Motorcycle trip

Bolivia

Bolivia’s geography

During a motorcycle tour in Bolivia, you will discover a country that is five times bigger than the UK. Landlocked Bolivia’s immense salt flat, Salar de Uyuni, is a never-ending desert at an altitude of 3,700 m. Almost 40% of the world’s lithium reserves lie beneath this fascinating natural wonder. Bolivia’s highest point, Nevado Sajama, stands proud at 6,542 m altitude. An exceptionally diverse country, there are four large regions: the Altiplano, nestled at more than 3,000 m altitude, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and where the endless salt flats create some of the most amazing landscapes in the world; the Yungas, located to the north-east of La Paz, representing a crossroads between the Andes and the Amazon rainforest; the Gran Chaco, an arid lowland and rich source of petroleum; and the Oriente, an area of plains found in the Amazon rainforest and the Pantanal that is also overflowing with raw materials. Bolivia is home to a rich wildlife with its emblematic llamas and alpacas, as well as butterflies, insects and lizards on the approaches to the Amazon River. You may even get the chance to spot a condor –a bird greatly respected by the Incas– in the mountains. Flocks of James’s flamingos can often be found to the south of the Altiplano too.

Bolivia’s history

During your motorcycle tour in Bolivia, you will discover a country with a rich yet turbulent history. In around the tenth century, the ancient Tiwanaku civilisation had reached its apogee and the Incas –founded in Peru– expanded their empire to Bolivia, contributing its religion and the Quechua language. Circa 1530, the Spaniards started to conquer Bolivia, arriving from Ecuador and advancing towards Peru. The country became part of Peru. During the same period was El Dorado with the discovery of the Potosí silver mine, then the most prolific in the world. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Venezuelan Simon Bolivar liberated Ecuador, Colombia, Panama and Bolivia from the Spanish Empire, giving his name to the country. In 1825, Bolivia gained independence and Bolivar’s chief aid became the country’s first president. During the twentieth century, Bolivia's history was marked by several conflicts between the military and socialist revolutionaries. Ernesto Che Guevara was shot in the small village La Higuera in 1967. It was not until the 1990s, with the arrival of president Gonzalo Sanchez, that reforms were introduced. In 2005, the first indigenous head of state, Evo Morales, was elected and continues to strive for social reforms today.