Whether driving or biking north from La Paz to Coroico, the World's Most Dangerous Road has breathtaking views and a heart-stopping ride.
How did I get here? I'm in a large school-bus-like vehicle bouncing towards what the Inter-American Development Bank once deemed "The World's Most Dangerous Road," taking me north from La Paz to Coroico.
A narrow ribbon of road has been carved into the beautiful lush Yungas mountain range, descending more than 3,500 metres over a distance of 65 kilometres.
Why the moniker? Well, it's a track full of hairpin turns and very little room for mistakes. As a result,the Bank said about one person dies every two weeks on that road.
Nevertheless, a burgeoning industry has bloomed offering BIKE RIDES along the route for about $25. We checked out one run by a Kiwi (Gravity Assisted Mountain Biking), who originated it but decided that we'd take our chances with a bus. Question is, which is more dangerous?
The micro-bus ride is less than $10 and takes four hours.
The road to the hamlet of Coroico passes through a breathtakingly beautiful valley in the Cordillera Real.
I CAN LOOK STRAIGHT DOWN THE MOUNTAIN
My boyfriend forces me to the window seat, claiming the aisle for his long legs. Great, as I am mortally afraid of heights, this should be incredibly comfortable for me!
The micro-bus starts off at the beginning of La Cumbre, a 4800-metre pass. We are motoring through a magnificent mass of mountains and then it enters La Cumbre.
Wow. We are treated to gorgeous views of the valley with its carpet of jungle trees and unfortunately, the scary switchback route, which I can see as we go down.
I can spot cyclists zooming down and around. Not particularly religious, I find myself praying for them and us. Every once in awhile, the bus has stop and go backwards (!!) to accommodate an oncoming truck. It is a marvel when I look down and realize we are perched on the precipice of the road, I can see straight down the mountain. This happens many times during our ride.
Along the way, one can spot small white crosses where someone has tumbled over. Sometimes, I can see a broken vehicle at the bottom. Strangely, I don't feel panicked as these bus drivers, I am told, have done the route hundreds of times.
We come to Unduavi, a shamble of shacks with a police checkpoint. The checkpoint is there to search for unauthorized coca leaves. At Unduavi the road forks, one headed to Coroica and another towards the Amazon lowlands.
SOUFFLES AND CREPES AWAIT US
Our micro-bus ambles towards Coroica and we're there in less than an hour.
Coroico is a pretty place. At 1700 metres, it's warm and inviting with a touch of humidity. Several touts implore us to visit their accommodations, of which, there is plenty.
There are several hikes in and around this town but many opt to hang out around the pool and have drinks.
In fact, we run into a Kiwi couple that we had travelled with in the Uyuni area in southwestern Bolivia. They invite us to join them for dinner at a French-run restaurant.
That night, we dine on souffle's and crepes at the rustic-looking El Cafetal with its rough-hewn wood tables and chairs topped by panoramic views of the Yungas.
Ah, life couldn't get any better at the end of the World's Most Dangerous Road
HIKES:
A round-trip to the summit of Cerro Uchumachi takes 4 to 5 hours while a trek to the town's waterfalls take four hours in total. Others opt for the more difficult path down into the valley to the Rio Coroico, where you can swim in the natural pools.
