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Noel Kempff Mercado National Park South Side
- Itinerary of 6 Days 5 Nights
From the city of Santa Cruz
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“Los Fierros” By Land
1st Day
At 13:00 hours we will start the first part of our trip to the park, aboard a private vehicle heading to the town of Concepcion located at 476 kilometers away (767.74 miles).
 This trip will be done on a paved road, passing by several towns and villages of migrants people from the high lands of Bolivia and Mennonites colonies. This trip is crossing an agricultural area, which grows soybean, sunflower, and several types of other grains. There, we can also realize the relentless advance of the agricultural frontier from 30 Kilometers (48.38 Miles) off Santa Cruz.
The trip to Concepcion takes approximately 5 hours. On the way we may stop in San Javier for 30 minutes. San Javier is town with 12.00 inhabitants and on 542 meters on sea level. Most of its people have indigenous background. It was founded in the year 1691 by the Jesuits.
Dinner and over night in Concepcion.
2nd Day
Around 09:30 a.m. we will leave the town of Concepción, at the previous night the coordinator of tour would have confirmed to you the exact time of departure. This trip will be in a 4x4 express vehicle and will last approximately 8 hours until the community of Florida located on the border of Noel Kempff Mercado Park.
 UNESCO declared this magnificent park as a patrimony of the humanity in the year 2000.
In the trip from Concepción to the village on the border of the park, we will have the opportunity to live a different trip, perhaps to which most of those attracted to parks are accustomed to, since the roads are unpaved, very dusty in the dry season and muddy in the raining season, sometimes with great difficulty to transit by vehicle. Also sometimes we will also find fallen trees on the way or trailer trucks stuck in the mud of the road.
We will stop on the way a few minutes for pictures or others reasons. But not longer than approximately 20 minutes, because we can fall prey to an amount of bees that becomes unbearable and of course the mosquitoes will be inevitable guests at night.
As we approach the park, the vegetation becomes greener and the forests improve; therefore, the opportunities to encounter wild life also increase, although the depredation by timber companies in areas of forest concessions is quite noticeable, with great grief for those of us who appreciate nature without human destruction.
We will arrive at the village at the end of the day or in the evening.
This village is a nice place surrounded by the forest and by a bay of the Paragua River. It has nearly 20 families or less because the population is decreasing due to the immigration of the youth people to San Ignacio or to Santa Cruz.
About one year ago, the mayoralty of San Ignacio has provided a diesel engine for the generation of electricity, so this engine works almost every night approximately from 19:00 to 22:00. The engine is also good to recharge you cameras or other electrical item´s battery
The service of pipe water at home is not working yet. The huts that serve as lodging have palm or grass as roof. The lodgings places have toilet, but the water system does not work yet, so it is necessary use a backet with water to flush toilets. The showers still does not work, but a Bahia of Paragua river is about 50 or 100 meters away although with some crocodiles, caimans and piranhas it is the place where people of the community wash their clothes and take a bath in the water of the bay, so we can do the same.
In Florida you may find brasilian and bolivian (the bolivan beer is more expensive but better) beer to buy, but it is very hard if not impossible to find some things from outside to eat or for personal use.
Supper and spend the night in the village.
3er Day
After breakfast, we will visit the park ranger site to register our names. Later, we will head towards the raft that crosses the Paraguá river and once on the other side of the river we will be inside the territory of Noel Kempff park. We will then continue our trip by vehicle, crossing wooden bridges iin not so good conditions, although some or most of them have been repaired in augut 2009.
 This is the only road for vehicles actually opened that leads further into the park. These roads are also semi-abandoned with the vegetation on both sides almost closing the way in some parts; the visitors must beware of the thorns and tips of the branches in many sections of the paths within the park.
In the way it is also very probable to find some animals crossing or walking the path; these animals can be peccaries, coatis, “tayras” or deer, or even a jaguar or a puma, who like to freshen up by lying on the way. The turkeys and macaws or “guacamayos” are other animals that we will have the opportunity to see in these paths through the park.
We will also pass by the cabins of “Los Fierros” where we will possibly have lunch and later we will continue our trip towards the plateau or towards the “El Encanto” (The Enchantment) cascades, depending on the conditions of the path at the moment of the trip and the development of the itinerary until that moment. In case of going towards the El Encanto cascades, we will try to arrive in vehicle until El Encanto camp, which is 5 kilometers before the cascade and about 35 kilometers from Los Fierros. But if we were to find problems in the way, such as fallen trees and/or bridges in bad conditions or sections with too much water or mud, we will have to walk about 10 or 15 kilometers or more to El Encanto camp.
Assuming that we arrive in vehicle to El Encanto camp without greater problems and with enough time to visit the El Encanto cascade this same day, we could do so or we could spend the night in the camping site and go to the cascade early in the morning on the next day.
At night there is a possibility of a short nocturnal Safari with lanterns.
Spend the night in El Encanto camp site.
4th Day
We will leave El Encanto camp and head towards the Caparú plateau for approximately 1 ½ hour by vehicle; along the way, we will also be on the look for the animals that may cross the path. Almost half of this route is on the same way to Los Fierros; the other half is a different route and can have the same problems as the way to El Encanto cascade, although this way is usually in better conditions.
