Bolivia à la carteBolivia travel guide

Noel Kempff Mercado National Park

Santa Cruz Department · Jungle and tropics

Noel Kempff Mercado National Park, photo 1
Photo: Javierhurtadovaca, CC BY-SA 4.0

Noel Kempff Mercado is one of the wildest places in South America: table-top plateaus, spectacular waterfalls and exceptional wildlife. It is said to have inspired Conan Doyle's “The Lost World”. Very hard to reach and expensive: an expedition in its own right.

250 maltitude
4 to 5 daysto spend there
Open on the interactive mapGoogle Maps

Things to do

  • Arco Iris and Federico Ahlfeld falls
  • Exceptional wildlife

What to eat

  • River fishSurubí, pacú or dorado, grilled over a wood fire or fried, with rice, cassava and plantain. Delicious by the water, in the Llanos and the Amazon.
  • MasacoMashed plantain or cassava with charque or cheese. Rich and filling.
Tip. An expedition: light aircraft or a 12-hour-plus dirt track. Expensive, to organise in advance. Allow a week, including travel.

Also here

How to get to Noel Kempff

  • San Ignacio 4x4 tour or excursion · 12 h or more

    Organised 4x4 expedition, or light aircraft from Santa Cruz.

Photos of Noel Kempff Mercado National Park

Noel Kempff Mercado National Park, photo 2
Photo: Maral Hurtado Miranda, CC BY-SA 4.0
Noel Kempff Mercado National Park, photo 3
Photo: Tanlogico, CC BY-SA 4.0
Noel Kempff Mercado National Park, photo 4
Photo: Javierhurtadovaca, CC BY-SA 4.0
Noel Kempff Mercado National Park, photo 5
Photo: Gabriela Villanueva, CC BY-SA 4.0
Noel Kempff Mercado National Park, photo 6
Photo: (c) Matt Muir, some rights reserved (CC BY), CC BY 4.0

More places in this region