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An update from Evaneos

Best places to visit in Bolivia

To travel to Bolivia is to choose a destination in which mass tourism and all-inclusive package deals have no role to play. And so much the better! Most travellers do, however, combine a trip to Bolivia with a trip to Peru and are happy enough just to visit the area around La Paz. That's such a shame! With its virgin Amazon rainforest, the huge mountains of its Altiplano, and the arid plains in its east, Bolivia has scenery and landscapes unlike anything else in the world to offer. And that's without even mentioning its indigenous culture, which is so much in evidence everywhere in the country and so highly respected. It really is delightful!

What better way is there to get the most out of a travel destination than by swapping tips and ideas about what to see and do there? Evaneos' community of seasoned travellers have provided reviews of both the essential places to see and visit in Bolivia and their favourite off-the-beaten-track and out-of-the-way places.

La Paz, Bolivia's capital, is a charming, atypical and cosmopolitan city, and well worth spending several days exploring. The 4x4 tour of the Uyuni salt flat and Sud Lipez Province is definitely something every self-respecting adventurer should have on their to-do list. On your return, make a stop at Potosí mines, which were once a source of great wealth for Latin America.

To finish off this high-altitude excursion, spend some time in the Amazon rainforest atRurrenabaque, where you'll have the opportunity to see all kinds of jungle animals, including everything from caimans and monkeys to pink river dolphins. And why not reach to this region via the famous 'Death Road', Coroico, perhaps even descending it by bicycle?

Those with enough time on their hands should definitely go to see the giant tree ferns of Amboró National Park in the east of the country, which so many tourists miss the opportunity to visit. Something tourists normally don't miss, however, is the chance to let their hair down and enjoy themselves to the sounds and rhythms of the Diablada at the Oruro Carnival, the most famous in South America after that of Rio de Janeiro, and the opportunity to tour round the Jesuit missions of Santa Cruz de la Sierra.

And when you've done all this, you will no doubt head next for Lake Titicaca and Peru, to visit an area which, with its wonderful landscapes and scenery, really is one of the essential places to see in South America.

What a programme! We'll leave you to browse the Evaneos website and find out more about all these sites for yourself. A word of warning however: they are all so wonderful that you might have difficulty deciding which to visit!

Julie Olagnol
100km from Sucre, Amboró National Park boasts 400,000 hectares of rainforest. It's an opportunity to explore a hostile jungle and to discover the astonishing diversity of plants and animals.
Intense climbing in a mountainous setting which is as freezing as it is sublime.
The Siloli desert is one of the most beautiful parts of the South Lípez region. An incredible rocky, red sand. It's amazing.
In the Cordillera Real, the Huayna Potosi is one of the most accessible 6000-metre peaks in the world.
Moon Valley is a large expanse of honey-coloured rocks carved into pointy peaks as a result of erosion.
Only a few kilometres from Laguna Verde, Laguna Blanca is a salt lake located in the heart of the outstanding National Reserve of Andean Wildlife, Eduardo Avaroa.
In the middle of nowhere, lost amidst an area of unrelenting nothingness in Bolvia's Sur Lípez region , lies Laguna Colorada, one of the most unusual natural marvels that exist. It is quite simply magical.
The magnificent Laguna Verde can be found in the Sur Lipez provence in Bolivia. In the heart of this fantastic region, at the foot of Licancabur Volcano, you'll find the green and salty water of the lake enchanting.
Leaving by boat from Rurrenabaque, the Madidi National Park is home to the most beautiful tropical forest in Bolivia. An unknown world to be discovered over the more than 18,000 kilometres squared of the park.
The famous Road of Jewels ("Ruta de las Joyas") crosses the southwest of Bolivia, including the gorgeous Province of Sud Lipez.
At 760km from La Paz, Uyuni is lost in the middle of nowhere. It's here you'll find one of the most incredible sites in the world - the vast Salar or salt flat.
Right in the heart of the Atacama Desert, is the small town of San Pedro from where it is possible to arrange to see many tourist attractions. For great outdoors and adventure lovers !
The province of Sur Lipez is a desert at an altitude of 4,000 metres.
The highest navigable lake in the world is home to numerous treasures and it's sometimes difficult to chose which to explore first.
Alcaya (Bolivia)
Alcaya
4/5
The Alcaya archeological site is located in the south of the department of Oruro . This open-air museum houses mommies in a remarkable state of conservation.
The Tunupa volcano is north of Salar de Uyuni and south of Salar de Coipasa
Challapampa is a village located in the north of Isla del Sol, on the banks of the mythical Lake Titicaca. It's the entrance point for the ruins of Chincana.
An hour by road from the Bolivian capital, Chacaltaya is a mountain in the Cordillera Real range, situated in the department of La Paz.
Chachacomani is a high altitude mountain located in the Cordillera Real in the heart of the La Paz region.
Challa (Bolivia)
Challa
4/5
Challa is a village on Isla del Sol, on the banks of the mythical Lake Titicaca.
Chiguana is a desert not far from Salar de Uyuni, in Bolivia, in the region of Nor Lípez.
Choro (Bolivia)
Choro
4/5
El Choro is a pre-Columbian trail which connects the Cordillera Real to the tropical rainforest of the Yungas.
Chulumani is the capital of Bolivia's Sud Yungas region and is situated three hours by road from La Paz. As it's located in a zone which gradually merges into the Amazon rainforest, Chulumani reaches an altitude of 'only' 5700 ft, making it a much hotter place than La Paz.
Concepción is a former Jesuit mission located in the region of Santa Cruz, in eastern Bolivia.
After a freezing night on the banks of Laguna Colorada, you can visit the Sol de Mañana Geysers very early in the morning when they are most active.
Incahuasi can be found on the way to the famous Salar de Uyuni.
Just 45 minutes from the town of Uyuni, Isla Incahuasi is essentially a hill covered in cacti. From the top, the view of the salt flat's white horizon is superb.
Kunu Pampa Glacier is located in the Cordillera Real, the "Himalayas of the New World", in the heart of the La Paz region.
Surrounded by giant cacti, Isla Incahuasi is a must-see stopping place during a visit to Salar de Uyuni.
La Paz (Bolivia)
La Paz
4/5
Sat at 3,600 metres above sea level, La Paz is the highest capital city in the world! Yes, Sucre has been upstaged, but it's still the constitutional capital of Bolivia!

Best time to visit Bolivia

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