La Paz Travel Guide

Yungas Road

Not an attraction for the faint of heart, the dangerous Yungas Road, which has been dubbed the 'El Camino de la Muerte' (Road of Death), stretches between La Paz and Coroico in Bolivia and is estimated to claim the lives of approximately 200 to 300 travellers each year. Built during the 1930s Chaco War by Paraguayan prisoners, the road is situated high in the Yungas region of Bolivia and has extreme drops of up to 610 meters (2,000 ft) and has ironically become a popular tourist destination, drawing some 25,000 thrill seekers each year, particularly mountain bikers who love the adrenalin of the continuous downhill riding along 40 miles (64km) of treacherous road. The beautiful location of the road also adds to its allure, but it remains a serious danger as at least 13 cyclists have died since 1998, and trucks have serious problems passing each other. Crosses dotted along the road mark the spots where cars have plunged off the edge of the steep cliff. Drivers on Yungas Road must obe