Sailing the Amazon: Day 2 Adventure to Monkey Island & Puerto Nariño

This is Day 2 of our 4-day Amazon trip. You can see the complete 4 Day Leticia Amazon itinerary, with details and links for each day in our blog.

This day was part of the Amazon tour we booked, which we did as a guided experience. I’ve linked the exact tour we used at the bottom of this post in the Tips & FAQ section.

Today was all about sailing the Amazon River and seeing some amazing places. We visited the giant Victoria amazonica water lilies, saw monkeys on Monkey Island, stopped at the town of Puerto Nariño, and then went deep into the Peruvian Rainforest for an overnight stay.

Sailing the Amazon River from Leticia

Our first excitement for the day, we got into the boat and yes we were sailing the Amazon River – the longest river in the world for the first time. Our boat was simple but comfortable, and it carried about 20 people and we were all given life jackets. The boats are used for both tourism and also for transfering goods.

The Amazon River is not only the longest river in the world, but also one of the widest. We visited in December, just as the rainy season was starting. Near Leticia, the river was about 15 kilometers wide and 20 meters deep where we sailed. Locals said that at the end the full rainy season, it can grow even wider, up to 40 or 50 kilometersand reach 70 meters deep. The water was brown and muddy, and it felt amazing to be sailing on such a massive river.

Highlight of the Day: Giant Water Lilies at Flor de Loto Natural Reserve

Our first stop was the Flor de Loto Natural Reserve. Walking in the rainforest, we came to a pond filled with giant Victoria amazonica leaves, the largest water lilies in the world.

These are the Amazon water lilies with huge leaves. Some leaves were almost 10 feet in diameter! Pink and white lilies grew among them, making the pond look even more beautiful. These giant leaves are thick, rubbery and strong, with thorny rim around them and can hold 35-40 kilograms.
We saw pink and white lilies that had grown in between these large leaves which added to the beauty. It was fantastic. They had built a cabin with pathways around the pond and steps leading down to the water. We had plenty of time to walk around the pond, see how big the leaves were, and even feel them.

This stop was one of the best parts of the day and really showed how special the Amazon Rainforest is. The Victoria amazonica can only be seen in this part of the world, and it was an amazing feeling to experience it up close.

Monkey Island (Isla de los Micos)

Next, we sailed upstream for about 40 minutes. We saw some dolphins along the way and reached Monkey Island.

The monkeys jumped on us as soon as we stepped on the island! They were tiny Squirrel Monkeys, used to humans. They liked to pose for photos if we had fruit in our hands. We picked up some mangoes that had fallen from the trees, and many monkeys climbed on us, trying to grab the fruit while letting us take pictures. We even counted who had the most monkeys jump on them, and it was Varun who ended up with the most!

We walked along the trails, saw more monkeys, and learned about their life on the island.

Ticuna Indigenous Community of Macedonia, Colombia

Puerto Nariño and Torre Mirador Viewpoint

Next, we sailed another 40 min to Puerto Nariño, the second most important town in the Colombian Amazon. Along the way, we spotted several grey dolphins and one pink dolphin! Pink dolphins (Inia geoffrensis), also known as botos are common in this part of the Amazon and we were lucky to spot one.

We climbed the Torre Mirador viewpoint, which had several steps. The last 20 steps were open to below and steep, but the view from the top was amazing. We could see Puerto Nariño and the Amazon River. After the climb, we had a traditional Colombian lunch with rice, beans, and salad which is called as Bandeja Paisa. While it is not a dish from the Amazon, it is a favourite Colombian meal.

Crossing into Peru and Sailing into the Rainforest

After lunch, it was time to go deeper into the rainforest. We sailed another half an hour and our group split for different activities, and we transferred to a smaller boat mid-river. It was really thrilling and fun to cross from one large boat to a smaller one in the middle of the amazon river.

We had a wonderful native tour guide who also our translator and boatman. From here it was a private transfer, and he navigated us across the vast waters of the Amazon River. Shortly after, we entered a tributary of the Amazon River, a part of the river that was absolutely enchanting, covered with floating plants, abundant birds, and towering, fully grown trees lining both sides. It was absolutely full of nature and no one around us.

Our boat had to push through the floating plants, clearing a path for our sail, and once we passed, the plants would close behind us. On the other side, more floating plants brushed against the boat, and tiny spiders perched on them occasionally jumped aboard, prompting us to gently send them back into the water with our paddle.

Later, we reached a shallow stretch where the boat could no longer sail on its own and had to be manually pushed. If you plan to step ashore here, make sure to bring rubber water boots.

After about an hour and a half, we arrived at our cabins in the Peruvian Amazon. They were traditional wooden cabins, had mosquito nets, and a waterproof roof. They were simple but comfortable and blended into the rainforest and had proper beds and washrooms. Since this area floods during the rainy season, the cabins are raised on stilts, keeping them safe and dry above the water.

We had dinner prepared by our tour guide, who seemed never to get tired after paddling for such a long time. We relaxed in the hammocks at our resort and there were other tourists around us doing the same. We had a lovely chat with them, one of our favorite things to do while traveling, getting to know fellow travellers.

And the night was full of sounds from insects, frogs, and other wildlife, a real Amazon experience.

As darkness settled, the forest echoed with the sounds of frogs, insects, and other creatures, a real Amazon experience.

Where We Stayed in Leticia

Tips & FAQ