La Paz
The world's highest de facto capital city is also one of its most compelling, a riot of indigenous colour, vertiginous markets, jostling pedestrians, honking, diesel-spewing minivans, street marches, and cavalcades of vendors. You may love it. You may hate it. But La Paz is hard to ignore. The city seems to reinvent itself at every turn – a jaw-dropping subway in the sky brings you from the heights of El Alto to the depths of Zona Sur in the blink of an eye. Hotels are remodelled at a manic pace, and new boutique hotels are springing up like rows of altiplano corn. The gritty reality of a city will be a blow to your face if you come from the Bolivian countryside. A maze of contradictions, where cobblestones hit concrete, and Gothic spires vie with glassine hotels, La Paz amazes and appals all who enter.
La Paz has a decent collection of museums and notable buildings, but the main attraction here is getting lost in its bustling markets, frenetic commercial streets and stunning hilltop lookouts. Most official sights, including museums, are closed during the Christmas holiday period (December 25 to January 6).
The areas west of El Prado include the fascinating markets around Rosario, Belén and San Pedro, the cemetery and the sophisticated Sopocachi neighbourhood, with some of La Paz’s best restaurants and nightspots. You can spend a few hours people-watching on Plaza Eduardo Avaroa, before hoofing up to the wonderful views from Montículo Park.
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Tiwanaku
Though a mere fraction of this iconic pre-Columbian, pre-Incan city has been excavated, its mysterious, monumental slabs of sandstone are a must-see.
The ruins of Tiwanaku make for a good day trip from La Paz for those who want to view a few carved monoliths, archways and arcades, and two decent museums. Little is actually known about the people who constructed this ceremonial center on the southern shore of Lake Titicaca more than a thousand years ago. However, evidence of their influence, particularly in religion, has been found throughout the vast area that later became the Inca empire.
In the eponymous village nearby, there are a number of hotels, restaurants, a fun little plaza with excellent sculptures inspired by Tiwanaku styles, and a 16th-century church, built, no doubt, with stones from the Tiwanaku site.
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Lago Titicaca
A vast, striking blue expanse standing at 3810m, the lake is dotted with sacred islands and surrounded by snow-capped mountains. It is not hard to see how Inca legends came to credit Lake Titicaca with the birth of their civilization. Set between Peru and Bolivia at the 8400 sq km lake offers enough activities to keep you busy for at least a week. There are trips to the many islands that speckle the shoreline, hikes to lost coves and floating islands, parties in the tourist hub of Copacabana and encounters with locals that will provide insight into the traditions of one of Bolivia’s top attractions.
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Copacabana
Nestled between two hills on the southern shore of Lake Titicaca, Copacabana is a small, bright and enchanting town. It’s long been a religious mecca, and local and international pilgrims still flock to its raucous fiestas, but lakeside strolls and meanderings up El Calvario will get you far from the madding crowd. Copa is the launching pad for visiting Isla del Sol and Isla de la Luna, and makes a pleasant stopover between La Paz and Puno or Cuzco.
Copacabana’s central attractions can be visited in one long but relaxed day, but there are some great trips further afield. Much of the action in Copa centers on Plaza 2 de Febrero and Av 6 de Agosto, the main commercial drag, which runs from east to west. At its western end is the lake and a walkway (costañera) that traces the shoreline. The transportation hub is in Plaza Sucre.
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Isla del Sol
Easily the highlight of any excursion to Lake Titicaca, Isla del Sol is a large island with several traditional communities, decent tourist infrastructure including restaurants and hotels, a few worthy pre-Columbian ruins, amazing views, excellent hikes through terraced hills and, well, lots and lots of brilliant sunshine.
