Bolivia Guide
The Amazon
About a third of Bolivia lies within the Amazon basin, a vast, sparsely populated and largely untamed lowland region of swamp, savannah and tropical rainforest (known as selva). Often known as the Beni, after one of the rivers that are its dominant geographical feature, the Bolivian Amazon lies more than a thousand kilometres from the mainstream of the mighty River Amazon itself and occupies just a fraction of the total basin. Generally much less developed than the Brazilian Amazon – and consequently boasting a much better preserved natural environment – this is one of the most bio-diverse regions in the world, and though in recent decades the rate of forest destruction has accelerated to worrying levels, large areas remain relatively untouched and virtually unexplored. Here, jaguars, tapirs and giant anteaters roam beneath the towering forest canopy; monstrous anacondas slither through the swamps; and the skies are filled by a kaleidoscopic variety of birds. Turtles and caymans bask in the sun on the banks of the mighty rivers, which support a great variety of fish, including the much-maligned piranha, as well as playful pink freshwater dolphins.
Linked by road to Santa Cruz, the capital of the Beni is Trinidad, a bustling frontier city with few obvious attractions, though for the adventurous it's the starting point for slow boat journeys down the Río Mamoré to the Brazilian border or south into the Chapare. From Trinidad, a long and rough road heads east across the Llanos de Moxos, passing through the Reserva del Biosfera del Beni, which is an excellent place to get close to the wildlife of the savanna, before joining the main road down into the region from La Paz at Yucumo. Just north of Yucumo, the small town of Rurrenabaque, on the banks of the Río Beni, is the obvious destination for anyone wanting a taste of the Amazon, given its proximity to the pristine forests of Parque Nacional Madidi, one of Bolivia's most stunning protected areas, and the savannas of the Llanos de Moxos along the wildlife-rich Río Yacuma.
Highlights
1 Chalalán Set deep in pristine Amazonian rainforest and owned by the local indigenous Tacana community, the Albergue Ecologico Chalalán is the ideal place to explore Parque Nacional Madidi, and a model of how ecotourism ought to be.
2 Río Mamoré Sling your hammock and relax on a slow boat down this mighty wilderness river between Trinidad and the Brazilian frontier.
3 Reserva Biosfera del Beni Ride on horseback through the wildlife-rich savannas and forest islands of the Llanos de Moxos, where indigenous Chimane hunters still lead a semi-nomadic existence.
4 Mapajo Explore the rainforests of the Reserva Pilon Lajas and the traditional cultures of its inhabitants from the community-owned Albergue Ecologico Mapajo.
5 Pampas del Yacuma Caiman, capybara and pink river dolphins are just some of the wildlife you might spot on a canoe trip through the Pampas del Yacuma.