Noel Kempff Mercado National Park, World Heritage Site in Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia
This Bolivian national park extends across 15,523 square kilometers of land, encompassing tropical forests, savannas, wetlands, and sandstone plateau formations.
The park, established in 1979 as Huanchaca National Park, received its current name in 1988 to honor biologist Noel Kempff Mercado.
Indigenous communities near the park continue their traditional practices while contributing to the preservation of natural resources through sustainable methods.
Visitors require advance arrangements through certified tour operators to access the park, which operates under the management of SERNAP throughout the year.
The Huanchaca Plateau contains multiple waterfalls, including the 88-meter Arcoiris Falls with distinct geological formations displaying various mineral colors.
Location: Santa Cruz Department
Inception: June 28, 1979
Elevation above the sea: 252 m
Operator: SERNAP
Website: http://noelkempff.com/English/Welcome.htm
GPS coordinates: -14.23028,-60.84667
Latest update: May 27, 2025 09:51
Bolivia sits in the central Andes, linking mountain ranges, high plateau lands, and lowland rainforests in a landlocked country. The changes in altitude create different climate zones and landscapes, from snow-covered peaks to tropical vegetation. Many visitors start in La Paz, a city that clings to a canyon and where a cable car system moves traffic between neighborhoods. The colonial capital of Sucre preserves its white facades and courtyards from the 1600s, while Potosí sits at the foot of Cerro Rico, a mountain that saw centuries of silver mining. The natural sites range from Lake Titicaca on the Peruvian border to the Salar de Uyuni, an expansive salt flat that turns into a shallow mirror during the rainy season. Madidi National Park protects rainforest in the north, while the Eduardo Avaroa Reserve in the south shows colored lagoons and desert formations. The Tiwanaku archaeological site holds evidence of pre-Columbian civilizations, and the Jesuit Missions of Chiquitos are wooden churches that survive in remote towns. The Valley of the Moon near La Paz forms eroded rocks that resemble lunar landscapes, and Torotoro National Park contains fossils and dinosaur tracks. The journey from La Paz to Coroico passes along the Death Road, a narrow mountain route that descends into the Yungas lowlands.
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