The island’s permanent residents – a mix of indigenous peoples and émigrés – are distributed between the main settlements of Cha’llapampa, near the island’s northern end; Cha’lla, which backs onto a lovely sandy beach on the central east coast; and Yumani, which straddles the ridge above Escalera del Inca in the south and is the biggest town on the island.
Unfortunately, since 2016 the Isla del Sol has been embroiled in an increasingly violent dispute between two of the island’s three communities. As result only the southern part of the island is considered accessible to tourists. In January of 2018, a Korean tourist was stabbed to death on Isla del Sol when she crossed from the southern half into the northern half of the island.
Yumani is the main village at the south end of the island. Most boats drop you at the village’s dock, about 200m downhill from the town proper. The small church, Iglesia de San Antonio, serves the southern half of the island. Nearby you’ll find an exploding cluster of guesthouses and fabulous views over the water to Isla de la Luna.
Extensive networks of walking tracks make exploration fairly easy, though the altitude and sun may take their toll: carry lunch and ample water. The sun was born here and is still going strong.
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Camino de la Muerte
Before a new replacement road opened in 2007, the road between La Paz and Coroico was identified as the World’s Most Dangerous Road (WMDR) by an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) report. The moniker was well deserved: an average of 26 vehicles per year disappeared over the edge into the great abyss.
The road is now used almost exclusively by cyclists, support vehicles and the odd tourist bus. The gravel road is narrow (just over 3.2m wide), with precipitous cliffs, up to 600m drops and few safety barriers. Nearly 30 cyclists have died doing the 64km trip, which has a 3600m vertical descent, and plenty have reported close encounters and nasty accidents.
Unfortunately, there are no minimum safety standards in place for operators of this trip. As such the buyer has to beware; this is one activity where you don’t want to be attracted by cheaper deals.
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Coroico
With warm weather, plenty of spectacular views, good resort-style hotels for all budgets and something of an infectious laid-back air, Coroico is the most visited tourist town in the Yungas. It’s perched eyrie-like on the shoulder of Cerro Uchumachi and commands a far-ranging view across forested canyons, cloud-wreathed mountain peaks, patchwork agricultural lands, citrus orchards, coffee plantations and dozens of small settlements.
Coroico is derived from the Quechua word coryguayco, meaning ‘golden hill.’ The town’s biggest attraction is its slow pace, which allows plenty of time for swimming, sunbathing and hammock-swinging.
The Río Coroico flows through the Nor Yungas about three hours north of Coroico. This is the country’s most popular commercially rafted river, and is the most convenient to La Paz.
The white water is great, but unfortunately the high tourist season coincides with the dry season.
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Yolosa
The village of Yolosa is located about 7km from Coroico along the World’s Most Dangerous Road. It has a few cool hangouts, an animal refuge, and a steady stream of dust-caked Dangerous Road bikers who generally end their rides here
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Chulumani
erched scenically on a hillside, this peaceful little burg has a friendly town square, a bustling market and tropical attitude. And with far fewer international visitors than tourist-center Coroico, it’s way more tranquil.
Chulumani is a paradise if you’re into birds and butterflies – there are clouds of the latter, and several endemic species of the former. At a tropically warm and often wet altitude, the town makes a great trekking base camp and a relaxing weekend retreat with great views.

