Madidi National Park, Bolivia

Madidi national park in Bolivia.

Madidi is a national park in the upper Amazon river basin in Bolivia. Established in 1995, it has an area of 18,958 square kilometres, and, along with the nearby protected (though not necessarily contiguous) areas Manuripi-Heath, Apolobamba, and (across the border in Peru) the Manu Biosphere Reserve, Madidi is part of one of the largest protected areas in the world.

Ranging from the glacier-covered peaks of the high Andes Mountains to the tropical rainforests of the Tuichi River, Madidi and its neighbors are recognized as one of the planet's most biologically diverse regions. In particular, Madidi protects parts of the Bolivian Yungas and Bolivian montane dry forests ecoregions.

The local people who have migrated here from the Andean highlands speak the Quechua language. The cultures who find their origin here are the Tacana, the Mosete, the Tsimane, and the Ese Ejja, all of which have their own language which pertains to one language group.

Flora and fauna

Madidi is one of the most biologically diverse protected areas on the planet. The park is home to over 1,000 bird species, representing a whopping 11% of the world’s 9,000 bird species. Madidi contains large populations of Latin America’s most charismatic wildlife species: jaguar, spectacled bear, maned wolf, vicuña, giant otter, Andean condor and military macaw, among others. The newly discovered monkey species lives in Madidi and nowhere else.

Weather in Madidi National Park

The climate is cold in the alpine region, temperate in areas of intermediate elevation, and tropical in the northern lowlands. The winds come predominantly from the north, and cold fronts from the south have little impact on the temperature of the Madidi region. The dry season coincides with the austral winter. The average annual temperature is 26 C but varies greatly depending on the altitude.

In the region of Apollo the annual rainfall is 716 mm; the rainy season is from October to March, and the dry season is from May to September.

Get in

The Madidi National Park can be reached from Rurrenabaque, a small town in the Beni Department on the banks of the Río Beni in the Bolivian Amazon Basin. To get to Rurrenabaque take one of the water taxis at Calle Santa Cruz for Bs1.5.

By bus. There are daily buses to and from La Paz. The journey takes 14-16 hours in the dry season and cost Bs80. The fastest and most convenient buses to La Paz leave at 21:00 and arrive before lunch. You can break the trip in Coroico, which is only 10-12 hours away, by getting off at Yosolita and continuing by shared minivan.

On a part of the road from La Paz to Coroico a new highway has been opened at the end of 2006, and the old 'death road' is now only for bikers. The new road only avoids a part of the 'death road' or Yungas Road. From Coroico (Yolosita) to Caranavi is another two to three hours on the death road, with the roadside canyon just a few hundred feet deep instead of a few hundred metres.

There are also daily buses to Riberalta and Guayará-Mirim. Inquire about departure times at the bus terminal; they vary wildly. During the rainy season, this road is virtually impassable, and trips may take up to six days. When the road's in good condition, Rurrenabaque-Riberalta should take about 20 hours, and Guayará another four.

The bus station is located a 25 min walk outside the city, take a motorbike for Bs7.

There are two offices on Avaroa offering jeep services to nearby towns and even La Paz (US$25 and only 12 hours).

By plane. A tarmac strip outside town is the main airport. In case it's flooded companies use the landing strip at Reyes, about 45 mins. away. There are daily connections to La Paz, but cancellations are common, especially in the rainy season. Amaszonas, +591 3 8922472. Santa Cruz s/n, is slightly pricier with Bs664, but has several flights daily.

Fees and permits

The entrance fee is mostly not included in the prices of the tour operators and was 125 Bs in June 2011.

Lodging

Some eco-lodges are found in and around the Madidi National Park. The oldest and best known is Chalalan Ecolodge in Chalalán on the Tuichi River. Another is the San Miguel del Bala Eco-Lodge on the banks of the Beni River, reached by boat 40 minutes up stream from Rurrenabaque.

• Chalalán is an ecological lodge of the Indigenous People of San José de Uchupiamonas dedicated to ethnic ecotourism. The cabins are located in the vicinity of Chalalán Lake, on the south bank of the Tuichi River, about 100 km south west of Rurrenabaque.

• Berraco del Madidi, +591 3892-2966. "Calle Comercio esq.Vaca Diez" (Rurrenabaque). A Bolivian rainforest eco-camp, specializing in multi-day tours. Located deeper than any other operator in the Amazon's Madidi National Park. The tours are individually tailored, with only 8 guests at any one time.

• San Miguel del Bala Eco-lodge. 7 comfortable cabins each with 3 beds, electricity and private bathroom, and a dormitory of 8 beds with shared bathroom. The cabins are scattered, giving the feeling of living alone in the rain forest. The eco-lodge is owned and operated by the indigenous community of San Miguel del Bala.

The inhabitants of San Miguel have built the eco-lodge with the help and guidance of NGOs including CARE, Conservation International, the UNDP and the Wildlife Conservation Society. In a traditional round-house, there is an interpretation center with an exhibition about the Tacana culture. (Wikivoyage, Wikipedia)

Madidi National Park.

Chalalan Albergue Ecológico.