Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Getting There & Away
Air
Rurre's airport is a few kilometers north of town and there is a two-pronged terminal fee
of B$15. Transfer in minibus to and from the airline offices costs an additional B$6. The
brief flight to La Paz is an affordable way of avoiding the arduous 24-hour bus journey to
the capital. Flights sell out fast but are frequently cancelled during bad weather. You will
be refunded only 70% of the ticket value if your flight is cancelled and you're not pre-
pared to wait around for the next one. Be sure to reconfirm your ticket the day before your
flight otherwise you may find yourself without a seat. Irritatingly, if you wish to fly to
Riberalta or Guayaramerín, you need to return to La Paz or Trinidad.
Rurre (B$480, one hour) at least once a day, with additional services during peak periods.
daily flights to La Paz (B$650) and theoretically flies daily to Trinidad (B$581).
Boat
Thanks to the Guayaramerín road, there's little cargo transportation down the Río Beni to
Riberalta these days and there's no traffic at all during periods of low water. You'll need a
dose of luck to find something and will have to negotiate what you consider a fair price
for the trip, which may take as long as 10 days.
Bus & Jeep
The bus terminal is a good 20-minute walk northeast of the center and all buses and
shared taxis depart from here. Prices are standard and do not vary between companies.
Several daily services make the daunting trip from Rurrenabaque to La Paz (B$70, 18
to 24 hours), via Yolosita (B$65, 14 to 20 hours), the hop-off point for Coroico. If you
find the narrow, twisting Andean roads and sheer drops a harrowing experience on a bus,
another option is to bus it as far as Caranavi and take a shared taxi from there, the rest of
the trip being the most scary, or picturesque, depending on your point of view.
The route to Trinidad (B$150, 17 to 30 hours) via San Borja (taxi/bus B$80/50, nine to
18 hours) and San Ignacio de Moxos (B$100, 12 hours) remains one of the worst in the
country and is typically closed during the rainy season. Buses now run year-round to Rib-
eralta (B$110, 17 to 40 hours) and Guayaramerín (B$120, 18 hours to three days), but you
need a healthy dose of stamina, insect repellent and food if you're going to attempt it in
the wet season.