Sorata
Due to some social unrest in the early 2000s, Sorata's reputation took a bit of a knock but its now making a recovery, and in fact becoming a bit of a Yungas gem. While it doesn’t have the shiny accommodation options of its arch-nemesis Coroico, this semi-tropical village sitting high above a verdant agricultural valley does offer great weather, access to some of Bolivia’s best treks, kick-ass downhill mountain biking and an atavistic air that may just become intoxicating.
In colonial days Sorata (from the Aymará shuru-ata or ‘shining peak’) provided a link to the Alto Beni’s goldfields and rubber plantations, and a gateway to the Amazon Basin. These days, mining is the main source of employment in the region.
But it really is worth your while to pick up a guide in La Paz – or better yet, hire a local one from the Asociación de Guías de Sorata (http://guiasorata.com) – and explore this under-appreciated mountain playground.

Oruro
Oruro’s Carnaval celebrations are famous throughout South America for their riotous parties, lavish costumes and elaborate parades. The culmination of the city’s rich dance and musical heritage, the festivities attract bands, dance troupes and revellers from across Bolivia and beyond. Outside Carnaval season, there are some worthwhile museums to visit in the city and plenty to see in the surrounding area.
At first glance Oruro is a sprawl of sun-baked buildings in shades of terracotta and dusty tan, but there’s something about this gritty miners’ city that endears it to visitors. In many ways Oruro (which means ‘where the sun is born’) is an intriguing place, where 90% of the inhabitants are of indigenous heritage. Orureños (Oruro locals) refer to themselves as quirquinchos (armadillos), after the carapaces of their charangos (traditional Bolivian ukulele-like instruments). The city makes for an oddly atavistic experience that some may find intoxicating.
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Uyuni
Uyuni occupies a desolate corner of southwestern Bolivia. Mention Uyuni to a Bolivian and they will whistle and emphasize harto frío (extreme cold). Yet despite the icy conditions, the town has a cheerful buzz about it, with hundreds of travelers passing through every week to kick off their tour of Salar de Uyuni or the Southwest Circuit.
Founded in 1889 by Bolivian president Aniceto Arce, Uyuni remains an important military base. Tourism and mining are the other major sources of employment in the town. The world’s largest lithium reserve – about 100 million tons – lies beneath the neighbouring salt flat, and could potentially fuel all the smart phones and electric cars the world could build over the next century. While work on building extraction and processing facilities has been proceeding slowly, expect more and more mining activity near Uyuni in the coming years.
The only real attraction in Uyuni, Cementerio de Trenes is a rusty collection of historic steam locomotives and rail cars dating back to the 19th century, when there was a rail-car factory here. Today they sit decaying in the yards about 3km southwest of the modern-day station along Av Ferroviaria.

Salar de Uyuni
An evocative and eerie sight, the world’s largest salt flat measures 12,106 sq km and sits at 3653m (11,984ft). When the surface is dry, the salar is a pure white expanse of the greatest nothing imaginable – just blue sky, white ground and you. When there’s a little water, the surface perfectly reflects the clouds and the blue altiplano sky, and the horizon disappears. If you’re driving across the surface at such times, the effect is surreal; it’s hard to believe that you’re not flying through the clouds. Salar de Uyuni and the Reserva de Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa - Best visited together, the world's largest salt lake and this stunning high-altitude reserve have a desolate, otherworldly beauty.
Theoretically, you can visit Salar de Uyuni and the attractions of the Southwest Circuit independently, but it’s extremely challenging due to unreliable transport and the remoteness of the area. It’s best to take an organized tour from either Uyuni or Tupiza, which probably works out cheaper than doing it alone anyway. From the end of December to the end of March, the salt flat floods and many tour agencies shut down, which means that you can only visit the edges of the salt flat at this time.
Operators are piled high in Uyuni: there are currently more than 100 legal agencies offering trips to the salar. While the competition may mean more choice, remember that cost-cutting leads to operators corner-cutting – at the expense of your safety and the environment. Generally, it doesn’t matter which agency you book with (other than the high-end ones), as most run the same routes, share drivers and sort travellers into groups of five or six people (don’t accept more!). The high-end agencies have better hotels, can customize tours and have more reliable cars. Ask to see the car you will be traveling in and to meet the driver ahead of time.
