National Parks of Bolivia

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The National Parks of Bolivia and other protected areas encompass a range of different terrains and ecosystems in Bolivia, from the tropical rainforest of the Amazon basin to the high altitudes of the Andes Mountains and the eastern lowlands of Bolivia.

Bolivia is one of the most bio-diverse countries in the world, and contains many different ecosystems and habitats, with many plant and animal species. Much of this diversity and its wildlife is protected within the many national parks and other protected areas, covering around 18 million hectares or 17% of the country's total area.

Facilities for tourism at the many national parks in Bolivia are virtually nonexistent and the poor infrastructure of roads makes reaching some of these parks difficult. Also, visiting some of the national parks of Bolivia involves a few day wilderness expedition and setting up a makeshift camps, which is usually only possible with help of a tour guide.

The best time for visiting the national parks of Bolivia is in the dry season from April through November. During the rainy season between November through March, most parks in Bolivia are virtually inaccessible and difficult to get around, which is mostly the case in the Amazon Basin and the eastern lowlands of Bolivia.

Below is a list of Bolivian National Parks divided by the different regions:

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Bolivian Andes - Western Bolivia

Sajama National Park (Parque Nacional Sajama)
This national park is located in the southwestern part of Bolivia in the altiplano of the Andes next to the border of Chile. It protects the unique flora, fauna and spectacular scenery, including Bolivia's highest peak, the extinct Sajama Volcano (6,542 m (21,463 ft). It is also home to herds of vicuñas, llamas, and flamingos, plus geysers and hot springs.

Eduardo Avaroa National Andean Wildlife Preserve
Also, located in the Andes region in the southwestern part of Bolivia near the salar de uyuni region. This park is high, dry and cold, with geysers, hot springs, mineral colored lakes, herds of vicuñas, llamas, and flamingos. The best known places in the park are Laguna Colorada and Laguna Verde for the pink flamingos.

Apolobamba National Management Natural Area
Once known as the Ulla Ulla National Reserve, this park is located northwest of La Paz on the Peruvian border. It includes spectacular scenery of the many mountain peaks over 5000m of the Cordillera Apolobamba mountain range and covers the subtropical Yungas forest on its eastern slopes. The climate varies with its altitude. Estimates put around 1,500 species of flora and around 300 species of fauna, such as vicuna, spectacled bear, andean condor and much more wildlife. It is also home to he Nomadic Medicine Men of Bolivia known as the Kallawayas.

Cotapata National Park (Parque Nacional Cotapata)
Located northeast of La Paz, and is accessible from La Cumbre along the Yungas Road. The park covers varied terrain from Andean peaks to the subtropical Yungas valleys. The park has around 1,800 plant species, and around 215 species of fauna.

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Central Bolivia

Amboró National Park (Parque Nacional Amboro)
Amboro is located between Santa Cruz and Cochabamba. The northern part of the park can be accessed from Buena Vista or to the south in Samaipata. Ranging from 300m to 3,300m it covers a unique area where the Andean foothills, Amazon basin and eastern plains meet, making it one of the most bio-divers regions in the world.

Carrasco National Park (Parque Nacional Carrasco)
Bordered by Amboro National Park to the east, this park altitude varies between 300m to 4,700m. It preserves a wide range of forest habitats, from tropical lowlands to high-altitude cloud forest. The park contains over 5,000 plant species, 700 species of birds, and many other wildlife such as the andean bear, monkeys and jaguars.is a 1.5 million-acre rainforest park in the Andes foothills rich in varied flora and fauna.

Tunari National Park (Parque Nacional Tunari)
Located to the west of Cochabamba, this park features mountain scenery with forest covered valleys and many lakes. The park has a moderate climate in the valleys, giving way to cooler conditions in mountains with higher altitudes.

Toro Toro National Park (Parque Nacional Toro Toro)
This park is best accessed from Cochabamba, about a 7 hours drive from Cochabamba, this is where you'll find dinosaur footprints, fossils, unexplored caves, cave paintings, Inca ruins, secluded lakes, etc. The park has a scrubby woodland landscape and semi-arid climate at altitudes between 2000 and 3500 m above sea level, with canyons as deep as 300 meters.

Iñao National Park (Parque Nacional Iñao)
This park is located in the Chuquisaca Department and was established in 2004, making it one of the newest national parks in Bolivia.

Isiboro-Sécure National Park and Indigenous Territory (Parque Nacional y Territorio Indígena Isiboro-Secure)
Is a protected area in Bolivia situated between the north of the Cochabamba Department and the south of the Beni Department in part of the Chapare region. The park has a range of habits from tropical forest, savannah and mountains, with varied climate and varied elevations ranging between 200m to 3,000m. The park is home to indigenous communities and has more than 3,000 species of plants, 600 species of birds, variety of animals including the spectacled bear, jaguars, caiman, and much more.

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Bolivian Amazon - Northern Bolivia

Madidi National Park (Parque Nacional Madidi)
This park is located in the northern part of Bolivia in the Bolivian Amazon. The park can be reached from Rurrenabaque by crossing the Beni River with a small ferry boat over to San Buenaventura. The park is home to a variety of wildlife, with around 1,000 bird species, 6000 plant species. Animals include ten species of monkeys, jaguars, puma, giant anteaters, anacondas, caiman crocodiles, numerous fish species and many of the other typical animals of the Amazon rainforest.

Pilón Lajas Bioreserve (Reserva de Biosfera y Tierra Comunitaria de Origen Pilón Lajas)
This bioreserve is located just south of Rurrenabaque near Madidi National Park. This area is home to around 600 species of birds, 200 species of fish and 2500 species of flora. It is also home to a small population of indigenous communities.

Noel Kempff National Park (Parque Nacional Noel Kempff)
Located in the northeastern part of the Santa Cruz Department, on the border with Brazil. This park covers 1.5 million hectares and contains seven distinct ecosystems and is best know for its Amazonian forest, spectacular waterfalls and the unique mountain and rock formations. It is estimated that the park has approximately 4,000 species of plants, 620 species of birds, 75 reptile species, 250 fish species and around 140 mammal species such as; river otters, river dolphins, tapirs, spider and howler monkeys, the giant armadillo, giant anteaters and jaguars. There are also small indigenous communities that live in the region.

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South & Southeast Bolivia

Aguaragua National Park (Parque Nacional Aguaragüe)
This long, narrow park (10km by 111km) protects the transition zone between the Gran Chaco and the highlands of the Tarija Department. Located in the east of the Tarija department, its best-known feature, the Canon de Pilcomayo. The park is accessible from Villamontes and there are many bird species and animal species including jaguar, anteater, armadillo and many other.

Gran Chaco National Park (Parque Nacional Gran Chaco)
Located in the south of the Santa Cruz Department, this is the largest national park in Latin America. It includes a large section of the Gran Chaco plains, the Banados de Izozog wetlands and a unique desert forest habitat. There are around 900 species of flora and 515 fauna species.

Otuquis National Park (Parque Nacional Otuquis)
This is a protected area in Bolivia. It is situated in the extreme southeast of the Santa Cruz Department on the borders with Brasil and Paraguay in the provinces Germán Busch and Cordillera. It covers parts of the Chaco plains and a unique wetland habitat.

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Map of National Parks of Bolivia, Bioreserves & Other Protected Nature Areas

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