Puerto Inirida

This remote frontier town of 10,000 people is situated on the banks of the Río Inírida and Río Guaviare in easternmost Colombia, close to the Venezuelan border. It lies on the edge of the Llanos and Amazon basins, and is characterized by unique “white sand” forest and savannah. Also accessible via hired boat are the Cerros de Mavecurí: three impressive rock outcrops that loom 300 m above the flat Guainía plain. While this area is thought to be safe at the moment, it should only be visited with a knowledgeable local guide.

Mitu

Mitú is the capital of Vaupés department. Located close to the Brazilian border, it is one of the most remote and undeveloped regions of Colombia. The forests around Mitú are in good condition. Although they are still part of the Amazon region, this region contains a distinctively different topography, vegetation, and associated avifauna than the forest of Leticia, 600 km to the south. Mitú, like Puerto Inírida, has a mosaic of lowland forest, white-sand scrub and some savanna. However, Mitú has more extensive and richer lowland forest, with greater affinities to the Amazon than Puerto Inírida. Many species depend on the sandy-belt forests which grows on white sand soil in this region. The area around Mitú is characterized by \"rocoso\" - isolated mountains or \"cerros\" - eroded remnants of hard sedimentary rocks with relatively flat \"table\" tops covered by low xerophytic vegetation.

Leticia

Colombia’s far-stung frontier-town of Leticia is served by daily flights from Bogotá, allowing easy access to the heart of the vast Amazonian lowland forests, with much excellent birding. Positioned on the northern bank of the Río Amazon, the safe and pleasant town of Leticia provides access to two excellent birding localities for all the Amazonian specialties. Good forest is easily accessed along a 20 km road heading north out of the town. A rich gradient of habitats along the Leticia road can be found from the airport, with grassland and scrub progressing through secondary forest to tall primary forest in the north. Good forest is best explored using trail networks from km 7, 10, and above, which have a variety of open, secondary and terra firme forest species.

Parque Nacional Amacayacu

Amacayacu National Park has good accommodation and infrastructure, making it ideal for birding. NOTE: this park is fast becoming popular, so it is important to book in advance. Over 500 bird species have been recorded in the Park, with the vast majority regularly found within several km of the park headquarters - there is much to keep birders busy. The river water levels follow the Andean rainy season, so that between February to May the Río Amazon is very high. During this time, access to várzea (seasonally flooded) forest is only possible by dugout canoe and guide. The low river waters and dry months of July to October are best along the Río Amazon.