Yungas Road

A cliff-hugging dirt road that drops from La Cumbre pass, at 4,650 m above La Paz, to cloud forest at 1,200 m. Once dubbed the 'world's most dangerous road', it is now a mountain-biking downhill hotspot.

The North Yungas Road links La Paz with Coroico, a town in the Yungas valleys on the edge of the Amazon. It was built in the 1930s by Paraguayan prisoners of war from the Chaco War. Its most famous section starts at La Cumbre pass (around 4,650 m) and descends on paved road to Unduavi, then turns onto the old dirt road, which winds down a cliff only about 3 m wide with a 600 m drop on one side, past waterfalls and cloud forest, to Yolosa at about 1,200 m. The total drop is around 3,500 m over roughly 64 km. In 1995 the Inter-American Development Bank called it 'the most dangerous road in the world', and hundreds of people were killed on it each year. After a bypass opened in 2006, the old road was used almost exclusively by cyclists and a few vehicles, and it became one of South America's most popular mountain-biking downhill routes. The usual option is a day tour with a professional La Paz bike company, which includes bikes, protective gear, insurance and transfers. The ride takes about 4 to 5 hours, followed by a rest and overnight stay in Yolosa or Coroico. Driving the old road yourself is not recommended. Choose a reputable company and check the brakes. Traffic keeps to the left by convention, and downhill vehicles should stay on the cliff side. The risk is higher in the rainy season.

Yungas Road

Along the route