Rurrenabaque

Rurre is best known among travellers as the jumping-off point for tours to the jungle and pampas.Yet the town itself, flanked by the broad Río Beni on one side and the beautiful jungle-covered Cordillera de Balaon the other, has a lovely setting and pleasant atmosphere that are often overlooked. There is a good selection of accommodation in various price categories, surprisingly varied dining and even a small colourful collection of expats with whom to have a yarn. You could do worse than being stuck here for a few days because of washed-out roads or cancelled flights, both of which are common.

Unlike most Bolivian towns, the businesses, restaurants and offices in Rurre are not centred around the plaza (2 de Febrero), but instead are clustered together a few blocks north along Calles Santa Cruz and Avaroa. A steep trail climbs from the end of Calle Luis Fernando Pellicioli, behind the church, 45 minutes up to a cross and mirador with good views over the town and river. It is especially nice around sunset but be sure to return before dark as parts of the trail are difficult.

On the opposite bank of the Río Beni is San Buenaventura. A motorized canoe makes the short but pretty trip across throughout the day. By the plaza of San Buenaventura is the Centro Cultural Tacana,with a small museum and native crafts for sale.

Tours from Rurrenabaque 

Pampas tours are usually three days, two nights, and involve a bumpy, dusty, four-hour jeep ride at either end. They also involve boat travel in long canoes, though this is a lot smoother and more enjoyable. The pampas are wetland savannah to the northeast of Rurre and, depending on the season, there may be little or no dry land at all. Accommodation usually consists of wooden huts on stilts and most moving around is done in boats. It is an eerily beautiful and peaceful place, with watery wildlife sounds all around, and fireflies at night. You can expect to see caiman, lots of monkeys, all sorts of birds and probably pink river dolphins. Anaconda are harder to see, and though you may be promised piranha-fishing, this will probably be a stop-off at a pond on the way home. Generally wildlife is easier to see in the pampas than in the denser vegetation of the jungle. However, there are also more mosquitoes and sandflies.

Jungle trips offer the advantage of being able to leave Rurrenabaque in a boat and travel along the beautiful Río Beni. Accommodation is either in special purpose-built, and relatively luxurious camps on the higher-end tours, or tents on the more economical ones. They provide an opportunity to get to know the rainforest and its people but animals and birds may take more time and patience to spot than on the pampas.