MADIDI NATIONAL RESERVE
LA PAZ
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LA PAZ
Madidi National Park was created as such on September
21, 1995. With a surface area of 18,960 km2, it is located between
the provinces of Franz Tamayo and Iturralde, in the north of the
Department of La Paz. It borders on other National Parks, such as
Manuripi Heat, the Integrally Administrated Natural Area of Apolobamba
and Pilon de Lajas Biosphere Reserve. Its western edge is the Peruvian
border, and it extends eastwards along the Andes Cordillera branches,
plunging deeply into the Amazon area. The National Geographic Magazine
classifies it as one of the world's largest bio-diversity reserves.
With its humid, tropical climate, this Park contains one of the
richest forest areas in Bolivia. Also, 988 species have been recorded
in the area, this being only a partial tally. The population is
around 1,700, grouped in different communities. It was established
as a National Park by the government on September 21, 1995. Madidi
hoards unimaginable treasures. There is no complete listing of the
flora and fauna species within the Park as yet.
 The Andean region
of the Park is scored by multiple rivers that originate in the offshoots
of the Cordillera and cross the area generally in a west to east
direction. The Madidi and Tuichi rivers, tributaries
of the Beni, are the most voluminous and are the main rivers within
the Park. Around it live two native communities, the Tacana, hailing
from the north of Bolivia and mainly inhabiting the mountain forest
area of the Ixiamas and Tumupasa zone, as well as the Tutumo Hill
forests; the Quechua, an ethnic group dispersed all over the Amazonian
basin, who live on the banks of the Tuichi river, and near Apolo.
Some Araona communities, who like the Tacana hail from the Pando
and Beni, region, inhabit the low-lying rainforests in the center
of the Park, on the banks of the Madidi, making
an approximate total of 1,700 inhabitants. A sector of the native
population, that near the Tuichi river, made a special agreement
with the UNESCO allowing them to use the natural resources of the
forest. There has also been talk about using the Park for oil prospecting
and eventual drilling, as well as about building a hydro-electric
power station on the Beni river. The area's vegetation is closely linked to its varying height and jagged mountains, so among others, the following types of habitat are present: Permanent snows, Puna (high, dry plateaus), Mist forest, Dry tropical forest, Amazonian tropical rainforest and Savannahs or Pampas. It is thought that this area shelters 11% of all the bird species in the world, totaling some 1, 200 species; some large mammals, difficult to see or rare in other mountainous and Amazon environments, are also present here, such as the jaguar (Felis pardalis), the spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus), the tapir or danta (Tapirus terrestris) and various primate species.  Research in the surroundings of Rurrenabaque, in the mountain forests of Pilon de Lajas Reserve, in the southeast of the Park, and in Tambopata Reserve (Peru), to the northeast, show that the total number of flora species in the Park must exceed 5,000, that of mosses and hepatica is over 800 and that of the fungi is immeasurable, due to the absence of scientific data in this area.Some basic information on this protected area before visiting it: Location It is located in the northwest of Bolivia, in the north of the Department of La Paz, in the provinces of Abel Iturralde, Franz Tamayo and Bautista Saavedra, 30 km west of Rurrenabaque. When to go The best time to visit the Park is May through October (the dry season). Attractions Flora and fauna, a diversity of habitats, rivers, mountains and native communities. Activities Wildlife watching, mountaineering, climbing, trekking, sailing, eco-tourism and biological research. Climate Its climate is of the hot, wet tropical type. Rainfall varies from around 700 mm in the driest areas to almost 5,000 mm in the wettest. Services There are no services, so all necessary equipment must be foreseen. Access From La Paz up to the city of Rurrenabaque by air transport (Amazonas or Transportes Aereos Militares), and afterwards along the gravel roadway up to Rurrenabaque. Bear in mind you have to spend one night in the city and leave early the next day for Madidi Park. Tours to the Park scheduled by the travel agencies last from 3 to 4 days. TOURIST ATTRACTIONS Rurrenabaque It has an interesting tourist service offer such as travel agencies, hotels, restaurants, discotheques, karaoke bars, migration service agencies, an airport, overland bus fleets, and others. This is one of the country's 21 protected areas. Its conservation is important due to its biodiversity, but this is no obstacle to its development. Over 180 communities living in the area can show you how this is done. San Buenaventura This town lies facing Rurrenabaque on the banks of the Beni river. Twenty km away from San Buenaventura lies the Angosto del Bala Narrows, a place where the Beni river flows through a gorge between the mountains. Chalalan This is a beautiful lake in the middle of Madidi National Park, one of the flora and fauna reserves with greatest diversity. Everything in Chalalan is about nature. The lodge is surrounded by a lake and a pristine forest full of birds and mammals. |
