The Colombian Amazon on a Backpacker’s Budget

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One of the last unexplored corners of the planet. Drawing wildlife lovers, backpackers, eco-resort frequenters, and avid adventurers from all over the world.

Backpackers often shy away from big-ticket destinations. Think Everest, the Great Barrier Reef, or Trekking with Gorillas in Rwanda. Opting instead to cash in on cheaper destinations like Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe. But visiting the Amazon on a budget is more than possible.

The Amazon Rainforest is one of the most bio-diverse ecosystems on the planet. Home to far more animals than people, it can be difficult to plan your visit. Vast stretches of wilderness separate villages and few towns line the outskirts of the jungle.

Getting there is tricky & doing it all on a budget takes a little know-how.

The Gateway to the Colombian Amazon

Leticia, Colombia is your gateway to the Amazon Rainforest.

Tucked neatly into the rainforest you’ll be forced to fly into the gritty damp town. And in the process see just how expansive the jungle is. Seas of green as far as the eye can see. Most likely turbulence too. The jungle can be an unforgiving place weather-wise. But well worth your efforts.

A common misconception about visiting the Amazon is that you need to book in advance. Hotels, lodges, and eco-resorts will entice you with expensive accommodation, food, and tour packages. An all-inclusive jungle experience.

But don’t be fooled. The idea of arriving without a plan can be daunting. But it will save you so much money in the long run. Far cheaper, more authentic, and more personal than booking through one of the larger organizations. Let’s take a look at how you can experience the Amazon on a budget.

How to Visit the Amazon Rainforest On a Budget

Leticia, Colombia is a teeny town. Pushed against the banks of the Amazon River it is Colombia’s gateway to the Amazon. It’s gritty, it’s often flooded, and it’s one of the least visited areas in Colombia.

Getting to Leticia on a Budget

The only way into Leticia is by air. Direct flights are available from Bogota International Airport via LATAM Air. One of Colombia’s low-cost carriers.

Score Half-Priced Flights!

When booking this or any flight in Colombia make sure you are booking on the Colombian version of the site. On the English version of the site, the prices will be DOUBLE. “Technically” you have to be a Colombian citizen to get these fares, but no one took a second glance at our US passports when getting on the flights. Round-trip from Bogota to Leticia will end up costing you about $100.

Accommodation In Leticia

I highly recommend renting an apartment via booking.com. Our rental was walking distance from the town center, had its own kitchen & bathroom, AND the host let us keep our bags there while we were trekking in the Amazon for no extra cost.

Avg Guesthouse/Apt Cost: $20 per night

Hostels are available in Leticia. If the outsides are any indication of the inside, I would expect them to be basic and rundown. We opted for the slightly nicer private guesthouses for around the same price.

Food In Leticia

Food in Colombia is generally cheap and Leticia is no different. Street food, restaurants, and supermarkets are all readily available and accessible by foot.

Some of my Leticia favorites include:

• Gael Pizzeria Gourmet. Seriously good Pizza. We ate dinner here twice. They have a real pizza oven…which logistically had to have been a nightmare to get there. When you order a pizza they serve it to you slice by slice so that your pizza stays nice and warm.
• Quesera La Universal. Bunelos and Coffee. Every morning we sat at the plastic tables out front and the shop owner served us some freshly fried dough-balls and steaming cups of coffee dusting with cocoa.
• Mainstreet is lined with small empty family-owned restaurants. All serving up great Colombian fare.
• Supermarkets are filled with snacks and Pedialyte. An essential pick-me-up after an adventure.

What to Expect From Your Jungle Trek

Some combination of hiking, canoeing, wildlife spotting and exploring the depths of the rainforest. Our two-day excursion included searching for the famous pink river dolphins by day, caimans by night, and canoeing straight through the dense forest canopy.

We wrote about our night in the Colombian Amazon in detail here.

Two Tips Before You Go

1. Animals are not easy to spot. If you’re trying to photograph them you will need a super-zoom lens, a steady hand, and lots of patience.
2. Don’t be expecting luxury. This is the immersive diving deep into the Amazon guide. We slept in a hammock on a floating platform fending off hordes of mosquitos all night.

Finding Your Guide to the Amazon

Hotels, Eco-resorts, and Luxury All-Inclusives provide tours and guides. Unfortunately, they over-charge massively. They also cluster large groups of people with a single guide. This isn’t ideal for anyone. No one’s dream jungle excursion involves 10 other noisy tourists tagging along with them.