It’s cheaper to book in Uyuni; you’ll pay more if you book elsewhere. The most popular tour is the three-day circuit taking in Salar de Uyuni, Laguna Colorada, Sol de Mañana, Laguna Verde and points in between. Tours include a driver (who also serves as your guide, mechanic and cook), two nights’ accommodation (quality varies depending on the agency), three meals a day and transport. You will also have to pay an entrance fee for Isla Incahuasi and Reserva de Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa.
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Isla Incahuasi
One of the highlights of a Salar de Uyuni tour is a hike around the spectacular Isla Incahuasi, otherwise known as Inkawasi. It’s located in the heart of the salar, 80km west of Colchani. This hilly outpost is covered in Trichocereus cactus and surrounded by a flat white sea of hexagonal salt tiles.
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Reserva Nacional de Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa
Tucked away in the southwestern corner of Los Lípez near the Chilean border is the remote Reserva Nacional de Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa. It’s a rough bumpy road through marvellous Martian landscapes to get there, but worth every bang of the head along the way.
The park headquarters is located opposite Laguna Colorada, where you can pick up informative materials, pay your fee, and learn more about local flora and fauna.
The best way to explore this area is on a tour from Uyuni or Tupiza. In winter (June to August) the roads in this area may become impassable due to snow, and the Reserva Nacional de Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa and Hito Cajón border crossing may be closed.
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Sol de Mañana
Most tour groups wake at dawn to visit the large geyser field dubbed Sol de Mañana. This 4850m-high geyser basin has bubbling mud pots, hellish fumaroles and a thick and nauseating aroma of sulphur fumes. Approach the site cautiously; any damp or cracked earth is potentially dangerous and cave-ins do occur, sometimes causing serious burns.
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Termas de Polques
At the foot of Cerro Polques lies Termas de Polques, a small 29.4°C hot-spring pool, and an absolute paradise after the chilly salar nights. Although they’re not boiling by any means, they’re suitable for bathing, and the mineral-rich waters are thought to relieve the symptoms of arthritis and rheumatism. There’s a restaurant here, and changing sheds with toilet facilities.
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Desierto de Dalí
Where the route splits about 20km south of Sol de Mañana, the more scenic left fork climbs up and over a 5000m pass, then up a stark hillside dotted with enormous rocks, which appear to have been meticulously placed by the surrealist master Salvador Dalí.
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Laguna Verde
The stunning blue-green Laguna Verde (4400m) is tucked into the southwestern corner of Bolivian territory, 52km south of Sol de Mañana. The incredible green color comes from high concentrations of lead, sulphur, arsenic and calcium carbonates. Most tours visit this in the morning, but it’s at its most dramatic during the afternoon when incessant icy winds have whipped the water into a brilliant green-and-white froth.
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Tupiza
The pace of life in tranquil Tupiza seems a few beats slower than in other Bolivian towns, making this a great place to relax for a few days, head out for a rip-romping cowboy adventure like Butch Cassidy and Sundance did more than 100 years ago, or trundle off on the back road to Salar de Uyuni.
Set in a spectacular ‘Wild West’ countryside, the capital of the southern Chichas region is in a corner of Río Tupiza Valley, surrounded by rugged scenery – cactus-studded slopes and eroded rainbow-colored rocks cut by gravelly quebradas (ravines, usually dry).
The climate is mild year-round, with most of the rain falling between November and March. From June to August, days are hot, dry and clear, but night-time temperatures can drop to below freezing. Tupiza’s main attraction is the surrounding countryside, which is best seen on foot or horseback.
- Cañón del Duende: This canyon, located 9km outside Tupiza, can be reached from the town on a great half-day hike through towering red rock formations of the nearby Quebrada de Santa Elena; ask any of the tour agencies in Tupiza for a map and directions.
- Quebrada Palmira: Cañon del Inca, 8km west of Tupiza, makes a great destination for a half-day hike via Quebrada Palmira, a normally dry wash flanked by tall and precarious fin formations. The route leads past the Puerta del Diablo rock formation, 5km outside Tupiza. The right fork of the wash is rather comically known as Valle de los Machos (Valley of Males); the name stems from the clusters of exceptionally phallic pedestal formations.
- El Sillar: El Sillar (the Saddle), located 17km northwest of Tupiza, is where a road straddles a narrow ridge between two peaks and two valleys. Throughout this area, rugged amphitheatres have been gouged out of the mountainsides and eroded into spires that resemble a stone forest. The easiest way to get here is on the 3:30pm Tupiza Tours bus (B$70); it’s possible to hire a bike and cycle back to Tupiza for an extra B$80.

