A small town on the north end of Bolivia situated at the banks of River Beni with a population of 19,195. Simply know as Rurre, it has become a popular tourist destination and as an easy gateway into the Maddi National Park and the surrounding pampas. There are many tourist agencies within the town that offer tours by foot or boat.
Places to visit in Rurrenabaque include hostels like the Butterfly Pool Mirador and Balneario El Ambaibo where you can cool down in the swimming pools. They provide excellent relief for sundowners and amazing views of the local scenery. For adrenaline junkie the town offers a go at the Zipline – Canopy tour which is a 620 meters steel cable speeding through the canopies. Another venue that should be on your list of places to visit in Rurrenabaque is the El Chocolatal Golf Eco-Resort. This is where you can play golf at the world most biodiverse golf course. You can get memberships, or play with rented golf equipment accompanied by caddies who are also nature guides. Apart from golf the Resort is also famous for giving jungle rides on the back of horses featuring 113 bird species, boa constructors, and 5 different wild cat species to name a few. Another fairly interesting land spot is the El Chorro. This is a wonderful place featuring a waterfall and a pool. One can easily reach it by inquiring about a boat service at the harbor. The engravings on a rock roughly opposite the place was intended to be a warning signal such that it marks water levels which if breached means that the Beni River is now extremely un-navigable.
In this small town one can actually take a ferry across the river where the sleepy Buenaventura sits with its fine Beni leather goods and handicraft shops celebrating the Tacana people’s unique vision. Or one can just stay on the river banks of Rurrenabaque to stroll through the market. When it comes to changing your currencies or cashing your travelers checks you can visit Moskkito who claim to have the best rates and can also provide you change for dollars and Euros. Other attractions include some fine dine-out places like the Café Pirana which offers has good coffee, great fresh French tasting croissants, a nice place for relaxing but it is open during the day only; and Juliano’s which is a great restaurant situated at the center of the town, with really friendly staff, high quality food at affordable prices. The steak at the place is highly recommended. Pampas and their tours are a great choice for many. However for those who grow weary of the lazy place can also visit the nearby village of San Miguel del Bala or the small town of Santa Rosa del Yacuma only 100km form Rurrenabaque.
The Madidi National Park was established back in the year 1995. Spread out over a vast area stretching more than 18500 km, it is an area which is made up of rain forests, rivers and lush green mountains. The national park is located right across the Manu Biosphere Reserve. The area is filled with lush green terrains that can be used as one of the best places to enjoy a healthy summer day. There are hundreds of Mammals, Birds, Amphibians, etc. that you can enjoy in your tour through the park.
