Yungas Road

The Yungas Road in Bolivia is a steep, narrow mountain road linking the high-altitude Bolivian altiplano around La Paz with the Yungas lowlands and the town of Coroico. It became widely known for its hazardous single-lane sections carved into steep cliffs and for the intense elevation change along the route.

The road was constructed in the early 20th century and is commonly described as being expanded in the 1930s; reports attribute much of the hard manual work to prisoners. It served for decades as a vital connection between La Paz and the Yungas agriculture zones before the modern bypass reduced through-traffic and changed the route’s role toward tourism.

The route descends east from the high road corridors near La Paz into Bolivia’s Yungas region, ending in the tropical town of Coroico; the old road runs along steep Andean slopes and jungle-covered valleys below La Paz.

• Route length: Most tourist trips use the original single-track section of the old road, roughly 40-60 km long, while regular vehicular traffic now mainly uses a newer paved bypass opened in the 2000s.
• Best time to visit: Dry season months typically offer more stable conditions for biking and sightseeing; heavy rain brings increased rockfall and slippery surfaces on the exposed sections.

What to See #

• La Cumbre / Start: Serves as the high-altitude start point for guided downhill mountain-bike tours; many operators begin rides near the La Cumbre pass and finish in the town of Coroico.
• Coroico: A small mountain town at the lower end of the route that functions as the common finish for tourist rides and a base for local accommodation and restaurants.