Rurrenabaque

Rurrenabaque (population 15,000) sits on the banks of the Río Beni in Bolivia's Amazon Basin. Trips to the nearby Madidi National Park and the pampas are the main attractions, offering jungle expeditions and wildlife viewing. The town serves as the practical access point for multi-day tours into one of the world's most biodiverse regions.

Rurrenabaque Airport (RBQ) has service to La Paz and Cochabamba via regional airlines. Flights to La Paz take 40-50 minutes and cost US$50-80, though atmospheric conditions often cause delays due to smoke from forest burning, low clouds, or heavy rain saturating the grass runway. Bus travel to La Paz costs approximately Bs. 80 and takes over a day, with departures around 10:00 daily. The road between Coroico and Caranavi is closed to buses between 07:00-17:00 for roadworks, so evening departures can mean waiting in remote areas.

The town is small enough to explore on foot. Mototaxis and tuk-tuks are available for reaching the out-of-town bus station and airport, especially when loaded. Water taxis to San Buenaventura across the Río Beni depart from Calle Santa Cruz and cost Bs. 1.50. Jeep services to nearby towns and La Paz (US$25, 12 hours) are available from two offices on Avaroa.

The dry season generally offers more reliable flights, as services can be disrupted during rainy periods when the grass runway becomes saturated. Atmospheric conditions including smoke from forest burning and low cloud cover commonly cause flight delays. Jungle and pampa tours operate year-round but conditions vary by season.

Budget accommodation options include Hostal Oriental on the main plaza with rates of Bs. 100 single / Bs. 150 double including breakfast (April 2012 rates), hot showers, and free WiFi. Hostal Touristico Santa Ana on Avaroa offers clean rooms with shared bathrooms and a hammock area. Hostel El Curichal on Calle Comercio provides dorm beds for Bs. 50-60 with breakfast included, plus a swimming pool and garden.

The Mercado Municipal on Avaroa has cheap comedors and jugerias for local food and fruit juices. For restaurants: Restaurant Tacuara (Avaroa y Santa Cruz) serves big portions of pizza, pasta, and meat dishes. Café Pachamama near the main square offers sandwiches, salads, tortillas, cocktails, happy hour 19:00-21:00, and has a book/music exchange and pool tables. Café Pirana has excellent French-style croissants and good coffee, open daytime only. Junglebar Moskkito on Calle Vaca Diez has three pool tables, two dartboards, and accepts credit cards and multiple currencies with happy hour 19:00-21:00.

The primary activities are jungle tours in Madidi National Park and pampa tours for wildlife viewing. Local attractions include Butterfly Pool Mirador (Bs. 30) for cooling off, Balneario El Ambiabo swimming pool (Bs. 20), and a zipline/canopy tour (US$20) with the longest run at 620 meters. El Chocolatal Golf Eco-Resort, 15 minutes outside town, offers jungle horseback riding, a 9-hole golf course, and disc golf for around US$20 half-day. Events include Fiesta de Rurre on February 2nd and Anniversary of Rurrenabaque celebrations.

Be extremely cautious with tour guides on pampas and jungle tours, as there have been many incidents of theft and physical abuse. Some guides are reportedly professional thieves who may invent stories about ill family members needing medication to solicit money. Single female travelers should be particularly wary of overly friendly guides. Do not lend or give anyone money, as there will be no way to recover it.

Daily backpacker budget in Rurrenabaque: dorm beds from Bs. 50-60, cheap meals at market comedors under Bs. 20, restaurant meals Bs. 35-70, internet Bs. 8 per session. Jungle and pampa tours typically cost US$30-60 per day depending on duration and operator. Local transport via mototaxi or water taxi is very cheap (Bs. 1.50-10).

Approximately 10 internet cafes in town charge Bs. 8 for a fairly slow connection. WiFi is available at some accommodations like Hostal Oriental. Mobile data coverage is limited in the town and essentially non-existent in jungle areas.

La Paz is the main overland destination: buses cost approximately Bs. 80 and take over a day with stops at Caranavi and Corico; flights cost US$50-80 for the 40-50 minute journey. Riberalta in the north features red dust, rubber boom history, and native community visits. Guayaramerín at the Mamore River border with Brazil is about 4 hours away when roads are good. San Ignacio de Moxos has Jesuit mission history and local traditions. Trinidad serves as a gateway to more of Beni Department and offers multi-day boat rides to Guayaramerín.