Leticia

The capital city of the Amazonas province, Leticia is the largest settlement for hundreds of miles and yet still looks and feels very much like the small town it is. Located on the Amazon River where Colombia, Brazil and Peru meet, Leticia is some 500 miles (800km) from the nearest Colombian highway. It's a bustling town abuzz with fleets of motorcycles, with a few minor sights to entertain you for a day or two.

Notwithstanding the oppressive heat, stultifying humidity and ferocious mosquitoes, Leticia is a pleasant enough town but not a destination in itself: it's a stepping stone for visiting the tropical rainforest that's right on your doorstep, with remote jungle lodges and indigenous communities just a short boat ride away along the Rio Amazonas.