Puerto Carreño Colombia: what to see, what to do, how to get there… For more information, contact our team of specialists now ([email protected])

Puerto Carreño overview

Puerto Carreño is the capital of the department of Vichada and forms the border with Venezuela. With a total area of 12,409 km2, the village has only 10,034 inhabitants.

The most important economic activities are: cattle breeding, fishing, agriculture and mining (gold and silver). From its river port, commercial goods are transported to Bogotá.

There are some interesting tourist sites in the village, such as the Casuarito riverside population, which manufactures leather and textiles.

Puerto Gaitan is also well known for its oil activities.

History of Puerto Carreño

The indigenous community of Achagua lived in the Puerto Carreño area during the pre-Columbian era. The indigenous communities had trade relations with the Caribbean and exchanged agricultural products for weapons. When the Spaniards arrived, they began their evangelising mission. Several religious bases were built, which first allowed territorial control and were later used for agriculture and livestock for self-sufficiency.

After the decline of cattle breeding during independence, commercial activities during the 19th and 20th centuries were concentrated on leather and rubber. Puerto Carreño was founded in 1922 on the confluence of the Orinoco and Meta rivers. It was previously known as “El Picacho”, but General Buenaventura Bustos named it Puerto Carreño in honour of the government minister of the time, Pedro María Carreño.

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