Tarija
With its pleasantly mild climate and easily walkable colonial center, you may find yourself lingering in Tarija longer than expected on your way to or from Argentina or Paraguay. Despite the fact that many Bolivians from bigger cities regard South Central Bolivia as a backwater, Tarija’s palm-lined squares, tight streets, laid-back feel and lively restaurants feel just the right amount of cosmopolitan and sophisticated. After an afternoon with a glass of local vino on the central plaza you might consider relocating.
Tarija is also the base for excursions further afield, especially to the vineyards on its doorstep in El Valle de la Concepción and to surrounding villages and nature reserves.
Chapacos – as tarijeños (Tarija locals) are otherwise known – are culturally distinct from other parts of the country.

San Lorenzo
14km North of Tarija along the Tupiza road, San Lorenzo is a quaint village with freshly whitewashed adobe facades, cobblestone streets, carved balconies, a church built in 1709 and a charming plaza shaded by towering palm trees.

Tomatitas
Tomatitas, with its natural swimming holes, three lovely rivers (the Sella, Guadalquivir and Erquis) and happy little eateries serving cangrejitos (soft-shelled freshwater crabs), is popular with day-trippers from Tarija 5km to the south.
From here you can walk the 9km to Coimata, where there are more swimming holes and the two-tiered Coimata Falls, which has a total drop of about 60m. The twin 40m waterfalls at Chorros de Jurina, 26km northwest of Tarija, also make an agreeable destination for a day trip.
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Cochabamba
Cochabamba is one of Bolivia’s boom cities and has a distinct, almost Mediterranean vitality that perhaps owes something to its clement climate. While much of the city’s population is typically poor, parts of town have a notably prosperous feel. The spacious, ever-expanding new-town avenues have a wide choice of restaurants, eagerly grazed by the food-crazy cochabambinos, and the bar scene is lively, driven by students and young professionals. It’s also the base for outdoor adventures further afield, including trips to Parque Torotoro. You could easily find yourself staying a lot longer than planned.
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Parque Nacional Tunari
This easily accessible 3090 sq km park was created in 1962 to protect the forested slopes above Cochabamba and the wild summit of Cerro Tunari. It encompasses a wide diversity of habitats, from dry inter-Andean valleys to the more humid and highly endangered Polylepis forests of the Cordillera Tunari; because of habitat destruction the endemic Cochabamba mountain finch is also endangered.
Coming from Cochabamba take trufi 109 (B$2) along Av Ayacucho to the last stop, which will drop you close to the park entrance. You may have to show ID and sign in to the park. From the gate turn right, then left after 100m; the road winds up past the playground to some mountain lakes.
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Parque Nacional Torotoro
One of Bolivia’s most memorable national parks surrounds the remote and tranquil colonial village of Torotoro. The area’s geography can seem like a practical demonstration of geology on an awe-inspiring scale. Beds of sedimentary mudstone, sandstone and limestone, bristling with marine fossils and – from drier periods – dinosaur footprints, have been muscled and twisted into the sharp, inhospitable hillscapes of the Serranías de Huayllas and de Cóndor Khaka. In places, the immensity of geological time is showcased, with exposed layers revealing fossils below a hundred meters or more of sedimentary strata.
In order to protect the park’s geological wonders, it is compulsory to take a guide on any excursion outside the village. Entry tickets (B$100 for four days) are purchased at the park office next door to the office where you arrange guides.
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Potosí
The highest city on earth has a tragic history, stunningly preserved colonial architecture and a legendary silver mine. The city was founded in 1545 as soon as the ore was discovered and pretty soon the silver extracted here was bankrolling the Spanish empire. Even today, something very lucrative is said to vale un Potosí (be worth a Potosí).
During the boom years, when the metal must have seemed inexhaustible, Potosí became the Americas’ largest and wealthiest city. Once the silver dried up, however, the city went into decline and its citizens slipped into poverty. The ore, plus tin, lead and other minerals, is still being extracted by miners in some of the most abysmal conditions imaginable. But the rest of Potosí – its grand churches and ornate colonial architecture – is also worth getting to know.

Sucre
Sucre is Bolivia’s most beautiful city and the symbolic heart of the nation. It was here that independence was proclaimed, and while La Paz is the seat of government and treasury, Sucre is recognized in the constitution as the nation’s capital. Set in a valley surrounded by mountains with a glorious ensemble of whitewashed buildings sheltering pretty patios, it’s a spruce place that preserves a wealth of colonial architecture. Sensibly, there are strict controls on development and it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991. Both the city and its university enjoy reputations as focal points of progressive thought within the country.
With a selection of excellent accommodations, a mild and comfortable climate, a wealth of churches and museums, and plenty to see and do in the surrounding area, it’s no surprise that visitors end up spending much longer in Sucre than they bargained on.

Tarabuco
The small, predominantly indigenous village of Tarabuco, 65km southeast of Sucre, is famous for its textiles, which are among the most renowned in all of Bolivia. To travellers though, Tarabuco is best known for its annual Pujllay celebrations in March and its colourful, sprawling Sunday market (h7am-4pm), a popular day trip from Sucre. Look out for high-quality artesanías such as pullovers, charangos, coca pouches, ponchos and weavings that feature geometric and zoomorphic designs.

Tarapaya
Belief in the curative powers of Tarapaya (3600m), the most frequently visited hot-springs area around Potosí (21km northwest of the city), dates back to Inca times. The most interesting sight is the 30°C Ojo del Inca, a perfectly round, green lake in a low volcanic crater, 100m in diameter.
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Quime
Friendly mountain village surrounded by high mountains of the Cordillera Quimsa Cruz, between La Paz & Cochabamba, with mines, waterfalls, native cloud forest and Aimara indigenous communities.

Sajama National Park
Beautiful Andean landscapes and Bolivia's highest mountain, Nevada Sajama.

