Riberalta and Guayaramerín

The charming town of Riberalta is at the confluence of the Madre de Dios and Beni rivers, which together flow into the Rio Mamoré north of Guayaramerín. It is in the very far northern reaches of the Beni and well off the beaten track. The town is also very laid back, a kind of Bolivian version of Gabriel García Márquez's

. If you want to fit in with everyone else then you can hire a motorcycle from one of the agencies on the plaza.

From Riberalta the road continues east, crossing the Río Yata before reaching Guayaramerín, a cheerful, prosperous little town on the bank of the Río Mamoré, opposite the Brazilian town of Guajará-Mirim.