Getting There and Away

Written by Marcus Kayode, Marika Maslanka, Santiago Rodriguez
03/08/2025
Stunning sunset over the Amazon River with a silhouette of trees near Leticia, Colombia.
Nancy, Pexels

Leticia's primary transport hub is Alfredo Vásquez Cobo International Airport (LET), which connects it to the rest of Colombia. The city also serves as a significant port on the Amazon River, facilitating river travel to neighboring countries.

Flights to Leticia:

The only way to reach Leticia from within Colombia by road is not possible, so flights are the primary method. Daily flights are available from Bogota (BOG) to Leticia (LET) with airlines such as Avianca, LATAM Airlines, and SATENA. The flight duration from Bogota is approximately two hours. Upon arrival at Leticia airport, non-residents may be required to pay a tourist tax, which was around 30,000 COP (approximately $10 USD) or 45,000 COP (approximately $11.50 USD) as of recent information. Taxis, tuk-tuks, or motorbikes are available for a short ride (around 7 minutes) from the airport to downtown Leticia, costing approximately 4,000 COP for a tuk-tuk/motorbike or 6,000 COP for a taxi.

River Travel from Brazil (Manaus):

Slow boats from Manaus, Brazil, to Tabatinga (the Brazilian city adjoining Leticia) can take about 4 to 5 days. The cost for a slow boat from Tabatinga to Manaus is around 240 Brazilian Reals (approximately $46 USD) and typically includes three meals a day. It is common for passengers to sleep in hammocks on these boats. It's important to note that the boat officially departs from Tabatinga, not Leticia. Faster boats may also be available.

River Travel from Peru (Iquitos):

Boats travel regularly between Leticia and Iquitos, Peru. Fast boats ('el rapido') from Santa Rosa (Peru, a short boat ride from Leticia) to Iquitos typically depart around 3 AM. Slow boats ('la lancha') leave around 6 PM or 8 PM. A slow boat to Iquitos costs around S/. 80 (Peruvian Sol). The journey upstream to Iquitos can take about 10 hours by speedboat, while downstream takes about 2 to 4 hours.

Crossing the Border to Tabatinga (Brazil) and Santa Rosa (Peru):

Leticia is part of the 'Tres Fronteras' (Three Borders) region, where Colombia, Brazil, and Peru meet. You can easily cross from Leticia, Colombia, to Tabatinga, Brazil, by foot or a short tuk-tuk/Kombi ride. Movement between these border towns is generally not heavily policed, and formal immigration procedures are often not required for short visits within the border area. For travel to Santa Rosa, Peru, small boats or water taxis are readily available from the Leticia waterfront, with rates around 5,000 COP for non-locals.

Check out our other pages on Leticia

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