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Bolivia Regions
Bolivia: The Natural Areas
The Upper Amazon Basin
The Upper Amazon Basin in Bolivia is the best of what’s left of the real Amazon. Bordering Peru and Brazil, these tropical lowlands are the least- known regions of Bolivia. Encompassing the largest land-mass in the country, this region is thick with jungles, huge slow-moving rivers, vast grassy savannas, rocky escarpments, and flood- plains. It is full of wildlife-caiman, giant river otter, monkeys, jaguar, anacondas and birds. It’s not unusual to see over 200 species of birds here in one day.
The Andes, the Yungas and the Chapare
The Andes Mountains divide into two branches surrounding the Altiplano, which extend to the middle of Bolivia. The western “cordillera”, bordering Peru and Chile, is volcanic. The eastern cordilleras (Apolobamba, Real and Quimsa Cruz) are some of the most spectacular glacier-covered peaks in South America. At 17-21,000+ ft., the Andes are dotted with Inca roads and sacred sites where, for thousands of years, the Aymara and Quechua have made offerings to the gods for good crops, health and happiness. Winters are cold and windy with intense sunshine. Snow arrives in the summer. Contrast that with the eastern slopes of the Andes, known as the Yungas and Chapare. These steep, jungle-covered mountains have a tropical climate with rain possible any time of the year. Many whitewater rivers cut their way east from the glaciated summits of the Cordilleras, emptying into the Upper Amazon Basin.
The Highland Valleys
The Highland Valleys are in the center of Bolivia, in the Cochabamba, Chuquisaca and Tarija departments. This agricultural region is known for its Mediterranean climate. The valleys and rolling hills are cut by tropical rivers draining to the north and south. The city of Cochabamba is known for its delicious climate, and chicha, its fermented corn drink, is a well-known treat folks like to sample. The constitutional capital of Bolivia, Sucre, has maintained its colonial air and is home to many of the finest museums in Bolivia. Two exceptional wildlife preserves have been established in Tarija. Sama Reserve is home to half the world’s species of flamingos and a rare forest of Altiplano dwarf trees. The Tariquia Reserve is the best remaining example of the Yungas tropical cloud forest.
The Altiplano or High Plain
The Altiplano, remnant of an immense pre- historic inland sea, is flanked by the Andes Mountains. To the north sits Lake Titicaca, where, according to legend, the first Inca rulers were born on the Island of the Sun. To the ancients, Titicaca was sacred and they built temples along its shores and many islands. The second largest lake (3,500 sq. mi. /1,351 sq. km) in South America, Titicaca is the world’s highest navigable body of water at 12,500 ft. above sea level (3,810 m). South of the lake lies the ancient port city of Tiahuanaco, partially buried by the sands of time. Once excavated, it will rival Machu Picchu as one of the most important archaeological sites in the Americas. The Altiplano extends all the way to Bolivia’s southern border with Chile and Argentina and averages 4,000 m (13,123 ft.) above sea level. Throughout this wind-swept expanse are volcanoes, canyons, salt flats, colored lagoons, and rivers. It is not uncommon to see flamingos, rheas, and cougars. The administrative capital city, La Paz, sits in a bowl (11,500 ft. asl/3,505 m) on the edge of the Altiplano, next to the Cordillera Real. Between its altitude and Mt. Illimani as a backdrop, La Paz is breathtaking. No other city in the Americas has the same mix of colonial, indigenous and modern influences. Three hours (by land) south of La Paz is the city of Oruro (12,200 ft. /3,718 m). At the turn of the century, Oruro was an important mining center. Now it is known as the folkloric capital of Bolivia, where the famous Carnival and Dance of the Devil take place each February. Further south and east is Potosi, the highest city in the world (over 13,000 ft. asl/3,962 m). In 1672, it was also the largest city in the New World, due to the Spanish who found silver in a hill at the edge of the city. It has been said that the silver mined in this city could build a bridge across the Atlantic. Now Potosi is the site of over one hundred churches, the Spanish mint and an incredible array of mansions and haciendas.
The Gran Chaco
The Gran Chaco is the hottest and least visited area in Bolivia. A dry and dusty desert with few roads, the Chaco is full of cacti, thorny plants and wildlife. Because few humans can tolerate the climate, the Chaco has become a refuge for large mammals like the jaguar, peccary, and tapir.
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