NATIONAL PARKS IN BOLIVIA

The Madidi National Park (Parque Nacional y área de manejo integrado Madidi) is the largest protected area in the country and is located at the north of La Paz City. From the high Andean glaciers, passing through the mountain valleys, cloud forest, and savannas down to the Amazonian jungle, this park of 18.000km2 (7020mi2) is probably one of the most complex ecological systems in South America.

Its highest point is the summit of Chaupi Orco at 6000 m (19680 ft) in the Apolobamba range and the lowest area is in the Amazonian rain forest at 600 m (1968 ft). The annual precipitation varies form 700 mm per year in the driest areas to 5000 mm per year in the cloud forest at mid altitude.

The Park is not only the most preserved in its fauna (1000 bird species, 90% of all Bolivian bird species, 44% of all New World species of mammal, and an estimated of 38 % of Neo tropical amphibians) but also has several sites of archeological importance from the Mollo and Inca cultures. Those include ruins of former cities, ancient terraces and several hundreds of miles of trails. Some of them still preserve their original stone pavement. Nowadays, several ethnic groups like the Takana, Mosetenes and Chimanes, live within the park.

One of the most successful ecological project is located in this park; the Chalalan lodge. After 300 years living as hunters and loggers, the Quechua-Takana indigenous have understood the consequences of these practices and have decided to work with tourism instead. Thanks of the financing of the International Development Bank and the technical assistance of “Conservation International” no Governmental organization, they have build a lodge in the middle of the Amazonian jungle, and in the edge of Chalalan lake.

The Chalalan lodge is accessed by dugout canoe up the spectacular Beni and Tuichi rivers, 5 hours from the gateway community of Rurrenabaque. This lodge has been constructed with respect for the natural surroundings, using forest materials, solar energy and intensive protection of the lake. Primary forests inhabited by an astonishing variety of birds and mammals surround the cabins. The lake and surroundings are an ideal habitat for Monkeys, Alligators, Turtles, Hoatzin, and Macaws that reverberates under a constant symphony of birdsong, shouts of howler monkeys, and barking toucans, particularly at dawn and dusk.

The Kaa-Iya National Park (Parque Nacional y área natural de manejo integrado Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco) is located to the south of Santa Cruz, and covers the most important areas of the plains of the “Gran Chaco”, which main characteristic is the extremely dry climate. The temperatures may vary from very hot to extremely cold because of the cold winds coming from the south. It rains from 400 mm per year to 1000mm per year mostly during January and February.

The Amboró National Park (Parque Nacional y área natural de manejo integrado Amboró) is located to the west of Santa Cruz. In that area, the mountain range changes and takes a north to south direction. Because of that, that particular place is called “The Elbow of the Andes”. The region is typically mountainous: very steep slopes and altitude differences from 300 m to 3300 m / 984 ft to 10824 ft, canyons and deep valleys, strong rivers and hundreds of waterfalls. Its prime characteristic is the diversity of ecosystems from the cloud mountain forest to the rain Amazonian forest. It rains between 1400 mm per year to 4000 mm per year.

The Noel Kempff Mercado National Park (Parque Nacional Noel Kempff Mercado) is located in the extreme eastern corner of Bolivia, in the Department of Santa Cruz. Due to its unique bio geographical location, the rich, extraordinary diversity on species and habitats found in this National Park are unequaled in the New World tropics. Nowhere else in South America can you see such a wide variety of habitats with so little effort - humid tropical rainforests, seasonally flooded savanna, Cerrado, gallery forest, thorn scrub, dry forest, and large expanses of wetlands similar in appearance to the famous Pantanal formation found in eastern Bolivia and south-western Brazil.

Since the basins are as low as 200m / 656 ft, and the Huanchaca Plateau (an 340 km2 / 132 mi2 Precambrian sandstone escarpment) as high as 750 m / 2460 ft, the contrast of the landscape in this park of 16.000 km2 / 6240 mi2 is one of the most awe-inspiring scenery in Latin America.

At this time more than 620 bird species have been identified, but experts estimate that once a comprehensive bird study of the entire park is completed, more than 700 species of resident and migratory birds could be recorded (one fourth of all existing bird species in the Neo tropics). Some of the local specialties that we can hope to see include: Bare-faced Curassow, Red-throated Piping Guan, Ocellated Crake, Crimson-bellied Parakeet, Horned Sungem, Rusty-necked Piculet, Snow-capped Manakin, Flame-crested Manakin, Zimmer’s Tody-Tyrant, White-rumped Tanager, the very rare black and Tawny Seedeater, Black-throated Saltator, and Yellow-billed blue Finch.

