Every backpacker’s dream is to visit Bolivia, a South American country with a land area of more than a million square kilometers (247 million acres). The country has various mountains with different topography and climates, which could give any mountain climber a real challenge. But they are mostly known for snow-capped mountains. This country also has a death road in the form of the Yungas Road. It earned a reputation for its steep slopes with just a narrow single track. There are no guardrails, which just add to the danger. Still, thousands of adventurers visit the place to do some mountain biking. Eighteen cyclists have since died on the road since 1998.
Bolivia also has the most amazing salt flats—their big and majestic to look at. The Salar de Uyuni is the largest and highest salt flat in the world. The country is also known for hosting commercial places in high places like a golf course and a pub.
The country also has an abundance of llamas and a lot of them live in Bolivia’s national parks. Among the country’s most visited places are the Madidi National Park, which is in the upper Amazon River basin, and the Torotoro National Park in the eastern mountain ranges of the South American Andes. But the unexplored national parks in Bolivia are just as beautiful and are worth visiting. So for those planning to visit Bolivia, drop by these national parks:
1. Carrasco National Park
Cloud forests, forests mountains, lush valleys, deep canyons, and refreshing rivers and waterfalls—all these and more are found in this park situated in the Cochabamba Department. It protects part of the Bolivian Yungas, the main landform from which the Yungas Road was carved. The park is protected and didn’t leave any provision for human habitation, not even from indigenous people. However, there were reports that the Tuki tribe may have settled deep into the forest where no people can ever reach.
The entire park hosts over 5,000 species of plants in all habitats. Among the lively plants are alders, orchids, vines, and various hanging wildflowers. It is considered one of the country’s regions with the highest biodiversity. The caves have an abundance of oilbirds locally known as guacharo, which is native to South America. There is also an abundance of bats in the caves, as expected. The other animals in the park are Andean cats, Andean deer, jaguars, spectacled bears, and various species of birds that drive in the various ecosystems of the park.
The San Mateo and San Rafael hot springs are also great recreational natural facilities for visitors.
2. Cotapara National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area
Visitors will surely enjoy the breathtaking views in the park with its snowy mountains, usually shrouded with thick clouds, clear lakes, and cloudy forests. The historical Inca Road also traverses through this park as it leads to the Huaranilla River and Yungas. The Takesi Trail also passes through this park, which is a popular trail that local and foreign backpackers famously take.
Vegetation in the park is quite sparse, at least when compared to the other national parks in the country. Still, there are huaycha, iotavio, kenua woods, Nogal, pine trees, among others. There are also several species of orchids in the park, which provides color and additional beauty. Among the animals found in the park are Andean cats, Andean deer, pumas, spectacled bears, and spider monkeys. As for the birds, the park has an abundance of the rare Andean cock-of-the-rocks, some mountain eagles, guacharos, and a lot of native bird species.
3. Iñao National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area
At 3,838 square kilometers (948,390 acres), this park traverses various provinces in Bolivia: Belisario Boeto, Hernando Siles, Luis Calvo, and Tomina. This is also one of the least visited parks in the country. The park is certainly refreshing with its grassy and forested mountains, which have lowlands that are rich in various plant species. The entire country is home to over 17,000 species of plants, some of those are within the Iñao protected natural resources, two-thirds of which are from the national park segment and the remaining third referring to the integrated management natural area.
The park is home to military macaw, which got its name from its bright green feathers. This species of parrot is endemic in South America and there is an abundance of it in Bolivia.
4. Otuquis National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area
This park borders Brazil and Paraguay as it is located in the southeasternmost part of the Santa Cruz Department. The park covers 10,059 square kilometers (2,485,800 acres) of land, which is protected. It is one of the most remote parks in Bolivia—if not the most. It has a vibrant wetland, which means it is teeming with wildlife and aqua fowl.
It is very easy to be confronted with the following animals while in the park: capybaras, giant anteaters, lesser anteaters, and marsh deer. Some tourists will be lucky enough to see a maned wolf or two. There have also been some predators spotted in the area but they rarely come out when there are visitors anyway. These are jaguars, ocelot, pampas cats, and pumas. The marsh is the habitat of the caiman lizards, spectacled caimans, and yellow anacondas. Birds are also abundant in the park, especially since it is mostly undisturbed by humans. Millions of birds flock to the park every year. A lot of them also feed on fish, which is abundant in the large marsh.
5. Tunari National Park
Named after the Tunari Mountain Range in the Cochabamba department, this park is not just significant for its natural beauty but also its significant resources. The park hosts several lakes, which provide water to the neighboring metropolitan area. As for the landforms, the highest peak in the mountain range is the Cerro Tunari at 5,035 meters. The place is a favored area for challenging hikes among seasoned adventurers.
Alpacas and llamas are abundant in Bolivia. They are especially abundant in this park, especially within the floodplains. Other animals that could be spotted in the area are Andean cats, Andean geese, condors, and viscachas.