Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
view of the Cordillera Real, swooping down through the scree and snow to the emerald hills
of the Yungas and the endless, sweltering acres of jungle beyond, or vice versa if you're fly-
ing the other way. TAM on Santa Cruz and Avaroa ( 03 8922398) also operate a solitary
flighttoandfromLaPaz,onalternate days.Planesarriveattherecently pavedairstripashort
distance north of the town, and are met by a shuttle bus that will take you to the respective
airline office.
Destinations
La Paz (5-8 daily; 40min); Trinidad (4 weekly; 30min).
By bus/micro
Buses arrive at, and depart from, the Terminal Terrestre a few blocks away
from the centre of town on the corner of Guachalla and 18 de Noviembre; you can get a
motorbike taxi into the centre for about Bs3. At the time of writing, the road between Rur-
renabaque and Yucumo was subject to major works and consequently in appalling condition;
the times given here are for optimum dry season conditions - even a short cloudburst can ex-
tend them considerably.
Destinations
La Paz (3 daily; 20hr); Riberalta (1 daily; 20-30hr); San Ignacio de Moxos (en
route to Trinidad; 2daily; 16hr); Trinidad (2daily; 20hr); Yolosa (forconnections to Coroico;
3 daily; 14hr).
By motorbike taxi
Motorbikes pretty much rule the road in Rurre; standard local journeys
cost Bs3.
INFORMATION
Tourist information
Avaroa and Vaca Diez (daily 8am-7pm). The office offers a good map
of the town, information about the national park and a list of authorized and certified tour
agencies. Amiable manager Leo Janco is knowledgeable, incredibly helpful and will fill you
inonthelatestsituationvis-à-vistheUSAID-sponsoreddevelopmentofthevariousagencies.
The most useful feature, however, is probably the pile of blue-bound volumes (titled “Rank-
ing Bolivia”) in the corner bookcase, full of detailed questionnaires filled in by tour-returning
travellers.
TOURS
Rurrenabaque is the best place in the Bolivian Amazon to organize a trip into the wilderness
(see the section
Ecotourism in Rurrenabaque
)
, either to the rainforests of
Parque Nacional
Madidi
or the
Reserva de Biosfera y Territorio Indígena Pilon Lajas
, or into the
Pampas
del Yacuma
along the Río Yacuma to the north. With the sheer, ever mushrooming number
of tour agencies, however,
Calle Avaroa
is beginning to resemble La Paz's Calle Sagárnaga;
the choice can be bewildering, and it's not always clear cut as to which companies are
community-owned concerns and which are private. Note that prices do not normally include
the Parque Nacional Madidi
entry fee
(Bs125). If you're going on a tour it's a good idea to
book a room for your return (all places will store luggage when you're away).
