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.

What you actually see

• 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.

Honest expectations

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.