by Franz SchubertJune 7th, 2023

Wildlife watching in the Amazon

Pampas del Yacuma – Bolivia

Wildlife watching in the Amazon – In all Amazonian countries there are good opportunities to explore this fantastic habitat. Bolivia is no exception, especially Madidi National Park, which is one of the most biodiverse places in the world. The starting point for exploration is the small town of Rurrenabaque, just 40 minutes by plane from La Paz. By land, it can be reached in about 12 hours from La Paz or 5 hours from Trinidad. The national park itself is covered by dense forests, so animal observation is not so easy.

Pampas of the Yacuma River

East of Rurrenabaque are humid savannas, known in Bolivia as pampas. The municipality of Santa Rosa de Yacuma founded the 600,000-hectare protected area “Pampas del Río Yacuma” in 2007. Due to annual flooding, diverse habitats such as flooded savannas, gallery forests, forest islands and wetlands were created here. Until the end of May, large areas are still flooded, so wildlife observation is not as productive. Now the water level gradually decreases from month to month until the beginning of the next rainy season. In the months of September to November, the water level is the lowest. Many animals now flock to the river bank, both prey and hunters.

Rurrenabaque

Our third visit to the Pampa was this time at the end of May, not the most ideal time but nevertheless we were able to observe more than 50 species of animals in only three days. During my first visit, more than 20 years ago, camping was still the main activity. Now there are many simple lodges. The trip from Rurrenabaque to Santa Rosa takes about three hours. From the port all the excursions to the various lodges leave, which are reached upriver after another three hours. Even from the port it is possible to observe wonderful pink river dolphins.

Boat trip

During the trip, sunscreen should be used and plenty of water should be drunk due to the heat. At lunchtime, pampered western stomachs will have to do without salads, although the local cuisine is already very tasty. Don’t forget insect repellent, which is readily available in Rurrenabaque. Especially in the months up to the beginning of June, rain is to be expected. They are also available in Rurrenabaque for little money. Be sure to ask the agency if rubber boots are provided for overland excursions.

Sighted animal species

Amazon Kingfisher
Amazon wiptail (Ameba Ameba)
Aninga, Aninga
Caiman de anteojo, Spectacled Caiman
Caipivara
Caracolera de cuello negro, Black colored hawk
Cardenal de capa roja, Red cap Cardenal
Carpintera de corona amarilla, Yellow tufted Woodpecker
Chachalaca, Specklled Chachalaca
Cormoran neotropical
Gallareta purpura, Purpur gallenot
Garza Cocoi, Cocoi Heron
Garza estrillada, Estriated Heron
Hoatzin
Hornero, Rufus hornero
Jabiru, Jabiru
Jacana de agua, Watlled Jacana
Limpkin
Mono ardilla boliviano, Bolivian squirrel monkey
Mono aullador negro, Black howler monkey
Mono aullador rojo, Red howler monkey
Pato de vientre negra, Black belly whisteling duck
Perezoso de tres dedos, Three fingered sloth
Piranha de vientre roja, Red belly piranha
Benteveo, Social Flycatcher
Southern Screemer
Tortuga de escama amarilla, Yellow spot river turtle
Turdus de pico amarillo, Yewllow billed trush
Vagre
Viutre negro, Black vulture
Ani, Smooth bill ani
Ara azul y amarillo, Blue and yellow Macaw
Caiman negro, Black Caiman
Cara Cara, Southern Cara Cara
Delfin rosado, Pink river dolphin
Gaviota de pico largo, Large billed tern
Guira cucook
Loro de ojo blanco, White eyed parrokid
Martin pescador grande, Ringed King Fisher
Monja de cara Negra, Black fronted Nunbird
Mono Capuccino, Brown Capuccino monkey
Garza nocturna, Black capped night heron, Nachtreiher
Paloma de frente gris, Grey frionted dove
Pato cabeza seca, Woodstork
Pato de Orinoco, Orinoco goose
Perequito de ala azul, Blue wing Paralett
Pio, Greater Rhea
Rayador, Black Skimmer, Scherenschnabel
Toco Tucan, Toco Tucan
Trepador de pico recto, Straight billed Woodcreeper
Trogon de corona azul, Blue crowned Trogon
Viutre cabeza roja, Turkey vulture

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Categories Blog Fauna TravellingTags Amazon bolivia Pampa pink dolphins Rurrenabaque wetland wildlife Yacuma river

Ruta Andina Adventure Road – Chile, Atacama

In Chile, the paved Ruta 5 runs from north of Arica to Puerto Montt. To the south, the Carretera Austral, well known by tourists, follows and ends in the great fjords and the mighty inland ice. Scenically a delight and due to the construction of roads in increasingly better condition, it gradually loses its adventurous character. Its northern counterpart, the Andean Route, on the other hand, is still more adventure than road. It connects the tourist magnet of San Pedro de Atacama by dusty tracks along the Bolivian border over huge Andean passes to the border triangle near Visviri. In addition to scenic diversity, the volcanic giants along the route offer great opportunities for mountain hiking.

Wildlife watching in the Amazon

In all Amazonian countries there are good opportunities to explore this fantastic habitat. Bolivia is no exception, especially Madidi National Park, which is one of the most biodiverse places in the world. The starting point for exploration is the small town of Rurrenabaque, just 40 minutes by plane from La Paz. By land, it can be reached in about 12 hours from La Paz or 5 hours from Trinidad. The national park itself is covered by dense forests, so animal observation is not so easy.

Overland from Chile to Bolivia

There are many routes leading to the far north through Chile. High Andean passes, lonely roads and an incredible variety of strange natural phenomena connect Chile with Argentina and Bolivia. We have hiked them all in the last 30 years, climbed most of the mountains and done a lot of trekking along the different routes. But our favorite route is and remains the combined trip with Argentina and Bolivia. Here you can find everything your heart desires, from desert to cloud forest, from mountains over 6000 m high to salt lakes, lonely villages and beautiful cities. As always, we also discover new places and we don’t want to deprive you of them. The trip can be experienced similar to a group tour.

How to plan your trekking tour in Chile

In Chile there is no comprehensive rescue system, the distances are often enormous and the cell phone network is not well developed either. Therefore, any hiking trip must be planned well in advance and very well. There are many hiking routes with tracks and descriptions on the web. However, planning your own route with them is not possible in most cases. In addition, the quality of the maps, the handling and the view of the different applications varies a lot. It is worth comparing them.

Categories Outdoor

GPT – The Greater Patagonian Trail

by Franz Schubert GPT – The Greater Patagonian Trail is a long-distance route network in the southern Andes. It spans from the outskirts of Santiago to the southernmost point of mainland South America. It facilitates exploring the diversity of Patagonia and the adjacent regions. Six words pinpoint the rather unique differences to established long-distance trails. … Read more