Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
EASTERN BOLIVIAN AMAZON
Trinidad, the Bolivian Amazon's main population center, is still very much a frontier settle-
ment, though it's also an access point for dozens of smaller communities, wild rivers and
remote jungle reserves. The eastern side of the Amazon hides spectacular wildernesses and
reserves of difficult access that are a rewarding challenge for the intrepid ecotourist.
Trinidad
3 / POP 80,000 / ELEV 235M (771FT)
Trinidad is the place you'll come to if you're after a trip down the long and deep Río
Mamoré, or on your way between Santa Cruz and Rurrenabaque. Despite its colonial archi-
tecture and colonnaded streets, it's a modern town that is growing rapidly. Its most notable
feature is the massive, green, tropical main square (Trinidad is only 14 degrees south of the
equator), once home to a population of friendly sloths.
The city of La Santísima Trinidad (the Most Holy Trinity) was founded in 1686 by Padre
Cipriano Barace as the second Jesuit mission in the flatlands of the southern Beni. It was
originally constructed on the banks of the Río Mamoré, 14km from its present location, but
floods and pestilence along the riverbanks necessitated relocation. In 1769 it was moved to
the Arroyo de San Juan, which now divides the city in two.
