Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
RÍO MACUÑUCU
The Río Macuñucu route is the most popular into the Área de Uso Múltiple Amboró and
begins at
Las Cruces
, 35km southeast of Buena Vista (taxi B$30). From there it's 7km to
the Río Surutú, which you must drive or wade across; just beyond the opposite bank
you'll reach
Villa Amboró
, where there is a community-run
campsite
(
Adrian
Rodríguez 7368-6784, Hugo Rojas 7368-6784; per person B$150)
with good facilities.
Villagers may charge an entrance fee to any tourist who passes their community en route
to Macuñucu, regardless of whether you intend to stay there or not - avoid unpleasantness
and pay.
From here a popular trek runs to the banks of the
Río Macuñucu
and follows its course
through thick forest. After four hours or so you pass through a narrow canyon, which con-
fines hikers to the river, and a little later you'll reach a large rock overhang accommodat-
ing up to 10 campers. Beyond here the trek becomes increasingly difficult and the terrain
more rugged as you head toward some beautiful waterfalls and a second campsite. Take a
guide if doing the full hike.
RÍO ISAMA & CERRO AMBORÓ
The Río Isama route turns off at the village of
Espejitos
, 28km southeast of Buena Vista,
and provides access to the base of 1300m Cerro Amboró, the bulbous peak for which the
park is named. It's possible to climb to the summit, but it is a difficult trek and a guide is
essential.
MATARACÚ
From near Yapacaní, on the main Cochabamba road, a 4WD track heads south across the
Río Yapacaní into the northern reaches of the Área de Uso Múltiple Amboró and, after a
rough 18km, rolls up to Amboró Eco-Resort's
Mataracú Tent Camp
(
932-2048, in
Santa Cruz 3-342-2372; per person incl breakfast & lunch B$700)
, which has palm huts
capped by thatched roofs, and
cabañas
on stilts. There is also the community-run
Posada
Ecolo- gica
(
7167-4582; dm B$35, d B$50)
, which offers all-you-can-eat meals
(breakfast/lunch B$10/15) and can be booked through any agency in Buena Vista. This is
the only SERNAP
cabaña
accessible by motor vehicle; however, crossing the Río Ya-
pacaní may be a problem except in the driest part of the year.
SAMAIPATA AREA
Samaipata sits just outside the southern boundary of the Área de Uso Múltiple Amboró
and provides the best access point for the Andean section of the park. There's no real in-
frastructure, or any public facilities, in this area.
The best guides to the region are available in Samaipata. The road uphill from there
ends at a small cabin, and then it's a four-hour walk to a camping spot near the boundary