 Assuming that we arrive in vehicle until the end of the way for vehicles, it takes approximately 2 hours to hike from this point until the base of the plateau. During this hike, we need to have our senses alert in order to listen to, smell or see interesting particularities of this place. We also need to pay attention to the gradual change from forest of high trees to very low vegetation.
If the way up to the plateau is on the following day, the ideal time to arrive at this place known as “Las Lajas” is in the dusk, because during the day and with the presence of people, very annoying bees (especially for the eyes) begin to arrive at the place.
Depending on the time of arrival to Las Lajas and on the conditions that we are, we will climb the plateau on this day or we will leave it for the following day early in the morning.
Assuming that we leave the ascent to the plateau for the following day, we will set up the tents to  spend the night in this part of the trail known as Las Lajas.
Spend the night in Las Lajas
5th Day
We have breakfast very early or we take it for the way to the plateau or even to have breakfast in the edge of the plateau, but we must take advantage of the freshness in the morning to hike up the plateau.
The ascent to the plateau is a rustic footpath in zigzag, steep and almost without any vegetation to cover us from the sun, which is why the conditions of the ascent can be unfriendly, especially if there is not enough wind and the sun is strong. In any case, it is necessary to be in good physical condition for this part of the trip, but as we climb the view of the forest of the park becomes wider and the immense “Chaplin” lagoon can be seen amidst the exuberant vegetation. Likewise, depending on the time of ascent, we will have the opportunity to see the Blue-and-Yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna) sometimes flying at a lower height from us.
 Once on the plateau, we will have a hike of about one hour in order to appreciate the view of the waved green landscape spotted with virgin forest, water streams and palm trees, and if we are lucky enough, we will be able to see deer, or even the macaws nesting in palms that are about 30 minutes away from the edge of the plateau.
It is time to return to the town of Florida; we return by the same footpath, taking care of our steps since there are parts of the path with loose stones. We arrive at Las Lajas and proceed towards the place where we left the vehicle. From this point on we go by vehicle until the Paraguá river, which must be crossed before 17:00.
Overnight in the village on the border of the park
6th Day
The most convenient action in this last day is to begin the return trip to the town of Concepción early in the morning, around 06:00 or earlier, to take enjoy the freshness of the early morning. It is  recommendable to have some extra time in case of any unexpected incident in the way. Also early in the morning we would have more chances to see some other mammals in our way back.
We will arrive at the town of Concepción in the afternoon or at night.
It is here where this excursion with Amboró Tours finishes.
End of our services. Thanks.
Please Read The Terms and Conditions of our Services
Option or plan ¨B¨ Changing the 4Th and 5Th days of this itinerary
Day and Night excursions on the Paragua River
In a small aluminum rowing boat or in a wooden canoe
The visit to El Encanto waterfall or the Caparu Plateau we may be able to switch it for excursions on a canoe on the Paragua River, where also some hikes in the park would be possible in aeras almost never visited
4Th Day
Early in the morning after breakfast we drive back on the same path that we came in, we drive towards the community of Florida or to some private ranch located along Paragua river. 
We will use either the community of Florida or a private property,1 hour away the community along the Paragua river as a camp site to set up our canoe rides.
After having choosen the right place and after setting up the tents we go on the canoe or on small aluminum boat equipped with a spot light to have better chances of observing some wild life e.g., alligators, Capibaras, Tapirs among others mammals. Also with the spot light is possible to get a close up to some birds that sleep on low the branches right in the shore of the river
During these trips on the canoe we will be able to fish piranhas among others kind of fishes
Dinner and over night on the shore of Paragua River
5Th Day
After or before a very good breakfast with piranhas, we got one more time on the canoe to have another excursion on to the shores of the river or in some of its bays.
During the early hour of the morning is possible to observe some birds like the Hoatzin, Greater anis, and many kinds of herons among other species.
Some walks in forest of the park are also possible.
 Mammals like the Giant River Otters are also quite common in this river.
After lunch we either we can stay in the area to spend one more night and to have longer rides in the small aluminum boat or canoe and directly from this place we departure to Concepcion on the 6th or last day of the tour.
Amboró Tours is the only original source of this Itinerary
Amboró Tours also offers longer tours to this destination.
Adverse climatologic conditions or social unrest can change the original itinerary.
Remember that this itinerary can vary or not be fulfilled in its entirety by climate factors and/or the conditions of the ways and rivers or water streams.
Also is our duty to inform you that during the Dry Season parts of the Plateau get on fire. The fire could expand kilometers according to the wind. This fire usually that not penetrates more that a few meters the jungle on the Plateau.
Likewise, remember that this tour can become an adventure where mishaps can happen, which is why it is necessary to have an exploring and adventurous spirit.
Be prepared to protect yourself against the sun (sun lotion, sunglasses, hat or cap, long-sleeved shirt, long trousers and others) and rain (impermeable clothes).
Remember that nothing should be removed from the park (plants or seeds)
“Take only photographs and leave only footprints”
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