Bolivia

Nature

Bolivia is a very mountainous country. There is a lot of volcanic peaks and classic glaciated mountains.

On the western border of Bolivia's entire chain of high volcanoes. Most of them are extinct, some of them still slumbering and emits clouds of smoke. Major volcanoes:

• Nevado Sajama (the highest mountain in the country)
• Licancabur (beautiful volcano and perhaps the most famous)
• Parinacota (one of the most beautiful volcanoes in the world)
• Uturuncu (lightest six of thousands mountain in the world)

When traveling in Bolivia, there will be a number of very high passes. On the western side of the country, these are mainly roads connecting Bolivia with Chile. Here, dusty roads lead across the Altipláno plateau to the saddles between the volcanoes, where the border between these countries curves. Other interesting passes are in the northeast of the country, where roads and footpaths cross the Cordillera Real, then descend deep across the misty Yungas into the Amazon Lowlands.

The most famous is about ** Apacheta Chucura ** (4,870 m above sea level) on the El Choro trek

For travelers, the most attractive natural wonders in Bolivia are located on the plateau of the Altiplano – huge salars, alpine volcanic deserts and multicolored lagoons. You will also find amazing canyons with weathered rock formations.

There are no world-famous caves in Bolivia, but they are still interesting to find here. Interesting is, for example, the gruta de San Pedro around Sorata, in which there is also a nice lagoon along which you can sail on pedal boats. In the Toro Toro National Park you will find the almost five-kilometer-long Cueva Humajalanta Cave

The largest and most important lakes: With a clear overview, the most important Bolivian, but also Peruvian lake is the „freshwater sea“ Titicaca. The most beautiful and interesting lakes: Laguna Verde is considered to be the most beautiful lake due to its scenery in the form of the Licancabur volcano. The most interesting is the Colorada Lagoon due to its red color. Titicaca is not only the largest but also the most picturesque lake in the country. Highest lakes: On the Altiplán there are many lagoons at a height of well over four thousand meters above sea level. It is said that among the highest in the world is a frozen lake (approx. 5,900 m above sea level) in the crater of Licancabur for most of the year.

Due to its geographical location, where the terrain descends from the six-thousand mountains into the Amazon jungle, there are hundreds of valleys and canyons. Few of them are accessible by roads or old Inca trails. The most important canyons: Well-known canyons include Icla (90km from Sucre) or Palca (40km from La Paz). The now less accessible Torotoro Canyon is also breathtaking. There are smaller but beautiful canyons around Tupiza: del Inca, Duende, Quebrada Seca and Quebrada Palala

• The ** Tambo Quemado ** pass (4,686 m above sea level) on the road between La Paz and Arica is one of the highest road border passes ever. In addition, the beautiful volcano ** Parinacota ** is just a short walk away. – The most famous passes in the Cordillera Real are ** La Cumbre ** (4,660 m above sea level) on the way from La Paz to Coroica or the ** Zongo ** pass (4,770 m above sea level)

A bit of a paradox is that the most famous Bolivian glacier has not existed for several years. It was a small glacier on Mount Chacaltaya and served as the highest ski resort in the world. In Bolivia, glaciation is only on the highest mountains at altitudes, usually higher than 6,000 meters above sea level. It has the largest range around the peaks of Ancohuma and Illampu.

The deserts in Bolivia are not the „classic“ ones with sand dunes, but they are the alpine and salt plains of the Salary: The salaries are most typical of the Bolivian Altiplano. It is actually a remnant of a dry ancient sea. There is also the largest salar in the world – Salar de Uyuni. Just north of it is the smaller Salar Coipasa. Alpine deserts: Desierto de Dali, surrounded by colorful weathered volcanoes, is certainly one of the most famous small alpine deserts in Bolivia.

The most important, most famous and longest rivers: Bolivia has really mighty rivers, but due to the fact that most of them lie in an almost impenetrable jungle, they are very little visited. The most important are the Beni, Mamoré and Madre de Dios from which the Rio Madeira emerges one of the largest tributaries of the Amazon

The most famous place in Bolivia with weathered rock formations is the Valle de la Luna (lunar valley) in the southern suburbs of La Paz. However, the rock town of El Silar, located in the Palala Valley just a short distance from Tupiza, is nicer, where there are a number of rock formations. You can find similar weathered rocks in the Palca canyon. An interesting solitary rock is the Arbol de Piedra in the middle of the Altiplano desert Siloli

As a reminder of the harsh volcanic period, there is a whole chain of already extinct volcanoes in western Bolivia. So you will find here only the remains in the form of fumaroles, thermal springs or the occasional murmur of slowly falling asleep volcanoes.

The most beautiful Bolivian waterfalls can be found in the remote Noel Kempff Mercado National Park. The most famous are the 80-meter-high Cascades of Cataratas Arcoiris. A little further on is another beautiful cascade by Frederico Ahlfeld (45 meters high and 60 meters wide). The waterfalls of La Pajcha and the cascades of Cuevas around Samaipata are also very nice

The fight for the highest mountain in the country is quite interesting in Bolivia. The heights of the three highest mountains also differ in their order in different sources. The current ranking states that the highest mountain in the country is: – 1 / volcano ** Nevado Sajama ** (6,542 m above sea level) – 2 / then the well-known dominant of the Paz horizon ** Illimani ** (6,439 m above sea level) – 3 / as the third ** Ancohuma ** (6 427m nm)

The most beautiful mountain in Bolivia is considered to be the beautiful volcano ** Parinacota ** (6,342 m above sea level), although it is true that the most beautiful view of it is from the Chilean side.

Huge flocks of flamingos live in the Altiplago Lagoon. Then you will definitely see wild Guanaco llamas and cute tags.

Bolivia is a country with upland plains altiplano, salars, volcanoes and mountains, but also a country where you can see many animal species including Jaguar and parrots Ara.

You will also find great places to observe animals in Bolivia. Mainly in the Amazon and the Pampas.

Only few of which travel to Bolivia, think what is rich plant life here. On the Altiplano life is really modest. Here will you captivate only a huge cacti growing on the islands at the Salar. Farther east, the first Yungas jungle mist, and then mainly immense Amazonian lowlands with a number of interesting national parks. The most famous place to observe nature are:

• Madidi (following the Peruvian park Manú)
• Noel Kempff Mercado
• Carrasco
• Amboro
• Aguaragüe