How to Get to Madidi National Park in the Bolivian Amazon & What to Do There
The small town of Rurrenabaque is the gateway to the Bolivian Amazon, acting as a popular base for trips into Madidi National Park. Today we’ll be explaining how to get to Rurrenabaque, what to do while you’re there, and how to choose between the selvas and pampas tours once you’re ready to venture into Madidi…
Getting There…
If you’re interested in exploring the tropical lowlands east of the Bolivian Andes, you’re in luck- flights and buses leave La Paz daily for Rurrenabaque (mainly called Rurre). The trip is not exactly stress-free, however. By bus and under good conditions, the trip takes 20 hours and is rather uncomfortable due to both bus and road conditions. During the rainy season, the roads can become virtually impassable, and trips may stretch out to six days. Travelers interested in riding Death Road who decide to finish in Coroico rather than take the return trip to La Paz will find themselves just 3 hours from Rurrenabaque. Ultimately, flights are far more comfortable and convenient, taking only about 35 minutes, but cancellations and delays are common during the rainy season and the very small planes might be conducive to motion sickness for some travelers. Regardless, the flight over the high plains and mountain peaks is very scenic.
In Rurre…
If you have free time in Rurre before setting 
off on your jungle or pampas tour, you could try the zipline or climb up to the cross southeast of town, La Cruz, for a view of Rurre and the River Beni. Make sure to sample the various tropical fruit juices available, and perhaps indulge in some piranha, snake, or keperi brisket served with rice and cheese, fried yucca and beer.
Into the Jungle or Pampas…
When choosing which direction you will take from Rurrenabaque, it’s worth it to take a few things into consideration. For those with strict money or time limitations, it is best to choose a Pampas tour. You will likely see more abundant wildlife during these tours as well, because animals tend to gather by the riverside, and there is less vegetation blocking them. For the cash- or time-strapped, the Pampas tours deliver, but for the immersion- or conservation-minded, the jungle tours win out. You can expect to see a variety of tropical birds, alligators, capybara, tortoises, pink dolphins, and monkeys.
For those who prioritize immersion and conservation, a jungle tour is best. Although it can be around three times more expensive, it provides you with a more iconic Amazon experience because you penetrate into the more densely vegetated area. While staying in eco-lodges, you will have more time to explore jungle paths and rivers as well as learn about life in the Amazon alongside an indigenous community from whom you can learn about traditional handicrafts, medicinal plants, piranha fishing, and more. Add in unforgettable experiences such as swimming with pink dolphins and you can see why many travelers opt for jungle excursions despite the price.
