The eastern part of Bolivia is less visited on the whole, but is home to some beautiful areas and is full of national parks and nature reserves. Santa Cruz is low-lying, warmer, more tropical and richer, and has a noticeably different feel to the Altiplano highlands of western Bolivia. The Amboró and Noel Kempff Mercado National Parks are unbelievably diverse in terms of landscapes, flora and fauna and are fantastic places to explore if you’re looking to get into nature and do birdwatching or hiking, for example. For those interested in Bolivia’s revolutionary history, it is in this region that you can find La Ruta del Che (The Che Guevara Trail) which takes you through the towns and areas which feature in the final days of Che’s revolutionary campaigns. There are also a number of restored Jesuit churches nestled amongst the countryside.
Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world, located at 12,507ft (3,812m) and straddles the border of Peru and Bolivia, who are constantly disputing who has the more beautiful side of the lake! The Bolivian side benefits from having the mountains in the background, which is truly a beautiful sight. From Peru, discover floating islands made entirely from totora reeds where small communities dressed in brightly patterned clothing go about their daily lives.
La Paz is Bolivia’s administrative capital city (while Sucre remains its constitutional capital), and at around 11,893ft (3,635m) it’s the highest administrative capital city in the world. When you fly into La Paz airport, you’re actually arriving into the adjacent city of El Alto, which is located another 500m or so higher, so you will most definitely feel the altitude when you arrive.
The ‘Salar de Uyuni’ is the largest salt flat in the world, expanding over 4,000 square miles (6,400km). Located on the Bolivian Altiplano at almost 12,000ft (3,650m), it’s about as impressive as it gets.
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