Santa Cruz
Bolivia’s largest city oozes modernity yet clings stubbornly to tradition. The city center is vibrant and thriving, its narrow streets crowded with suited businesspeople sipping chicha (a fermented-corn drink) at street stalls. Locals still lounge on benches in the main square listening to camba (eastern lowlands) music, restaurants close for siesta and stores line the porch-fronted houses selling cheap, local products. Santa Cruz may surprise you with its small-town feeling, colonial buildings and relaxed tropical atmosphere.
This is not the Bolivia that you see on postcards, but it is the place with the greatest population diversity in the country – from the overall-wearing Mennonites strolling past goth kids, to the Japanese community, altiplano immigrants, Cuban doctors, Brazilian settlers and fashionable cruceños (Santa Cruz locals) cruising the tight streets in their SUVs. It’s worth spending a few days here, eating at the international restaurants and checking out the nightlife.
Though the city has no standout sights, there is plenty to see and do around town. If the heat saps your energy though, you may prefer to just stroll around, sip a fruit juice in one of the city’s many cafes or do some people-watching in the shade of the buzzing Plaza 24 de Septiembre.

Samaipata
This sleepy village in the foothills of the Cordillera Oriental has held on to its tranquil vibe, and since it’s now brimming with well-run hostels and restaurants, you can enjoy a decent coffee as well as stunning views of the verdant landscape.
Visitors come to see the pre-Inca site of El Fuerte; some come searching for a dose of the ancient site’s supposed mystical energy. Increasingly Samaipata is the main jumping-off point for forays to Parque Nacional Amboró. It’s also a popular weekend destination for cruceños (Santa Cruz locals) seeking to escape the city. The Quechua name, meaning ‘Rest in the Highlands,’ could hardly be more appropriate.

El Fuerte (Fort Samaipata)
The mystical site of El Fuerte exudes such pulling power that visitors from all over the world come to Samaipata just to climb the hill and see the remains of this pre-Inca site. A designated UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998, El Fuerte occupies a hilltop about 10km from Samaipata and offers breath-taking views across the valleys.
Allow at least two hours to fully explore the complex, and take sunscreen and a hat with you.
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Jesuit missions of Chiquitos
These Jesuit-founded towns in remote eastern Bolivia boast a series of stunning churches and a fascinating history.
The seven-town region of Las Misiones Jesuíticas has some of Bolivia’s richest cultural and historic sites. Forgotten by the world for more than two centuries, the region and its history captivated the world’s imagination when the 1986 Palme d’Or winner The Mission spectacularly replayed the last days of the Jesuit priests in the region (with Robert de Niro at the helm). The growing interest in the unique synthesis of Jesuit and native Chiquitano culture in the South American interior resulted in Unesco declaring the region a World Heritage Site in 1991. Thanks to 25 years of painstaking restoration work, directed by the late architect Hans Roth, the centuries-old mission churches have been restored to their original splendour.
If you wish to travel the mission circuit on public transportation, the bus schedules synchronize better going counter clockwise: that is starting the circuit at San José de Chiquitos. A much less time-consuming way is by taking a guided tour from Santa Cruz (around US$500 per person for a four-day package), taking in all the major towns.
- San Xavier, founded in 1691, is the oldest mission town in the region. It’s also a favorite holiday destination for wealthy cruceño (people from Santa Cruz) families. The village sits on a lovely forested ridge with a great view over the surrounding low hills and countryside.
- ‘Conce’ (Conchay), as Concepción is known here, is a dusty village with a friendly, quiet atmosphere in the midst of an agricultural and cattle-ranching area. It stands some 182km west of San Ignacio de Velasco and is the center for all the mission restoration projects.
- San Ignacio de Velasco is a thriving commercial center and the largest town on the mission circuit. There’s a real buzz about the place, and it’s worth planning your route to include an overnight stop here. The church here is a modern reconstruction.
- Sleepy San Miguel hides in the scrub, 37km south of San Ignacio. Its church was founded in 1721 and is, according to the late Jesuit priest and Swiss architect Hans Roth, the most accurately restored of all the Bolivian Jesuit missions.
- Of all the villages on the mission circuit, tiny Santa Ana de Velasco is the most peaceful and perhaps the most charming. Reached by a bumpy dirt road from San Ignacio, it feels barely connected to the modern world.
- San Rafael de Velasco, a dusty little village 132km north of San José de Chiquitos, was founded in 1696. Its church was constructed between 1743 and 1747.
- An atmospheric place, San José de Chiquitos has the appeal of an old Western film set. With an enormous and handsome plaza shaded by toboroche (thorny bottle) trees, the most accessible Jesuit mission town is also arguably the most appealing.
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Rurrenabaque
Perfectly sited on the Río Beni, buzzing Rurrenabaque has the biodiverse wonders of the Amazon on its doorstep.
The gentle whisking of brooms on the plaza serves as a wake-up call in sleepy Rurre, a gringo crossroads sliced by the deep Río Beni and surrounded by mossy green hills. Mesmerizing sunsets turn the sky a burnt orange, and a dense fog sneaks down the river among the lush, moist trees. Once darkness falls, the surrounding rainforest comes alive with croaks, barks, buzzes and roars. This is civilization’s last stand.
Backpackers fill the streets, and restaurants, cafes and hotels cater mainly to Western tastes. Some travellers spend their days relaxing in the ubiquitous hammocks, but at some stage the majority go off on riverboat adventures into the rainforest or pampas.
The area’s original people, the Tacana, are responsible for the curious name of ‘Rurrenabaque,’ which is derived from ‘Arroyo Inambaque,’ the Hispanicized version of the Tacana name ‘Suse-Inambaque,’ the ‘Ravine of Ducks.’
Though there isn’t really that much to do in town, Rurrenabaque’s appeal is in its surrounding natural beauty. It’s easy to pass a day or three here while waiting to join a tour. Scramble up a 295-step staircase two blocks from the plaza, and then up a dirt-and-stone pathway to a mirador (lookout), and finally to a big cross (La Cruz) overlooking town and the Beni.

