Written by:undefined undefined
Published: 13-09-2022
If you are an adrenalin junkie, look no further than Bolivia. Its incredible landscapes are a giant outdoor adult playground for thrill seekers, from submitting glaciers to rappelling down waterfalls and cycling along one of the world’s most dangerous roads. Here is our pick of the adventures to take you out of your comfort zone and get your heart pumping!
Death Road
Go Mining in Potosí
Suppose heights aren’t your thing, head to the 550-year-old mine shafts of Cerro Rico to go underground at the mountain that made Potosí one of the world’s wealthiest cities in colonial days. This is still a working mine and a somewhat dangerous one at that. On a four-hour tour, you’ll follow a guide, an ex-miner, around the narrow passageways and witness first-hand the harsh conditions that the workers face. Have fun engaging with the miners, who will be grateful for gifts of coca leaves and cigarettes, as will the God of the underworld, “El Tio.”
Cerro Rico
Scale a Snow-Peak
A mainstay on the La Paz skyline is the majestic Cordillera Real is home to some of Bolivia’s highest summits and endless mountaineering opportunities. The Condoriri Massif consists of 13 ice-capped peaks. Experienced climbers can summit three of them – Pequeño Alpamayo, Pico Ilusion and Cabeza del Condor, the highest and most demanding at almost 5,700 meters (18,700 feet) – on an unforgettable five-day mountain adventure. Inexperienced yet brave climbers can summit Huayna Potosi, often dubbed 'one of the world’s most accessible mountains over 6,000 meters, for its accessibility. You'll get some basic training; make sure you're fit and have spent several days acclimatizing first.
Sandboarding near Santa Cruz
Lomas de Arena Regional Park, just a 30-minute drive from the city of Santa Cruz, is fast becoming the sand-boarding capital of South America. Its perfectly formed dunes are part of a reserve surrounded by forest and home to sloths, monkeys, capybaras and several bird species. The tour includes wildlife spotting from a 4WD and a guided walk before whizzing down the massive dunes on a sandboard, either standing up or sitting down, whichever is your preference.
Sandboarding in Santa Cruz
Cycle down ‘Death Road’
The descent from the Andes to Amazon along one of the world’s most dangerous roads is guaranteed to earn you bragging rights. It begins at around 4,700 meters in the peaks of La Cumbre Pass close to La Paz, turns from a paved dirt road and gradually gets hotter and dustier as you descend and peel off your layers of clothes. You finish the ride in Yolosa, and you’ll negotiate sharp curves and sheer drops along the route. Stop to admire the stunning scenery and zigzag past the numerous memorials to all the motorists who didn’t quite make the journey!
Ride the rapids
Bolivia has many options for white-water rafting for beginners and experienced rafters. On a day trip from La Paz, you can ride the level III and IV rapids on a 38-kilometer stretch of the Coroico River in Las Yungas. It’s a white-water roller-coaster ride, but there are enough peaceful sections to take in the mind-blowing jungle scenery. The Huarinilla River can also be experienced on a day trip, and serious rafters can opt for multi-day expeditions on the Tuichi River in the Madidi National Park.
Coroico River
Explore beyond the Salar de Uyuni
The world’s largest shimmering salt flat and its cactus-adorned islands are just the start of this three-day, off-the-beaten-track tour of some of Bolivia’s most extraordinary scenery, from Dali rock formations to the world’s driest desert and colorful lagoons scattered with pink flamingos. You’ll marvel at still-active volcanoes, wallow in hot springs, meet the resident llamas and vicuñas of the Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve and sleep in basic refuges or unique salt hotels.
Zipline through the Amazon
Get a monkey’s eye view of the jungle on a canopy tour near Rurrenabaque. Visit the wildlife-rich Madidi National Park, as well as zipping the park with the greatest of ease over the most scenic views over the wildlife reserve.
Jungle Zipline
Paraglide over La Paz
If you dream of soaring like a condor, why not try a half-day tandem paragliding tour over La Paz? The morning flights take off from Huajchilla in the south of the city. Enjoy this aerial adventure and enjoy the spectacular views over Illimani Mountain Saphanani is another top paragliding spot just 45 minutes outside the city of Cochabamba if paragliding is your thing.
Vertical Route
Adrenaline junkies will love the Vertical Route, around two hours from La Paz. The circuit is compact but action-packed, starting with a 15-meter rappel, followed by the Tibetan Bridge – a 30-meter triangular suspension bridge made up of just three thin wires. Then comes the via Ferrata ascending a steep wall for around 40 meters before a zipline, another longer rappel, rounding off with a freefall jump off the edge of the cliff! The perfect action-filled day trip from La Paz.
Vertical Route
High-altitude Rap Jumping
If you’ve always wanted to be Spider-Man, rap jumping in central La Paz could be for you. This vertigo-inducing adventure isn’t for the fainthearted: otherwise known as "forward abseiling," the activity involves rappelling face down. After a couple of practice runs, you’ll jump face-first down a 50-meter (164 feet) building, with the ground rushing up to meet you. But don’t worry, someone’s working the brakes, and if you chicken out, you can always go backward, in traditional abseiling style.