As estimated of 130 mammal species where also inventoried including: Tapir, Jaguar, Capybara, Black spider monkey, Black howler monkey, silvery marmoset, Giant Armadillo, and a number of cat species including the Puma, Margay, Jaguarindi, and Ocelot. Giant Anteaters, Marsh Deer, and the very rare endangered Manned Wolf occur to the west in the park’s extensive grasslands, and the endangered Pampas deer roam the dry, cerrado forest found in the top of the Huanchaca plateau. Fresh water River Dolphins are very frequently seen in Itenez River, as well as healthy populations of the highly endangered Giant Otter, Black Caiman, and two different species of South American river turtles, the Tracaya (Fam. Podocnemis unifilis) and the Tataruga (Fam. Podocnemis expasa), which extensively use the area as nesting grounds during the dry season.

Thanks to an agreement with the Bolivian government, “Los Amigos de la Naturaleza” foundation are administrating this National Park, where they have constructed two lodges: the “Flor de Oro”, which is the base for all operations and where is located the landing strip, and “Los Fierros” up in the Huanchaca plateau. After a flight from Santa Cruz city, it can be organized trips from 4 to 8 days long visiting several areas into this park or connecting to the Brazilian Pantanal if you wish.

The Apolobamba National Park (Parque Nacional y area de manejo integrado Apolobamba) is located at the extreme north west of La Paz highlands at the border with Peru. In the last year this National Park territory has been increased, and has changed to its actual name from “Ulla Ulla National Park. It has mainly two ecological steps: the Puna (Tundra) and the mountain valleys. It was created to protect the Vicunas. They were declared endangered in the 70s because of illegal hunting. Now the park administration has succeeded and got the largest population in Bolivia (around 8000 Vicuñas). It rains between 500 mm per year to 3000 mm per year. In this region lives the well-known ethnic group of healers: the Kallawayas.

The Eduardo Avaroa Andean fauna reserve (Reserva Nacional de Fauna Andina Eduardo Abaroa) is located at the extreme southwest of the country and the border with Chile. The Bolivian Atacama desert its at an average altitude of 4000m (13120ft), it is very cold most of the year with temperatures as low as -40ºC (-40ºF) but very dry, and rains a maximum of 400 mm per year, mostly during January and February.

Very high volcanic cones, flat multicolored cold deserts, high altitude tundra, dozens of colored lakes steaming with Andean wild life forms the astonishing landscape. The most known lakes are Laguna Colorada and Laguna Verde with hundreds of pink flamingos on its shores.

The Sajama National Park (Parque Nacional Sajama) is located besides the Lauca National Park in Chile. It covers the northwest lands of Oruro. The highest volcanoes in Bolivia are within the park administration, like Sajama (also the highest mountain in the country). It is also a very cold region with a maximum precipitation of 400 mm per year.

It was the first protected land in Bolivia. Its main attraction are the Alpacas and Vicuñas living in these plains, and the highest woods on earth; the indigenous Keñua trees (Polylepis Tarapacana), living as high as 5200 m / 17056 ft. Several hot spring and geysers can also be found in this park.

The Cotapata National Park (Parque Nacional y área de manejo integrado Cotapata) is located very close to La Paz city, just 2 driving hours. It protects lands that are in the Royal Mountain Range (Cordillera Real). There are several ecological steps within the park, from the Andean peaks down to the upper Amazonian rain forest. It rains 1000 mm per year in the mountains and as much as 3000 mm per year in the lower jungle. The best way of getting there is by taking the Choro Inca trail that starts at the pass of the high way and finishes close to Coroico town.

The Toro Toro National Park (Parque Nacional Toro Toro) is located in the center of the country, to the north of Potosi. The region is typically mountainous and the weather quite temperate.

Relatively dry as it rains 600 mm per year only. Its main attraction are the mostly unexplored caves of Umajalanta and the dinosaur footprints. The canyon of Toro Toro is the closest place you can find to a Jurassic Park with thousands of fossils around. And to top it all, there are archeological sites and cave paintings.

Besides the above mentioned, there are the following National Parks and Protected areas: