Bolivia Guide
The Amazon
Rurrenabaque
Set on the banks of the Río Beni some 430km by road north of La Paz, the small town of RURRENABAQUE has emerged in recent years as by far the most popular ecotourism destination in the Bolivian Amazon, and with good reason. Standing between the last forest-covered foothills of the Andes and the great lowland plains, Rurrenabaque is close to some of the best-preserved and most accessible wilderness areas in the region, including the spectacular rainforests of Parque Nacional Madidi and the Reserva de Biosfera y Territorio Indígena Pilon Lajas, as well as the wildlife-rich pampas along the Río Yacuma, all of which are easily visited with one of Rurrenabaque's numerous tour agencies. It's also the easiest Amazon town to reach from La Paz, though that's not saying much. By air it's a short and spectacular flight across the cordillera (though be warned that the runway is not paved so heavy rain can prevent both landing and take-off for days at a time; at these times many tour agencies offer the option of services to La Paz), but by road the trip down through the Yungas is a gruelling adventure that takes at least eighteen hours, though it can be broken with a stopoff in Coroico.
Tour agencies in Rurrenabaque
1 Amazonica Next to the Hotel Tuichi on Avaroa Run by the same family as the Fluvial agency, and offering pretty much the same tours.
2 Bala Tours Av Santa Cruz with Comercio
03/8922527 Specializes in longer tours into Parque Nacional Madidi.
3 Bolivia Mística 03/8922169 
mail@boliviamistica.com The only company to offer twice-daily tours (at 8am and 1.30pm) on a series of zip lines allowing you to whizz through the upper canopy of the trees along 1200m of cable across nine platforms. The professional and safety-conscious guides are also very knowledgeable on surrounding flora and fauna. The cost is $25 a day (though bring a tip for the guides), a percentage of which goes towards a local Tacana community.
4 Flecha Corner of Avaroa and Santa Cruz
03/8922476 Popular agency offering standard three- to four-day tours of the pampas and rainforest, as well as longer trips into Parque Nacional Madidi.
5 Fluvial Next to the Hotel Tuichi on Avaroa
03/8922372 fluvialtours@hotmail.com The oldest tour operator in Rurrenabaque, with experienced guides and frequent departures to the pampas and selva.