Death Road in Bolivia, South America is infamous amongst adrenaline seekers the world over. Known as the world’s most dangerous road, some would say that a trip to Bolivia isn’t complete without your guaranteed brush with death and insane views only offered in this unique location.
The route passes through the Amazon rainforest to reach dizzying heights in the Andes Mountain Range. This distinctive blend of nature attracts not only those searching for exhilaration, but is also known for its history, scenery and superb views. Read on below for all you need to know about this remarkable cycling destination, from its modest beginnings to extreme tourist epicentre.
Buckle up: As this is quite the read! By the end of this you should be an expert in all things Death Road. For those in a hurry or wanting to know specific parts, I’ve included a handy Contents Table below.
Let’s dive in!
1. The history of Death Road
Why was it built?
Built in the 1930s by Paraguayan convicts during the Chaco War, Yungas Road was meant as an important corridor through Bolivia’s rough terrain. The construction of this 61 km route was no easy feat, requiring carving through large sections of dense mountainous land with the overall aim of connecting La Paz to Bolivia’s northern towns. With many narrow sections and vertical drops, the road remained unsurfaced for decades. This in turn contributing to its growing reputation for danger.
Notorious & Tragic History
Soon being called “El Camino de la Muerte” or “The Road of Death”, the path earned its perilous name due to the many deaths recorded along its winding paths. It has been estimated that 300 people were dying yearly, that’s right – almost 1 person a day, before a safer bypass option was created in 2006. The combination of single lanes, vertiginous altitude and absence of barriers along the road edge made accidents a tragically common occurrence.
Modern Usage
The route is officially called “Yungas Road” (a name not mentioned once during my whole experience by the way), this narrow, rolling path connects one of the two Bolivian capitals – La Paz to a small town called Coroico. Squeezing in a fun fact here with some trivia on Bolivia – Naturally! (the other capital is Sucre FYI).
After the construction of a bypass in 2006, Bolivia’s Death Road was no longer a necessity for the everyday commuters, queue the collective sighs of relief. I mean, bit of a no-brainer which one to choose of the two! As is often the case with us humans however, it quickly transformed into one of the most sought-after adventure activities in Bolivia.
Today, adrenaline junkies from all over the world can ride the infamous road on specially planned biking tours. These are guided by experienced professionals who prepare the cyclists for the dangerous journey, paying extra-special heed to the narrow turns and steep descents. The Top Gear crew also made an episode on traversing it, highlighting some of the most dangerous spots along it’s paths.
2. Distinctive Features of the Bolivia Death Road Experience
Riding the World’s Deadliest Road is not just an adventure in navigating its risky course, the surrounding ecology and biodiversity also make the journey worthwhile. If you dare to take a peek while attempting to manage your speed down some of the rapid declines, the reward is truly something special! Here’s what to expect:
Biking Along the Road
You’ve probably got a pretty good idea now that it’s an exhilarating journey across a steep, hilly descent of 61km. This begins with the high-altitude plains near La Paz, before you end up amongst the tropical landscapes of the Yungas region. Highlights along the way include:
- Single Lane Segments – Many parts are only 3.2m wide, and some of these are very close to sharp turns & cliff drops. Your guide will warn you ahead of time when these are coming up.
- Erratic Weather: Fog and rain are common on the road, so extra care should be taken when cycling on one of these days. My advice here is to trust and listen to your guide. When I was cycling, I distinctly remember a fine sheet of water building up on my clothes due to all the moisture in the air. Annoying, yes. But dangerous, nope.
- Safety Arrangements: The tour operator you choose will provide the safety equipment you need for the adventure. There will also be a briefing before the ride so you know exactly what to expect and when to expect it, with various protocols discussed! I went with the local company ‘Barro Bikes’ and had some small issues, more on choosing who to tour with further below!
More Comments on Landscapes (they’re just that damn good!)
If you haven’t heard enough about it already, one of the incredible things about the Death Road of Bolivia is the breathtaking views. Quick bit of trivia is that the maximum altitude is 4650m, you will start from an elevation around this and descend to about 1200m, experiencing along the way:
- Foggy Forests with eerie sensations.
- Mystical Mountain Passes with the occasional wildlife and birds.
- Rugged Rainforests with vibrant vegetation and waterfalls.
Did I overdo it on the alliteration? Maybe. Did I enjoyed writing it though, hell yeah! But real talk, the forests, mountains and rainforests do give the whole experience an aura of unmatched surrealness. More on the weather below!
