The Complete Guide To Puerto Narino, Colombia

Puerto Narino is a small village (municipality) in the Amazonas region of Colombia. About 6,000 people live in Puerto Narino. Most of them from the Ticuna tribe (indigenous people that are spread between Colombia, Peru, and Brazil). It is a great place to visit with many things to do around. After some time in this charming village I wrote the complete guide to Puerto Narino to help you better plan your trip.

Puerto Narino is one of the best maintained municipalities in the Amazonas department. The village is entirely pedestrian, there are no cars or motorbikes anywhere. People here take care of nature, they never forget how important it is for their survival. 

To get to Puerto Narino you can only go by boat. If you are coming from Colombia, you will need to fly into Leticia (the capital of the Colombian Amazonas department), and take a motorboat from the port. The boat ride takes about 2 hours during which you will make a few stops on the Colombian and Peruvian side of the Amazon river. 

On arrival every visitor has to pay a small tax (12,000 COP) that helps to maintain the village. 

Puerto Narino is a charming place with clean paved streets, cute buildings, and very interesting statues all over the place. The most famous one is the statue of a pink dolphin that has elements of other animals. Ask a local about the legend of this pink dolphin. It is quite interesting, and it explains a lot about the native mythology.. 

Things To Do In Puerto Narino

Since Puerto Narino is quite a small village there is not a lot to do in the village, but there are tons to do around it. 

Explore Puerto Narino

Once you are in Puerto Narino, you should explore a bit. The streets here are quite cute and you can get a lot of great pictures. Check out the statues around the streets and ask someone about the legends behind them. 

Puerto Narino has a few cafes where you can relax, and a small bazaar where you can buy fresh fruits, souvenirs, or even traditional medicine. 

Visit The Lookout Tower 

In the center of Puerto Narino, on a small hill there’s a lookout tower that you must visit. The tower has an amazing view of the whole village and the Amazon river. 

To visit the tower you will have to pay a small entrance fee – 5000 COP. At the top of the lookout tower there are a few benches where you can sit and enjoy the view. 

Try Local Ice Cream

You absolutely must try a local ice cream. In Puerto Narino you can find some very exotic flavors that you won’t be able to find anywhere else. 

The most unusual ice cream flavors in my opinion were coca leaves, mojojoy worms, and camu camu fruit. I know … a worm? The thing is that mojojoy worms are kinda like silkworms in China. It is quite a popular food here, and the worms are specifically grown for that purpose. The worms eat coconuts, that is why the ice cream with mojojoy worms flavor tastes a little bit like coconut. Anyway, I highly recommend trying it out. 

Explore The Amazon River 

To explore the Amazon River I recommend you to book a tour, since you will need a boat, and a local guide. 

There is quite a lot to see around Puerto Narino. The most popular activities are:

• Watching pink dolphins
• Going on a night trek to see night animals
• Visiting a small community in Peru 
• Visiting Tarapoto lake and fishing for Piranha 
• Kayaking along the Amazon river
• Looking for sloths and monkeys

For all these activities you will need either a boat, a guide, or both. You can check out the tour I went on which included all the activities above and more. 

Important To Know (The Complete Guide To Puerto Narino):

Puerto Narino doesn’t have any ATMs and most places don’t accept cards, so before going to visit this municipality withdraw enough money to last during the whole stay.

Bring a good mosquito repellent. Buildings in Puerto Narino don’t usually have windows, instead they have mosquito nets, but it doesn’t always work. Plus mosquitoes here can be quite aggressive, so a strong mosquito repellent (preferably the one that has DEET in it) is mandatory. 

You don’t really need a lot of clothes for Puerto Narino, but it is good to have something long sleeves and synthetic since it will protect your skin from sun and mosquitoes, as well as dry fast in case you get caught in the rain.

The Complete Guide To Puerto Narino, Colombia