I thought we were going to the middle of nowhere. And… we were! But in the middle of nowhere is a town that is a lot more developed and booming than you’d think, being in the south of Colombia in the Amazon rain forest… in Puerto Leguizamo, Putumayo. We got there and there were hotels, restaurants, touristy activities, adventure tourism, and just a lot to DO! And the beauty of the town – oh my goodness. Built on the edge of the Putumayo river, you can expect gorgeous sunsets every day. Puerto Leguizamo is the place to travel in Colombia in 2018, so this is for you to get to know a little more about this place, so you can go and so that, and this is a beautiful thing about tourism, Puerto Leguizamo and its people may thrive. So here’s what to do in Puerto Leguizamo!
Before we start, though, I want to talk a little bit about BeAncestro. Their mission is for the town to thrive off the natural and cultural tourism the town has to offer. We love what they stand for and would love to see it boom, so give Tati a call when you visit Puerto Leguizamo! Her phone number is: (+57) 310-419-8115. You can also message them on Facebook!
What to do in Puerto Leguizamo
- Sunset on the Bongo: the most popular spot to watch the sunset is on the bongo. The bongo is a yellow floating box of metal that allows you to stand on the river, instead of on its tree-covered edge. Word is the bongo is also a very popular place to ask someone to be your boy/girlfriend.
- Swim in lagoons: swimming in the Putumayo river can be pretty dangerous because of its strong current, but swimming in lagoons that feed the river is safe and so refreshing. Being in the middle of the Amazon is a unique experience, and one of the best parts of swimming in these lagoons is that it can only be done with permission from the local tribes. You feel like you’re being included in something special, and so it is.
- Meet the world’s biggest freshwater fish: only a 30 minute hike from Puerto Leguizamo will take you to Don Zuleta’s farm, where you can meet and feed a specimen of the world’s largest freshwater fish – a Pirarucu named Barrabas. Don Zuleta considers it his child. A 2.3 meter, 150 kilogram (7.5 feet, 330 pounds) child. Don Zuleta actually farms these wonderful creatures, attempting to educate people about fishing this endangered species. His idea is that if people want the fish for their meat, which is said to be the best in the world, they can go get the meat at farms instead of killing the fish in the wild. Don Zuleta also wants people to understand that these animals aren’t dangerous, as Discovery and other TV channels have portrayed it to be. They have small throats, so they only eat small fish. The Pirarucus are like children!
- Survive in the Jungle: The Rock, in Jumanji, has nothing on Don Zuleta. He’s a true Amazonian badass. He’ll teach you how to survive in the jungle during the day… and at night!
- Find Exotic Birds: the Amazon rain forest is a birdwatcher’s heaven. We went out on a rainy morning, saw hundreds of birds and monkeys, and were then told it had been a pretty inactive morning. I can only imagine what it must be like when the birds and monkeys are out and about instead of hiding from the rain! Birdwatchers in the area identified 215 birds, of the 1,486 birds identified in Colombia during the Global Big Day event. The birdwatching around Puerto Leguizamo is ridiculously incredible.
- See Pink Dolphins: you know, there are few places in the world where you can see Pink Dolphins, and Puerto Leguizamo is one of them. Only about 20 minutes from town along the river, we found a bunch of them and watched them show us their fins and catch their food.
- Get to know indigenous cultures: the wealth of indigenous cultures around Puerto Leguizamo is one of the main reasons you should visit the town. BeAncestro considers it one of their main focuses: it’s even in their name – ancestro, which means ancestor – and rightly so, since the indigenous culture of the Amazon is so foreign to most people, but also something we all should know more about. You’ll learn about mambe, which is a coca leaf powder they ingest like chewing tobacco, watch traditional dances, eat traditional foods (casabe and fish), and can get to know them personally.
- Go to La Paya National Park: we sadly didn’t get to go to this national park, but we heard it’s THE park for birdwatching. You can also see monkeys, jaguars, boas, and much, much more.
- Drink juices at the Galeria: one of my (Eric’s) favorite meals was a breakfast where we drank juice and ate fried stuff. But the winner there was the juice. In the main square there’s a small indoor plaza where people go to eat and buy groceries. Ask for the guy who makes juices and then indulge! When my dad and I travel together we occasionally have a meal of only juices if we find spectacular juices. This place 147% makes the cut for a juice meal.
If you call Tati, from BeAncestro, you’ll do a lot of these activities depending on how long you’re there. Let her know what sounds best to you!
How to get there:
In a plane: your two options are to fly to Puerto Asis and make a connection to Puerto Leguizamo or fly to Florencia and make a connection to Puerto Leguizamo. The only airline that flies to Puerto Leguizamo is Satena.
In a boat: you can ride a boat to Puerto Leguizamo from Puerto Asis or Florencia, but it’s better to just fly in.
Some things to know:
Once a very dangerous region of Colombia, Puerto Leguizamo now, I can with certainty, is ridiculously safe. You can walk around with camera equipment or valuable items and nothing will happen, and Leguizamenios are proud of that fact.
Just to reiterate, Tati’s phone number is: (+57) 310-419-8115. Call her and she’ll give you a tour of a lifetime.
Get the yellow fever vaccine 10 days before your trip. If you’re in Bogota, you can get vaccinated for free at the airport. There were no cases of yellow fever in Colombia in 2017, but it’s best to be safe.
Even if you were vaccinated, take bug spray. There are many, many insects that want to suck your blood in the Amazon Rainforest.
Make sure you drink bottled water. Really, this tip applies to any town or city in Colombia other than Bogota.
The rainy season is from March to July.
Take a camera. Obviously!! Puerto Leguizamo is one of the most photogenic places I’ve ever been. Part of that may be because there are no roads to the town, which have kept it from crowds of tourists. Let’s hope it stays that way… take care of it when you go!
Are you going to be in Bogota for some time? Here’s a list of places to go while you’re there!
