Puerto Inirida

Puerto Inirida is the capital of Guainia in the far east, with no road link to the rest of the country - flights from Bogota or long river journeys are the only ways in. Nearby is the Estrella Fluvial de Inirida, a Ramsar site where the Inirida, Guaviare and Atabapo rivers meet the Orinoco, and where black water and white water rivers run alongside each other with a visible boundary. The flor de Inirida is a plant that grows only in this region, on nutrient-poor white sand, and does not wilt when cut - it dries and keeps its form for months, which is why it became the department's symbol. The Cerros de Mavicure, three granite domes rising from the forest, are climbed with guides from the indigenous communities who hold the land.

History

Before 1960 the area had little development and was sparsely populated, almost entirely by indigenous people. The town was established in 1963 on the site of the small village of Obando, then in the municipality of San Felipe, and renamed in 1974; most of its people are indigenous, and the municipality holds about a third of the population of Guainía (Wikipedia, Inírida, Guainía).

What's there

• Three rivers meeting the Orinoco - black and white water side by side.
• The flor de Inirida - growing only here, and drying without wilting.
• The Cerros de Mavicure - granite domes climbed with community guides.
• No road access at all - flights or river journeys only.

When to go

December to March, the low water season. Several days.

Before you go

Getting there is expensive - flights are limited and there is no road. Visits to the cerros and communities require guides and permissions. Facilities are basic. Heat, humidity and insects are constant.

Nearby

The Cerros de Mavicure are upriver; Venezuela is across the Atabapo.

Key facts