Why We Chose Gamboa Excursions.

• Gamboa Excursions is one of the many local tour agencies set up on the side of the main street in Leticia. They offer overnight excursions for 1/2/3 nights as well as day trips. With few tourists in the area and even fewer backpacking on a budget, your group will be small if you even have one at all.
• Overnight treks cost around 40/person per day and offer a truly immersive jungle experience. This includes all your meals and your sleeping accommodations for the night. (By sleeping accommodations- I mean Hammock).
• I personally don’t recommend day trips. These excursions are less immersive and therefore the groups MUCH larger. We were packed onto a speed boat with 25 other people and herded around several islands for the majority of the day. At each docking, we were discouraged from leaving the group and it felt very restrictive and touristy.

5 Things to Know Before Your Jungle Excursion

1. Don’t forget to tip your guide.

Gamboa excursions and many other private agencies employ Amazonas locals who make their entire living this way. If he managed to keep you alive + not get you lost deep in the Amazon…he deserves a generous tip.

2. Most guides DO NOT speak English.

We took this time to try and brush up on our Spanish. You can also pay for an English/Spanish Translator to accompany you if you would prefer.

3. During the Rainy Season the Amazon Floods.

If traveling during the rainy season (December-May) most excursions will involve canoeing through the flooded Amazon canopy instead of hiking for obvious reasons.

4. THIS WILL NOT BE GLAMOROUS.

Insects will rain down from above. There will be no running water. No showers. Just you + the jungle. So prepare yourself for an adventure.

5. Country borders along the Amazon are complicated.

Mostly because they are so loosely regulated with locals constantly crossing back and forth for work. Many tours cross into Peru at some point. Your guide may (or may not) want to pop over to immigration to get your passport stamped in and out. If he doesn’t “technically” you are illegally crossing borders. Just be sure to stamp back INTO Colombia, if you do get stamped into Peru. Otherwise, that will cause quite a commotion at the airport when you do eventually leave Colombia.

Other Activities in Leticia

Visit Santander Park at dusk. Thousands of little green parrots soar in from the jungle just before nightfall to nest. Screeching and chattering away.

Pro-tip: Head to the church across from the park. You can climb up the steeple from inside to a rooftop viewing platform. The best view in the house.

Stroll the banks of the Amazon. Stilted homes and lifted walkways guide you through the residential areas of the town. Great for birdwatching too. (As I typed the words…A little disappointed I’ve become one of those people.)

Get up early. The morning market is near the Amazon river. Selling everything from plump writhing grubs, Amazon River fish, and fresh plucked and pressed Acai.

Outside Leticia

• Puerto Narino. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A preserved jungle village that is undeniably beautiful. A few guesthouses are scattered around this quaint village and a restaurant nearest the sculpted tiger lookout tower serves the BEST fresh fruit popsicles.
• Monkey Island. A popular stop for day-trips. Basically exactly as it sounds. An island full of monkeys who love tourists because it means free snacks. I recommend visiting on your own if possible. The frenzied boatloads of people and monkeys all at once is no fun. Hire a boat for the day to take you there and on to Puerto Narino instead.

Other Helpful links and Blog Posts

• Read about my entire journey through the Amazon (bugs and all) in a piece I wrote for InTheKnowTraveler.

Colombia is a HUGE country. And your itinerary will take you all over this massive country. Here are some posts to get you started.

• Guatápe. A colorful Pueblo that deserves longer than a day-trip.
• Medellin is known as the city of Eternal Spring. It is also the fastest-growing metropolis in Colombia and a favorite of Digital Nomads.
• The Caribbean Coast of Colombia deserves an entire trip in itself.
• Consider visiting a few of the Caribbean islands (like Isolte) as well.
• Cartagena. The crown jewel of the Caribbean. It may be the most touristy city in Colombia but if you venture outside the walled city you’ll find plenty of hidden gems. Like the Mercado De Bazurto.
• The lush green valleys of Salento. Exploring the Valle de Cocora is a bucket list experience for most travelers.
• The capital city itself doesn’t get the credit it deserves. Bogota is a stunning mountain city. Thriving nightlife, a well-preserved historical center, and the BEST FOOD IN COLOMBIA.

If you enjoyed your backpacker’s guide to the Amazon-feel free to share or comment below!

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