Amazon Route
Entering the Amazon rainforest will always be stepping into a lush, indecipherable, and magical place. It is the home of the gigantic Amazon River and its thousand exuberant arms, which are as wide as they are sweet and embracing. The region is emblematic for the landscapes of trees that go up to the sky, the infinite sounds of nature that fill the air, the humid heat alleviated by the green shade and the wet earth, and the proximity to the country of Brazil. This is the land of the Tikuna, Huitoto, Bora, Yukuna, Miraña, Tanimuka, Murú, and Muinane people. It is the birthplace of skillful carvers of bloodwood, old fustic — also called macacauba— trees, and balsa or genip wood. It is also the home of expert weavers who craft their baskets with chambira palm and make dolls in a fabric made from yanchama tree fibers. Amazonas’s craftspeople also specialize in colorful necklaces and bracelets that they fashion with the seeds of the region’s fruits. This trail offers a journey that mixes distinct river and city experiences. It goes along a series of interesting settlements that blend together urban and forest life. It is fascinating to watch how the indigenous communities that inhabit these settlements experience their traditions. Their hands invite us to discover the power of their cosmogonies.
Embark on a journey full of history
Artisans along the way
Artisans along the way
We recommended this tour
Recommendations
Schedule the visit in advance with the artisans.
Carry cash.
Carry marsh boots.
Carry mosquito repellent.
Carry a backpack.
Carry hydration.
Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants.
Carry a flashlight.
Have yellow fever vaccine 10 days prior to travel.
Food (lunch and snacks), plan with the artisans if it is possible to purchase lunch from them.
Preferably go with the tour operator
Be aware of boat schedules to organize your travels
Length
4-5 days
Physical Complexity
Medium (long walks in rainforests)
Transportation
Boat
Leticia
We start this tour in Leticia, the capital city of Amazonas. It is characterized for the fact that it is home to various indigenous communities that, because of different reasons, have moved from the rainforest to the city. It is surprising to see how they are able to plant their chagras in an urban landscape and how resilient they are in terms of maintaining their customs and trades. You cannot miss out on Santander Park, also known as Parrot Park. It is filled with several species of parrots, thousands of white-feathered parakeets, and migratory swallows between February and October. Going in the afternoon is important because that is when the birds come to roost. They leave their shelter in the early morning. Here you will be able to visit the weaver Milena Vento and her husband, the carver James Marín, in a single day, in the Simón Bolívar neighborhood, where they have their workshop. Milena is also a guide at the Amazonian Ethnographic Museum, which is part of the Banco de la República’s Public Library. We recommend you to pay it a visit. You can also schedule a visit to Nuevo Jardín with her. That is where her parents are from and is half an hour away by speedboat. There, you can discover how the yanchama fiber is extracted. You can also go to Barrio Nuevo and visit Karine Dinorio, heiress of the founders of Macedonia. We also encourage you to travel to the Chingú community to discover the baskets that Tráncito Rodríguez makes. Chingu is located on the border with Brazil, about 35 minutes away from the urban center. Toward the outskirts of Leticia, there are several nature reserves that offer responsible tourism activities and contribute to the communities’ wellbeing.
Los Kilómetros
We continue to this area known as Los Kilómetros. These are semi-rural settlements that the indigenous communities have gradually established at Km. 6, Km. 11, and Km. 22. These settlements are as close to the city as they are to the rainforest. In the latter they have built their malocas (round huts) and worship the cassava and manioc. These two plants are the basis of their diet, as well as the hundreds of fruits they use for their rituals. At Kilometer 22, in Cihtacoyd, the Community of the Indigenous Council of the Tobacco, Coca and Cassava Heirs, we find the home of Rosa Amelia Meicuaco. This settlement is home to seven distinct indigenous cultures. It will be possible for you to learn from them the traditions and festivities they like to share. You can immerse yourself in their culture by respectfully following their beliefs and witnessing their dances. This experience is a true privilege. Dedicate an entire day to this point and start very early, for, in order to access Los Kilómetros, you must first ride a motorcycle cab for 40 minutes and then walk 45 more minutes until you reach the village. The idea is for you to program a day so you get to know in detail the way in which wares get crafted, go to the chagra, walk through the trail where raw materials are gathered, take place in a workshop, and have lunch there.
Nazareth, Macedonia y Puerto Nariño
At this point in the journey, you will discover the river, travel down through it, and admire the riverside life of different communities. One of these is Nazareth (22 kilometers away from Leticia). Here, you can bear witness to the ritual of the girls’ confinement, customary right after they hit puberty, or schedule one of the unmissable Tikuna cumbia and dancing sessions. This is the home of the weaver Credi Pereira, who with great eloquence share the secrets of the chinchorro hammock. Take into account that moving through the river means having to follow the boats’ schedules (there is a departure fee and another pick-up fee slightly costlier than the former). You can also get there by land walking through a trail, which is an invitation to observe nature. Give this first settlement at least half a day. The settlement that follows is called Macedonia (half an hour away from Leticia on quick-boat), land of the carvers who have made the Amazonian bloodwood famous. You must stop here and see how the best master carvers work this wood (again, foresee that only three quick-boat rides a day leave from this place. There are other smaller boats called peque-peque that you will be able to hire to move more freely. Negotiate the price before leaving). Here, you will be able to spend your morning, have lunch, and leave for Puerto Nariño, the last one of the river’s towns (21 kilometers away from Macedonia by boat), where we suggest you sleep. Puerto Nariño is a refuge whose inhabitants have fervently protected from pollution. They have preserved their surrounding bits of river and rainforest intact. Here, you will also be able to see the pink river dolphins. In this settlement, you will meet some of the region’s most experienced weavers, such as Alba Lucía Cuéllar and Pastora Guerrero. With them you will be able to learn to weave, go to their workshops, go with them to their chagras and the places where they harvest yanchama and chambira. Do not miss out on the Tarapoto Lake, deservedly declared a world heritage site for its splendour (it is 15 minutes away by boat).
Route acknowledgement
Recommended sites
Important information for your trip
Pueblo Patrimonio
La Red Turística de Pueblos Patrimonio de Colombia es un programa especial del Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo, ejecutado por FONTUR, que trabaja con 17 municipios de Colombia que poseen declaratoria de Bien de Interés Cultural (BIC) a nivel nacional para su valoración y proyección mediante el turismo, generando así más oportunidades de desarrollo y sostenibilidad en las comunidades.
La Medalla a la Maestría Artesanal es un galardón que Artesanías de Colombia entrega anualmente, con el cual se hace un reconocimiento a aquellos artesanos, empresas y comunidades artesanales que, contando con una trayectoria destacada, sobresalen a nivel nacional por su excelencia en el oficio así como por preservar el quehacer artesanal.
Denominación de Origen
Es un signo distintivo que identifica productos reconocidos o famosos por tener una calidad o características específicas derivadas esencialmente del lugar de origen y la forma tradicional de extracción, elaboración y producción por parte de sus habitantes. La protección conferida sobre una Denominación de Origen implica que ninguna persona puede identificar con la denominación protegida productos iguales o similares a los amparados, cuando no provengan del verdadero lugar y no cumplan con las características o calidades que le han dado la reputación al producto reconocido. Las Denominaciones de Origen para productos artesanales colombianos que han sido protegidas por la Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio en nuestro país son actualmente 12.
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