Madidi National Park
The 18,000-sk-km Parque Nacional Madidi is one of South America’s most intact ecosystems, taking in a range of habitats from steaming lowland rainforests to 6000m Andean peaks. This little-trodden utopia is home to an astonishing variety of Amazonian wildlife: 44% of all mammal species in North and South America, 38% of neotropical amphibian species and more than 1000 species of bird. Some scientists call it the most biodiverse place on earth.
The populated portions of the park along the Río Tuichi have been accorded a special Unesco designation permitting indigenous inhabitants to utilize traditional forest resources, but the park has also been named as a site for a major hydroelectric scheme. Illicit logging has damaged several areas around the perimeter and the debate continues over road building and oil exploration.

Trinidad
Trinidad is the place you’ll come to if you’re after a trip down the long and deep Río Mamoré, or on your way between Santa Cruz and Rurrenabaque. Despite its colonial architecture and colonnaded streets, it’s a modern city that is growing rapidly. Yet, it’s surprisingly easy to trade the hum of motorbikes for the sounds of blue-throated macaws or pink river dolphins in the surrounding wetlands.
The city of La Santísima Trinidad (the Most Holy Trinity) was founded in 1686 by Padre Cipriano Barace as the second Jesuit mission in the flatlands of the southern Beni. It was originally constructed on the banks of the Río Mamoré, 14km from its present location, but floods and pestilence along the riverbanks forced relocation. In 1769 it was moved to the Arroyo de San Juan, which now divides the city in two

San Ignacio de Moxos
San Ignacio de Moxos is a friendly, tranquil indigenous Moxos village, 92km west of Trinidad, with an ambience quite distinct from any other Bolivian town. The people speak an indigenous dialect known as ignaciano, and their lifestyle, traditions and food are unique. The best time to visit is during the annual festival (Fiesta del Santo Patrono de Moxos) on July 30 and 31. This is when the villagers let their hair down and get their feather headgear up, and don’t stop drinking, dancing and letting off fireworks for three days.
San Ignacio is located smack-bang in the middle of the notoriously poor (though increasingly asphalted) Trinidad–San Borja road. From April to October, it’s three to four hours from Trinidad to San Ignacio by van (B$60), including the balsa crossing of the Río Mamoré, but this route is sporadically closed during the rainy season.
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San Buenaventura
Sleepy San Buenaventura sits across the Río Beni from Rurrenabaque, watching all the busy goings-on, but content with its own slower pace. The Centro Cultural Tacana has a handicrafts store on the southwest side of the plaza and celebrates the Tacana people’s cosmovision (world view). The official Sernap office for Parque Nacional Madidi is also here, near the market.
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