A river town at 200m where the Andes finally give out into Amazon. Come for Madidi's wildlife, and for the relief of thick, warm air.
Madidi jungle lodge stay
Three to four days upriver in one of the most biodiverse parks on earth. Book a lodge stay, not a day trip.
Chalalan Ecolodge
Community-owned by San Jose de Uchupiamonas, five hours upriver on a lagoon. The original Madidi ecolodge.
Pampas tour on the Yacuma
Wetland boat trips three hours from town: caiman, capybara, pink river dolphins and far easier sightings than jungle.
Yellow fever jab and repellent
Vaccination is recommended for the Bolivian lowlands, and dengue is present. Sort the jab well before you travel.
Sunset over the Beni river
Watch the river from the malecon as the light goes. The town's simplest and most reliable pleasure.
Fly from La Paz (RBQ)
EcoJet flies the 40-minute hop, currently around three times weekly. Small aircraft, and weather cancellations are common.
Bus from La Paz
Eighteen to twenty hours down a rough mountain road. Cheap, memorable, and not for the nervous or the time-poor.
Overland from the north
Riberalta and Guayaramerin connect by long bus journeys. Only worth it if you are already deep in the Beni lowlands.
Best time to go
May to October, the dry season: fewer mosquitoes, far better wildlife odds.
Cheapest months
December to March, when heavy rain floods trails and cuts flight reliability.
Priciest & busiest
June to August, peak dry season and the busiest lodges inside Madidi.
Morning
Dawn boat up the Beni, watching for capybara and macaws as the mist lifts off the water.
Late morning
Guided forest walk with a local naturalist: medicinal plants, spider monkeys and leafcutter ant highways.
Lunch
Lodge lunch of river fish and plantain, followed by the universal jungle siesta through the worst heat.
Afternoon
Canoe a lagoon or oxbow lake for caiman and hoatzin, once the animals come back out.
Evening
Night walk with torches for frogs, tarantulas and glowing eyes, then very early to bed.