Weather Challenges
As a result of the range in altitude, Death Road is faced with unpredictable weather changes:
• At higher levels, fog and rain routinely cause low visibility.
• When descending into the rainforest region, there can be bouts of sun and humidity changes.
Local Myths & Legends
While many tourists cower at the prospect of traversing Death Road for the physical danger, there’s a mystical element also to be aware of, with some believing that spirits guard the route. On your journey down, memorials can be spotted where people lost their lives, this combined with local stories about ghostly happenings adds a paranormal twist to an already intriguing experience.
‘Death Road’ Travellers Over the Years
So I’m a big Graphs guy, I just think it gives an extra added dimension to looking at figures. I could simply throw a load of figures at you but I think it summarised in a nice little bar chart can’t be beaten.
Below are some figures I compiled on the Number of Travellers crossing Death Road each year. (For you morbid folks, no – I’m not creating a graph of the deaths by year, so don’t even ask!) The data here is far from exact but I did the best I could with the sources I could find. Enjoy!
For those wondering about the dips, the 2006 inclusion is when the new alternative road was created, and the 2020 dip is thanks to our old enemy Covid.
3. Death Road Biodiversity
Beyond the cycling adventure, Death Road presents an exceptional way of appreciating Bolivia’s flora and fauna.
Vegetation and Animal Life
The Yungas Road runs through what many consider to be one of the most biologically rich regions of Bolivia. Tourists can often see:
•Endemic bird species such as the Andean condor and colourful toucans.
•Tropical plants such as orchids and ferns, common in wet rainforests.
• Mammals such as the Andean Bear, aka Spectacled Bear (yes, the one that looks like it’s wearing cute lil glasses). Of the 8 total bear species this is the only one native to South America! You can also spot capuchins and if incredibly lucky, even jaguars too.
4. Tour Operators, Safety Measures and Other Essential Information
Biking Death Road isn’t for the faint-hearted, but with the right measures in place it can be a fun-filled and safe affair.
Tour Companies
There are a number of tour operators that offer safe trips along Death Road. If you’re in La Paz I would recommend shopping around, comparing prices and what they offer. My advice is that this is definitely not a time to put price as a deal-breaker however.
As mentioned before, me and my travel buddy went with ‘Barro Bikes’. However, this was after talking to 3 other businesses and negotiating things such as additional pictures, videos etc. It’s also a great idea to check out the gear offered, and of course reviews beforehand. A picture is provided below from the Barro Bikes poster which has a very useful list of things to bring! If you check on Google Maps you can find a bunch of places offering tours in the same vicinity and just a few minutes’ walk away from each other. Feel free to use ‘Barro Bikes’ as a starting point, address is: “Sagarnaga 256, La Paz, Bolivia.”
To address the small issues I referenced above, there was nothing majorly wrong with our experience. The set-up of the Bolivia Death Road makes it almost impossible not to have an amazing time!
My main complaint was that the protective equipment me and my friend had were very much on the ‘used and abused’ side. Not an issue with style of course, but with the worry that if you actually did fall off on the path (quite a common occurrence), the ill-fitting knee pads and helmets would only do so much in protecting you.
This was specifically a problem for me with the helmet, where there was limited choices on the day – and no my head isn’t some weird dimensions, it’s very normal-sized thanks. This unfortunately meant it would often slip down, causing me to have to stop and fix it. At times negatively impacting my insatiable need for speed. Lastly, our drivers seemed to run some personal errands on the way back to La Paz. Again, not a problem as we weren’t in a hurry, but maybe not the optimal time for this!
If you’re more of a plan ahead type of person, I met some travellers in the Wild Rover hostel in La Paz (great party hostel FYI), they booked with the Get Your Guide tour, and had zero complaints.
Safety Checks
Away from the equipment side of things, there are a couple more things the tours will make you aware of:
• Detailed briefs before some of the crazier descents.
• Experienced guides giving you directions and support at the checkpoints along the way.
• Regular breaks. There should be a guide at the front and the back at all times. This enables them to easily tell you when to stop, and of course where best to have some snacks with a great view. When we did the tour they also had another team member following in a car with extra water, a couple spare bikes, first aid kit etc.
Personal Preparation
My recommendations for how best to prepare:
• Wear the right clothing – lightweight but protective at the same time.
• Keep hydrated – the altitude & physical exertion can quickly lead to dehydration. I had dry-mouth for a good part of the journey, a bottle of water in the holder was a lifesaver!
