Bolivia is South America at its rawest and highest — a landlocked country where the administrative capital sits at 3,600 m, glaciated 6,000 m peaks rise straight from the altiplano, and the world's largest salt flat turns to a mirror in the rains. It is also one of the continent's great bargains and one of its most indigenous cultures, where Aymara and Quechua life still shapes the mountains and markets. From salt deserts to Amazon jungle, this is adventure travel with the volume turned up and the crowds turned down.
La Paz and the Cordillera Real
The high Andes around La Paz are the heartland. Mountaineering on Huayna Potosí (6,088 m) and Illimani, the famous Death Road mountain-bike descent from the altiplano to the jungle, and trekking the old Inca trails to Lake Titicaca and Isla del Sol all start from La Paz.
Uyuni and the southern altiplano
The country's signature journey is the 4x4 crossing of the Salar de Uyuni and the Eduardo Avaroa reserve — endless white salt, red and green lagoons, geysers and flamingos — with the silver-mine city of Potosí nearby, in Potosí.
Valleys, culture and the Amazon
Lower and gentler, the central valleys hold the white city of Sucre and the dinosaur tracks, caves and canyons of Toro Toro in Cochabamba. East and north, the lowlands drop into Amazon jungle — Amboró and Samaipata near Santa Cruz, and the wildlife-rich pampas and Madidi rainforest reached from Rurrenabaque in the Beni.
Where to base yourself
La Paz for mountaineering, biking and Titicaca; Uyuni for the salt flat and lagoons; Sucre and Cochabamba for culture, caves and gentler trekking; and Santa Cruz or Rurrenabaque for the jungle and pampas.
Booking and getting started on adventuro
Most trips run guided, and the dry season (May to October) is best for the mountains, salt flat and jungle; the salt flat mirror effect comes with the rains from December to March. The one thing to plan for is altitude — La Paz and Uyuni both sit around 3,600 m, so acclimatise before any trek or climb. There is plenty for beginners — salt-flat tours, the pampas, valley walks — with serious high-altitude peaks to filter for when you want more. Open the Book here tab for live dates, prices and exactly where you will be heading.
