By Ayngelina Brogan
South America Travel Expert, about.com
This beautiful area is in the far south of Colombia, and has gained its name because it is in a part of the Amazon basin where the borders of Colombia meet those of Brazil and Peru.
The area is in part of the most naturally beautiful area of the Amazon,
and there are many people who travel to the region to enjoy these
stunning surroundings, with some magnificent animal species and
wonderful activities to see and enjoy.
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The main destination in the
area for those traveling from within Colombia is the city of Leticia,
which is a great base from which to explore the area and has become one
of the biggest tourism destinations in Colombia because of its wonderful
location.
The History of Tres Fronteras
Like many of the great towns and cities of the Amazon,
the location near the river has proved to be one of the most important
features of the Tres Fronteras region, and the river traffic here
combined with the borders have helped to increase the popularity and
economic prosperity of the area.
There have been settlements in the area since the nineteenth century,
with the area changing hands between Colombia and Peru before the
current situation saw the area decreed to be an area of Colombia in
1934. During the 1960s and 1970s the remote area became a hotbed of drug
activity, but this has been cracked down upon, helping the modern
tourist industry to grow in this interesting area.
Seeing the Natural Sights Around Tres Fronteras
Tres
Fronteras is a great base to explore natural parts of the Amazon, and a
trip to the beautiful Amacayacu National Park is certainly worth doing,
as it is a stunning area of jungle which is flooded annually. Lucky
visitors can spot many species of monkeys along with river dolphins and
the largest species of fresh water turtle in the world here. You can
take a night safari into the jungle which reveals some of the
interesting nocturnal species found in the area, while there is also the
interesting Micos Monkey Island, which has some of the indigenous
species that have become accustomed to human contact, where you can also
feed the monkeys.
Watch the Nightly Parrot Flight in Parque Santander
In
the city of Leticia, Parque Santander is a great place to visit around
dusk, as there are a lot of trees in the park, and every night over two
thousand parrots flock to the area to spend the night in the trees. This
makes for a spectacular sight and you can enjoy the beautiful colorful
markings of the birds as they fly by. There is a church with a tower
next to the park, and many visitors have reported being able to watch
the parrots flying into the park from the tower of the church for a
small donation.
Food and Accommodation in the Area
The
largest base that people will use when staying in the Colombian part of
Tres Fronteras is Leticia, while there are also settlements over the
borders in Peru and Brazil. Accommodation is generally pretty basic with
some reasonable hotels and hostels available, while those looking for a
more authentic taste of the area can head out to one of the jungle
lodges around the city.
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Freshwater fish plays an important role in
the cuisine of the area, while you will also find plenty of fresh fruit
and vegetables on the menu, some of which will be more familiar than
others. You can also find pizza places, steakhouses and South American
cuisine on offer in Leticia, where the majority of the restaurants are
located.
Getting to Tres Fronteras
There
are only two ways of getting to the area, and that is either by airplane
or boat. The flights into the airport in Leticia connect to Bogota, with a journey of around two hours, while across the border in Tabatinga, Brazil, you can also take flights to Manaus.
The alternative is to get into Tres Fronteras by boat, with routes
connecting the area with the cities of Iquitos in Peru, and Manaus in
Brazil.
