Tourism in Caquetá — Amazon, Jungle and Rivers

Caquetá is one of the transition departments between the Andes and the Colombian Amazon, a territory of virgin jungles, mighty rivers, tepuis and extraordinary biodiversity that is beginning to open up to ecotourism after decades of conflict. Its capital, Florencia, is the largest city in the Colombian Amazon and the starting point for exploring the Andean-Amazonian foothills, where the Andes plunge towards the jungle plain in a landscape of waterfalls, gorges and tropical humid forest.

Caquetá's most spectacular attraction is the Serranía de Chiribiquete, declared a UNESCO Mixed World Heritage Site in 2018 —Colombia's largest national park (4,268,095 hectares) and the largest tepui in the world— with rock paintings over 20,000 years old on its vertical quartzite walls. The department has 16 municipalities and a natural wealth that includes the Caquetá River (second in Colombia after the Amazon), pink river dolphins, tapirs, jaguars and over 500 bird species.

Main Tourist Attractions

Attraction	Type	Description
Serranía de Chiribiquete	World Heritage / Nature	The largest tepui in the world and UNESCO Mixed Heritage 2018. Quartzite walls with 20,000-year-old rock paintings (the oldest in the Americas). Exclusive air access, with special permit from National Parks. The heart of the Guiana Shield in Colombian territory.
Caquetá River and Pink Dolphins	Nature / Wildlife	The second longest river in Colombia (2,280 km). Dawn canoe tours to spot pink river dolphins (bufeos), giant otters, caimans and herons. Sport fishing for payara and yaraquí.
La Montañita and Ecotourism	Ecotourism / Jungle	La Montañita, a municipality near Florencia, is the epicenter of rural tourism in Caquetá. Cattle ranches converted into ecotourism lodges, jungle hiking, horseback riding and indigenous crafts.
San Juan de Losada Hot Springs	Nature / Wellness	Hot springs in the Andean foothills amid humid jungle. Natural hot water pools surrounded by lush Amazon vegetation.
Indigenous Reserves and Communities	Culture / Ethnography	Coreguaje, Witoto and Embera communities with shamanic traditions, ancestral medicine using Amazon plants and natural fiber crafts. Visits with mandatory local guide.
Bodoquero River Waterfalls	Nature / Adventure	Waterfalls in the Andean-Amazonian foothills in the municipality of Belén de los Andaquíes. Hiking through tropical cloud forest with high diversity of orchids and birds.

Typical Cuisine

Caquetá's cuisine mixes Amazon and ranching traditions. Caqueteño roast beef (Florencia is famous for the quality of its plains-ranch beef) is the most popular dish. Tacacho con cecina (mashed plantain with lard and pork jerky), smoked Caquetá river fish, caribe soup (piranha) and bitter cassava casabe are of indigenous heritage. Artisanal Caqueteño cheese and corn masato complete the table.

Adventure and Outdoor Activities

Kayaking on the Orteguaza River (stretches of gentle rapids), pink river dolphin spotting on the Caquetá, trekking in the foothills to the Bodoquero waterfalls and Amazon wildlife safari with community guides are the main activities. Access to Chiribiquete requires a special permit and is done by small plane from Florencia.

How to Get There

Florencia has Gustavo Artunduaga Paredes Airport (FLA) with flights from Bogotá (1 hour) on Avianca and Satena. By land from Bogotá: 10 hours via the Bogotá-Espinal-Florencia road (road under improvement). Within the department: shared vans and rural buses from Florencia to nearby municipalities.

Where to Stay

In Florencia: 2-3 star hotels downtown. In La Montañita: ecotourism lodges and farms with rural accommodation. For visits to indigenous communities: community lodges managed by the reserves. Best season: June–August (less rain) although Caquetá is very rainy all year.

Festivities and Events

Florencia Return Festival (October), Caquetá Song Festival, Belén de los Andaquíes Festivities (patron saints). The Return Festival celebrates the return of displaced families to the territory, an event of peace and reconciliation.

Also check the climate of Caquetá, the list of municipalities of Caquetá and the complete guide to Colombian festivities.