Journey to Putumayo: Living with the Cofan Tribe in the Colombian Amazon

After more than 20 hours flying across the Atlantic and over the American continent, I finally boarded a local bus from Bogotá to Putumayo. Twelve long hours later, after winding roads and endless green landscapes, I arrived at the small village of Putumayo, a remote gateway to Colombia’s southern jungle.

First Encounters and Simple Pleasures

Exhausted but exhilarated, I spent two quiet days at a cozy local hostel, recharging with hearty traditional dishes from a nearby restaurant - rice, beans, and plantains that tasted like pure comfort.

Soon after, I had the pleasure of meeting the Cofan family, who graciously invited me into their home for a shared meal of fresh river fish and rice, with sweet fried bananas for dessert. Their warmth, laughter, and generosity immediately made me feel welcome.

Into the Wild: Moving with the Cofans

The following morning, I joined the family in one of the most surreal experiences of my travels - helping them move from town to their home deep in the Amazon forest.

Imagine loading everything you own - beds, furniture, kitchen tools, clothes, and food - not into a moving truck, but into a wooden canoe. That’s exactly what we did. Under a soft drizzle that soon turned into tropical rain, we balanced our cargo carefully, navigating narrow arms of the river surrounded by towering jungle and singing birds.

With long bamboo poles, we pushed through branches and currents, following waterways that wound like veins through the heart of the forest. Every bend revealed something new - the buzz of life, the mystery of untouched nature, and the quiet rhythm of the river guiding us forward.

The Cofan Way of Life

The Cofan people are known for their deep connection to the land. Many work as jungle guides and caretakers of the forest, welcoming eco-tourists to stay in traditional huts, sharing stories, songs, and the secrets of their environment.

Their knowledge of medicinal and sacred plants is remarkable. They understand the jungle not as a wilderness to conquer, but as a living being that sustains and heals. Among their traditions, the coca plant plays an important role - often used in small quantities for health and energy, or as a remedy for stomach pain and fatigue. (note: Some tribe cultivate cocaine and you can see me standing in the middle of the field. Most cocaine leave are used for health purposes, they are burnt in low fire, the blended until turned into powder, and this powder can be added to your meal or inhaled giving you power and strenght as well as a remedy for stomach pain).

Living alongside the Cofan family, even briefly, opened my eyes to how profoundly they respect and protect their surroundings. Their wisdom feels increasingly relevant today, as more people in the modern world seek connection, balance, and healing - what I like to call a “movement of healing.”

Reflections from the River

My time in Putumayo and with the Cofan tribe was unlike anything I had experienced before. It wasn’t just a trip - it was an immersion into another rhythm of life, one guided by nature’s pulse rather than the ticking of a clock.

Gliding down the river, surrounded by the lush Amazon, I felt both humbled and alive - reminded that sometimes, the most remote places reveal the deepest truths about who we are and what we truly need.

Unforgettable adventure through the jungles of Southern Colombia, in Putumayo.