• Altitude adjustment: A lot of tour operators will suggest acclimatisation in La Paz before attempting the experience. If you have never experienced altitude above 4000m before I would recommend erring on the side of caution with this one. You have no idea how your body may react.
5. What to Expect on the Day
- The overall experience usually takes about 5 hours. Depending on where your tour starts (some offer pickup straight from your hotel), there will be about an hour journey to the starting point called ‘La Cumbre’.
- Our guides used this time to talk us through what to expect and answer any questions. There was the option for a light breakfast too for the morning people and sociopaths with no fear.
- You will then don your riding gear including kneepads, elbow pads, jacket, gloves and helmet (picture included below). Then test out your bikes for the first time (suspension here is very important given the terrain). This is not a time to be shy so speak up if you have any concerns!
- To get everyone used to riding on their bikes, the first part is a downhill on a smooth asphalt road. This is not much different from your usual motorway in Europe or freeway in North America. Your cycling ability and speed levels will be gauged here.
- After cycling for around an hour, you will be led to the official start of the Road.
- We had a quick snack break, made small talk with other groups, then set off on the treacherous gravel path. This part features very similar gravelly road for around 2 hours of almost constant downhill action.
- Along the way there’s natural waterfalls which you have to both cycle over and through (this part is optional).
- There are also a number of checkpoints (varies from tour to tour from my understanding). Here you can re-fuel on snacks and water, as well as plenty of opportunities for snapping breathtaking pics.
- Finally, you will arrive safely at the bottom of the experience marvelling at what you’ve just accomplished and maybe with one or two light brushes with death on the mind.
- Exhaustion will likely set in with the immediate danger gone & adrenaline wearing off, so I’d recommend more re-fueling here!
- As a final note, I have been asked before about the ‘Bolivia Death Road tunnel’, I can confirm there is no tunnel aspect on the tour, just pure open-air and views.
Things to Watch Out For
• Especially loose gravel surfaces that can cause skidding. There is also a part on the trail called ‘Punto del Diablo’ (Devil’s point). This is a particularly sharp turn where it is very easy to fall off – just ask my lightly-bruised friend!
• Altitude sickness. If you’ve never had it before, key things to look out for are drops in your energy levels and especially important with this experience – changes with your coordination.
• Huge drops. Some of the Bolivia Death Road cliffs feature vertical drops over 600 metres! So stay focused, and don’t feel any shame in pummeling the brakes (I definitely did).
6. Should you take on Bolivia’s mighty Death Road?
Understanding Your Boundaries and Comfort Zone
The Bolivian Death Road is the ideal playground for thrill-seekers with a high-level of confidence in their cycling ability. This goes hand-in-hand with a steady nerve and comfort with heights. This is not to say that your average person should miss out on the experience however.
Follow the advice above and choose a good tour operator, I have every confidence you will have an amazing experience! There are other ways to prepare such as renting a mountain bike beforehand to get especially familiar with one, or explaining to the tour guide any reservations you may have. We had a few slow people in our group also and it took nothing away from the experience. We just had more time to relax at the checkpoints and enjoy the spectacular views!
This wouldn’t be an all-in-one Guide without offering some alternatives if you feel it really isn’t for you. People wanting to visit the Yungas region in a safer way have the following options:
• Hiking Trails – It’s possible to walk along alternative trails to take pictures of the spectacular landscape without the risk of the perilous Death Road cliffs.
• Eco-lodges – Travellers can stay in a neighbouring lodge and enjoy the rainforest offerings at a slower pace.
• Other Guided Tours – Ideal for groups who may have a group split in deciding to tackle Death Road or not. Ask around at tour guides in La Paz, I saw some advertised which would be ideal for nature-lovers and history buffs.
Death Road – A Journey of Thrills & Contemplation
Bolivia’s Death Road has rightfully earned its place as one of the most adventure-packed travel destinations on the globe, but it’s so much more than a quick adrenaline hit. It’s a passage through the history of Bolivia, a route lined with memorials and a corridor through one of the most biodiverse regions of the country. Those who dare take on the Death Road come back home with more than just a tale of survival, they return with a deeper understanding of the landscapes, history, and spirit of Bolivia itself.
Do you think you’d take on the challenge? Or have you already successfully traversed it’s paths?
Please let me know in the comment section below!
Thanks for this. Will be supr helpful for my Bolivia trip there next month 🙂