From Iquitos to the tri-border area: a briefing, not an itinerary

Official advice first

The FDFA’s advice for Peru (published on 2 March 2026 and shown as valid on 12 October 2026) contains a section devoted to the border region with Colombia: it advises against going there, because of active smuggling groups, particularly along the Putumayo River. The tri-border area, where Peru, Colombia and Brazil meet, lies on this border. For the Amazon region as a whole, the same document recommends travelling with guides who know the region well and only boarding tourist boats on the Amazon with a tour operator or trustworthy guides, because of attacks on these boats. It also mentions possible blockades of river traffic during social conflicts.

That is why this journey appears in this guide as a briefing, outside the catalogue of itineraries. We do not organise it and do not recommend it. If you are considering it nonetheless, read the most recent version of the advice the day before departure, ask for a local assessment of your specific journey and let someone know your plans.

The geography: three towns, three countries, one river

Downstream from Iquitos, the Amazon flows east for several hundred kilometres, with no parallel road: the river is the thoroughfare for riverside villages, goods and passengers. At the border, three places face one another:

• Santa Rosa (Peru), a village on an island in the river, where the Peruvian immigration checkpoint is located;
• Leticia (Colombia), capital of the Colombian department of Amazonas, on the north bank;
• Tabatinga (Brazil), in the Brazilian state of Amazonas, right next to Leticia: you go from one to the other simply by crossing a street.

This closeness is misleading. Going from Santa Rosa to Leticia or Tabatinga means leaving Peru and entering another country, with two separate formalities. And moving freely between Leticia and Tabatinga does not count as an official entry into either country for continuing your journey.

What is known, and what needs confirming

An old source describes a service as it existed, not as it is today. A commercial contact does not replace reading the official advice.

Three separate preparations

The boat journey. Who operates the boat, where it leaves from, how long the journey takes, where you are put (seat, hammock, cabin), what is served on board, how the luggage is stored, what safety equipment there is (enough life jackets). What happens if the departure is postponed. Do not apply another traveller’s account, or the photo of another boat, to your own departure.

The formalities. The FDFA points out that entry and exit stamps matter and that a land or river crossing requires you to report to the immigration office; an incorrectly recorded entry can prevent your next exit. So you need to obtain your exit from Peru at Santa Rosa, then your entry into the next country from its own service. For what comes next, see Borders and documents.

The arrival. Where exactly do you land? Where do you sleep the first night? How do you continue: a flight from Leticia, a boat downstream into Brazil? No non-changeable connection should follow closely after the planned arrival.

The eight questions to ask the operator

1. Which boat is it, and who operates it?
2. Which departure is confirmed, from which pier?
3. How long does the journey take, with which stops?
4. Where do you sleep, and what does the ticket include (meals, water, bedding)?
5. What are the rules for luggage, and where is it stored?
6. What safety equipment is there on board?
7. What happens if the departure is postponed or the river is blocked?
8. Does the boat stop at Santa Rosa long enough for the exit formalities?

Discovering the river without crossing this border

If it is the river that attracts you, more than the border crossing, other stays make it possible in Loreto, outside the border region: a few nights in a forest lodge from Iquitos, or a boat trip to the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve from Nauta, upstream. The flooded forest, the oxbow lakes and the life of the riverside villages can be discovered there with an identified operator and nights really spent in the forest. The itinerary Iquitos and the rainforest in a week explains this choice in detail.