Yungas Road

The Yungas Road is in the La Paz department of Bolivia. If you've ever heard of "Death Road" or "The most dangerous road in the world", this is where it is!

North Yungas

 * – The most popular town around with many accommodation options.
 * – A little village and transport hub of the region, for onwards travel into the Tropical Lowlands (Santa Cruz, Beni, Pando)
 * – A village a the end of North Yungas Road with showers, other amenities for travellers and a few accommodation options.
 * – A village offering adventure tours in the Yungas Road region.

South Yungas

 * – For a safer and more relaxed trip to Yungas, check out this village at the eastern side of the (South) Yungas Road. A great alternative to Coroico and convenient if you connect from/to Quime or even Cochabamba (very far and slow).
 * – A stopover/hub along the South Yungas Road. The Takesi Inca Trail from La Paz leads here.

Understand
The Yungas Road is better known by the name of Ruta de la Muerte or Death Road indicating the many deaths and accidents that happened here. Nowadays, a highway has replaced the once so dangerous road. And what is left is being exploited for marketing purposes by mountain bike tour companies in La Paz. Nevertheless, the region is a hidden gem and beside the road it offers many hiking and leisure opportunities worth staying here a couple of days.

History
Built by Paraguayan prisoners during the Chaco war in 1930.

There was an average of 100 motor fatalities a year, when the road was the main corridor. A world record, mostly due to the Bolivian driving style than to the road itself. Though, in the ten years that mountain biking companies have been biking down the road, there have only been 12 biking fatalities).

By bus
Frequent buses from the Terminal Provincial Minasa Yungas in La Paz will go by and stop in Yolosita (Bs. 20). From there you can hike up to Coroico, there is a direct trail, or take a minibus for Bs. 5. There are also a few direct connections to Coroico.

Regular bus travel between Yolosita and Yucumo (Beni department), especially in the evening: Bs. 40-50, 8-10 hr.

By bicycle
Usually, if you book a tour, this is the way you come in.

Nevertheless, you can also rent a proper bicycle in La Paz, let the bicycle be carried to the to pass at 5,000 m or the and cycle down into the valley.

On foot
Likewise, getting dropped off at the beginning of North Yungas Road (Bs. 10-15 by bus), you can hike down into the valley.

Or you get dropped of even earlier and do the El Choro Trek. Also, see below for all hiking options.

You might consider starting your trek near La Paz, but it is probably better to do that in a group of 3 or more.

Fees and permits
There are several toll stations along the North Yungas Road relevant for cyclists, probably due to the fact that it is a popular destination for MTB tours:
 * – Bs. 25 once, either top or bottom
 * – Bs. 25 once, either top or bottom
 * – Bs. 3, when going directly to Yolosita, just a few km before Yolosita
 * Also, there is a toll booth at the entrance of Coroico, but it probably only applies to cars.

On foot and navigation
There region consists of many interesting hiking and cycling trails. For reliable trails and GPS navigation, consult OpenStreetMap, which is used by many mobile Apps like OsmAnd or Mapy.cz. Or just download the according GPX or KML files through Waymarked Trails for such trails on OpenStreetMap. (Note, you just need to change the OpenStreetMap relation ID to download the GPX or KML files through the same link.)

Hiking

 * Two interesting two- or three-day hikes go from La Cumbre (the highest point between La Paz and Coroico, 4,700 m) to Coroico (1,700 m).
 * Takesi Inca Trail – A demanding and exciting 40 km 2-3 days mountain trail that you start in La Paz and end in Yanacachi along the South Yungas Road, or vice versa. More information on the stages of the trail, can be found here.
 * There is some good hiking in the surrounding of Coroico. There are several one day hikes, which include going for a swim in wild and clear rivers, seeing local agriculture (coca, banana, coffee, citrus fruits), old Casas de Hacienda (the houses of the former landowners), virgin forests and Afro-Bolivian communities. Checkout the destinations under.
 * Takesi Inca Trail – A demanding and exciting 40 km 2-3 days mountain trail that you start in La Paz and end in Yanacachi along the South Yungas Road, or vice versa. More information on the stages of the trail, can be found here.
 * There is some good hiking in the surrounding of Coroico. There are several one day hikes, which include going for a swim in wild and clear rivers, seeing local agriculture (coca, banana, coffee, citrus fruits), old Casas de Hacienda (the houses of the former landowners), virgin forests and Afro-Bolivian communities. Checkout the destinations under.
 * There is some good hiking in the surrounding of Coroico. There are several one day hikes, which include going for a swim in wild and clear rivers, seeing local agriculture (coca, banana, coffee, citrus fruits), old Casas de Hacienda (the houses of the former landowners), virgin forests and Afro-Bolivian communities. Checkout the destinations under.

Mountain biking
It's a 64 km long scenic ride downhill. Although it's a narrow, winding road with big drops on the side, going down by bike is probably the safest way to get to Coroico. You'll enjoy the day watching waterfalls and appreciating beautiful natural landscapes.



Eat

 * Many shops in this region, e.g. in Yolosita, sell in palm leaf wrapped chocolate bars at Bs. 10/5 (large/small, but small is the better deal) made out of 100% chocolate without any sugar. So, if you ever wondered what pure chocolate taste like, this is your chance. The chocolate bars are actually intended for cooking&mdash;it does not mean however that you will find anything different offered in this region. Nevertheless, it can be good in combination with coffee or hot milk.

Sleep
You will find most sleep options in Coroico. However, there are remote accommodations all over this region, ranging from luxurious to typical Bolivian. Checkout Google Maps and contact them directly via WhatsApp.

Camping
Along the trails there should be enough options to camp, just make sure it is not close to a village or unintentional in someone's backyard. Check out the marked camp site on OpenStreetMap. Often however, you will also find options provided by the people of the village to put up a tent.



Cope

 * Beware of the sand flies in and around Coroico. Their bites go unnoticed until hours later when they become extremely itchy. Wear long trousers to prevent being bitten.

Go next
If you thought the commercialised Death Road was crazy, enjoy the ride when heading further into the Beni department:
 * Rurrenabaque – There are many buses that go there from Yolosita, e.g. one at 14:00. You can buy your ticket (at least Bs. 110) in Coroico at one of the travel agency (On the day of departure, they will give you the description of the bus.), but it will certainly be overpriced. You can also just catch one of the buses down in Yolosita&mdash;they usually always have space. Ask around in Yolosita when the buses pass through. The journey takes about 13-14 hr in the dry season.
 * Trinidad – There are 3 direct buses or so to Trinidad, going by San Ignacio de Moxos. They leave between 18:00 and 00:00. It is probably better to just take the next best bus to Yucumo (8-10 hr, Bs. 50, but they might also take you for Bs. 40) and transfer there. The road conditions are awful and it can take up to 24 hr to get to Trinidad, assuming there are no road blocks.

Otherwise, there should be 24/7 (hourly) transport options back to La Paz along the North Yungas Road.