Apolo Yungas

by A. Bennett Hennessey

The cloud forest you will find is along the entrance road to Apolo. The forest is found from treeline (more or less 3800 m) down to approximetly 2400 m. This covers the area of Upper Yungas habitat. This is some fantastic forest well worth birding for a few days. Keep an eye out for Oilbirds along the road. Also a newely made road from Apolo to the town of Pata travels through a fairly interesting cloud forest. We have heard Chestnut-crested Cotingas and Cock-of-the-Rocks here.

There exists a bird list to this area which I will update. The site needs to be reviewed for camping areas.

Logistics: There are no flights to Apolo. The easiest way is to rent a car to visit the area, being very independent with sleeping bags, camping equipment and food. With a rental car you can camp and make several stops along the yungas (Cloud forest) road to Apolo. Other than renting a car, the only other option is a camioneta (jeep) from La Paz, a 16‑hour road trip that often results in arrival in Apolo at around 4 am.   The camionetas to Apolo leave from Calle Vicente Ochoa, Zona El Tejar (Detras de las Canchas, behind the football pitch). The agency is called TransApolo. Make sure you reserve the front seat, or the row just behind the driver. They overfill these jeeps. The most comfortable option is to purchase the two seats in the front just for one person, or purchase two seats in the row behind the driver- so you will only have to share the seat with two other people. Never travel in the far back seats- which expand the meaning of the word uncomfortable to painful depths. Without a vehicle in Apolo, you can get taxis to drop you off at certain destinations, or hike in with a sleeping bag (like the trails to Sarayoj and San Jose de Uchupiamonas).  It is also possible to rent a motorcycle for the day- but you need to negotiate that with someone.

 In Apolo you can stay in the Monasterio de Nuestro Senora de Nazareth hermana Cistercienses Tel. 01022136801 which has clean rooms, inexpensive meals and a relaxing atmosphere (birdbolivia@birdbolivia.com can make reservations). I have been told of a new hotel in Apolo that is pricier- all other hotels should be avoided.