Rurrenabaque Overview

By Mia Douglas

Town overview

Rurrenabaque is a delightful sleepy little town 430km north of La Paz set on the banks of the river Beni. Its position, at the end of the Tropical Andes and the beginning of the Amazonian plains ensures it has a warm climate all year round, and at only 229 metres above sea level it is a welcome change for travelers struggling with the altitude in La Paz. Since about 1992 this area has experienced a huge boom in eco-tourism and the number of visitors to 'Rurre' has greatly increased. Many of these visitors are from Israel, attracted by the true story of a fellow Israeli traveler, Yossi Ginsberg who went missing on an independent trip into the pampas, was discovered by a local guide and went on to publish his adventures.

The population of the town is about 15000 and the original inhabitants are made up of Mosetenes, Chimanes, Tacanas and Chamas (from the Amazon lowlands) and Quechua and Aymara peoples from the highlands. In some of the surrounding villages the language of Tacana is still in use. The name Rurrenabaque in this language means 'lagoon of ducks'.

Today tourism makes up around 75% of Rurre's economy with agriculture and commerce making up the rest. Tourists flock to the area because of the jungle and pampas tours that are on offer. Jungle tours take place in the Madidi National park, the Pilon Lajas Biosphere Reserve and the banks of the Beni river. The Pampas tours takes place along the river Beni and in the swampy lowlands. All Pampas tours are very similar; the trips last 2 nights and 3 days. Along the way travelers will see not only the stunning landscape of the river, but also a huge variety of wildlife including caimans, capybaras, alligators, anacondas, pink river dolphins, turtles and several species of monkeys and birds. Visitors have the option of piranha-fishing (you can eat yours if you catch any!), searching for anacondas and swimming with river dolphins as well as admiring all the other amazing wild-life.

The jungle tours are rather more intense. They can last between two and fifteen days and give travelers the chance to trek through the beautiful landscape, admire the wild-life and learn some of the survival techniques of jungle tribes.

By Mia Douglas

Town overview Rurrenabaque is a delightful sleepy little town 430km north of La Paz set on the banks of the river Beni. Its position, at the end of the Tropical Andes and the beginning of the Amazonian plains ensures it has a warm climate all year round, and at only 229 metres above sea level it is a welcome change for travelers struggling with the altitude in La Paz. Since about 1992 this area has experienced a huge boom in eco-tourism and the number of visitors to 'Rurre' has greatly increased. Many of these visitors are from Israel, attracted by the true story of a fellow Israeli traveler, Yossi Ginsberg who went missing on an independent trip into the pampas, was discovered by a local guide and went on to publish his adventures. The population of the town is about 15000 and the original inhabitants are made up of Mosetenes, Chimanes, Tacanas and Chamas (from the Amazon lowlands) and Quechua and Aymara peoples from the highlands. In some of the surrounding villages the language of Tacana is still in use. The name Rurrenabaque in this language means 'lagoon of ducks'. Today tourism makes up around 75% of Rurre's economy with agriculture and commerce making up the rest. Tourists flock to the area because of the jungle and pampas tours that are on offer. Jungle tours take place in the Madidi National park, the Pilon Lajas Biosphere Reserve and the banks of the Beni river. The Pampas tours takes place along the river Beni and in the swampy lowlands. All Pampas tours are very similar; the trips last 2 nights and 3 days. Along the way travelers will see not only the stunning landscape of the river, but also a huge variety of wildlife including caimans, capybaras, alligators, anacondas, pink river dolphins, turtles and several species of monkeys and birds. Visitors have the option of piranha-fishing (you can eat yours if you catch any!), searching for anacondas and swimming with river dolphins as well as admiring all the other amazing wild-life. The jungle tours are rather more intense. They can last between two and fifteen days and give travelers the chance to trek through the beautiful landscape, admire the wild-life and learn some of the survival techniques of jungle tribes.