas, you will get eaten alive without it. You can also cover your skin up but the mosquitos will devour any skin that is exposed.
- Lightweight clothing – this will help protect you from the sun and mosquitoes. I just wore shorts and a t-shirt the whole time. But you will have to use far less sunblock and insect repellent with proper clothing.
- Sunscreen and cap – the sun is super strong in the Amazon with a very high UV Index. Despite lightweight clothing, protect exposed skin properly.
- Washable sneakers – simple running shoes worked for us.
- Reusable water bottle – all accommodations we stayed at had free cold refills!
- Camera, GoPro or a good phone – you will want to capture memories!
🎒 Tip: Pack smart and light! It’s hot in the Amazon so you need breathable layers for protection but not much in general. We traveled with hand luggage only which also saved good money on the flight tickets.
- Travel Insurance – is a must while in the Amazon. Accidents are rare, but if anything happens, it is a long way to the nearest hospitals, so insurance will come in very handy. I can highly recommend SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance that we have been using for 5 years now. We are covered for medical emergencies, travel delays and lost luggage. But our favourite feature is that you pay month to month, so you can cancel and renew your insurance at any time. We have also made a couple of claims with SafetyWing and received our payouts fairly quickly. You can check out their plans, details and add-ons on SafetyWing’s website.
Internet in Puerto Nariño
The two main cellphone providers in Colombia are Tigo and Claro. In Puerto Nariño you will get quite a good signal if you have a Claro sim card.
But if you have a Tigo sim card there is almost no signal. We had a Tigo SIM card and had to stand in very specific parts of town just to get a very weak signal.
So if you want to have internet access while you are in Puerto Nariño I recommend getting a Claro sim card.
Most accommodations will not have Wifi either. We were lucky because our Cabañas had Starlink (290 mbps!) which was amazing. So you can get good internet in the Amazon, but it’s not given! 🛜
Enjoy amazing Puerto Nariño!
Puerto Nariño is an amazing town in the Colombian Amazon and to us a must-visit. There are plenty of things to do while you experience local tranquil life in the jungle.
If you found this travel guide helpful let us know in the comments below! Also, ask away if you have any questions and make sure to check out our other guides on Colombia too.
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Hello fellow travelers, how safe and easy is it to walk to town and back to the Cabanas? In particular at night. I would like to stay but traveling solo, I want to make sure it is OK since there are no restaurants at the Cabanas. Thanks in advance, Beth
Hi Beth, we walked to town multiple times after dark and felt very safe. We did walk as a couple though, so I can’t tell how safe I would have felt solo. But the whole town itself feels super safe, people are super friendly and everyone walks as it’s a car-free town! There is also a kitchen in the Cabanas free to use. x Kat
Thanks a lot! It’s perfect for my first solo trip I’m deciding to do in the Amazonas.
Hi Geraldine, kudos to your first solo trip in the Amazon – we are sure you will love it! 🐒
What a great article. Were the tours in English or were they only in Spanish?
Hi Nancy, thanks so much. Great to hear you liked the article 💛 Our Tours were only in Spanish but if you ask they organize a translator which you would have to pay extra.
Hi!
This post is really helpful for me since I’m planning on going to Puerto Nariño soon, during my travel to Colombia 🙂
I’m really grateful for all the tips and activities listed – great work! We will probably use your accommodation recommendation too – it looks awesome. I was wondering if you reserved it through Booking? And when it comes to all activities and tours, did you book it on site or before? The prices look also very affordable, cause when researching local guides I found much higher values.
Thanks for help! Now I need to check all your other guides for Colombia 😀
Hi Agata, great to hear you found our blog post helpful and that you decided to visit Puerto Nariño. We loved it there. To answer your questions:
– Yes, we booked Cabañas Alto del Aguila on Booking.com. That worked perfectly. When we extended our stay, we did it directly with the owners and paid in cash.
– We booked all activities on-site. You will meet the guides at the Cabañas and pay in cash directly to them. So make sure to use the ATM in Leticia. We found that much easier and cheaper than organizing any tours upfront. That way you also support the local guides directly and get to know them before the tour starts. But not all speak English, so keep that in mind.
Have fun and let us know if you need anything else.
Great article, very thorough. It sounds like you guys travel much like we do (myself, wife and two teens). We love destinations that are kind of off the beaten track, rustic accommodations and especially street food for the most authentic experience. Thanks for the many tips!
D&T in Canada
Hi D Chan, thanks for your comment. Great to hear that you found our tips helpful and that you and your family are adventure travelers too 🙂 Happy more travels!
Kia ora from a fellow Kiwi!
Leticia (and surrounding places) have been on my list to complete an Amazon Trip in, though up until now I struggled to see how I could fit it into my LatAm trip (Part 1) at the end of this year, starting in Colombia and finishing in Rapa Nui.
Your blog and pics have sold me on visiting Puerto Nariño too, so thanks heaps for the tips! I’m going to (try) work this in between Cali’s ‘Feria de Cali’ and Pasto’s ‘Carnaval de Los Negros y Blancos’, which will mean I’ll leave the northern part of Colombia for another trip…
About to dive into your travel experiences throughout LATAM. Have fun in Guatemala in the meantime (also on my places to visit!)
Hi Elaine, happy to hear you got inspired through our blog. We really loved Puerto Nariño, it’s an amazing place. Have fun in the Amazon and in Cali. We will have more articles on Guatemala coming out in the next weeks. We actually just arrived in New Zealand, so there will be some article about that published soon too 🙂