Florida – Los Fierros – Meseta Caparuch
From the city of Santa Cruz
“Los Fierros” By Land

1st Day

At 09:00 hours we will start the first part of our trip to the park, aboard a private vehicle heading to the town of Santa Rosa de la Roca, located at 378 kilometers away (234.87 miles).

This trip will be done on a paved road until the town of Concepción, 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.

After Concepcion the road to Santa Rosa de la Roca is unpaved for about two hours or 79 kilometers. The trip to Santa Rosa de la Roca takes approximately 6 hours.

After leaving the City of Santa Cruz and in about 3 hours on the road we may stop in San Javier for 30 minutes. San Javier is a town 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 Santa Rosa de La Roca

2nd Day

Around 09:00 a.m. we will leave the town of Santa Rosa de la Roca, At the previous night the coordinator of tour would have confirmed to you the exact time of departure. 

This trip will be in a 4×4 vehicle and will last approximately 6 (or more) hours until the community of Florida located on the border of Noel Kempff Mercado National Park.

UNESCO declared this magnificent park as a patrimony of the humanity in the year 2000.

In the trip from Santa Rosa de la Roca to this village, 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 and very dusty in the dry season,  

During the raining season this road is in some parts very muddy  sometimes it presents great difficulties to be  transited by vehicles.

 Also  we will also find fallen trees on the way or trailers trucks stuck in the mud of the road.

On raining season is  normal to find  small lakes in the middle 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 of Florida at the end of the day or in the evening.

This village is a nice place surrounded by forest and by a oxbow lake of the Paragua River. It has nearly 20 families or less. 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  used to  work almost every night approximately from 19:00 to 22:00. 

The service of pipe water at home is not yet installed. 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 bucket with water to flush toilets. The showers still does not work. 

But the oxbow lake next to the community although with some crocodiles, caimans and piranhas it is the place where people of the community wash their clothes and take a bath,  so we can do the same.

In Florida you may find brasilian and bolivian 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.

3irdDay

After breakfast,  we will visit the park ranger site to register our names. Later, we will head towards the crossing point to get on he other side of the Paragua river which is the natural border of the park.

Some time ago we used to operate a big flat boat to get the vehicle across the river. Nowadays this flat boat is not working. So it is necessary to get something else to cross the river.

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 foot or by motorcycles, On the path there are some  wooden bridges in very bad conditions, although some or most of them were repaired in august 2009.

when we are walking on  the bridges we have to be very care full  with the broken parts of it.

The last excursions to the inside of the  park in vehicles was about in the year 2013.  And we had to carry our own wood to fix the old bridges

During this walk there are some parts with big chances of watching some mammals like river otters and others

This trail with fallen trees blocking the way used to be  the only road for vehicles that some years ago was  opened. 

Nowadays  the best  is to enter the park  on foot. It is a  long hiking from the border of the park to Los Fierros. 

Los Fierros cabins are some 35 kms away from the border of the park. This roads is  abandoned and the vegetation on both sides has closed  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.

During this hiking it is also very probable to find some animals crossing or walking the path; these animals can be peccaries, coatis, “tayras” or deers

It was usual to see a  jaguar or a puma, on this road they  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.

About 2 kilometers before reaching Los Fierros Cabins we get to what used to be the airfield of Los Fierros. Amboro Tours used to clean up this airfield every year to have it operable.

Once in the camping site of  Los Fierros cabins we we should prepare or find a place where to set up the tents.

The cabins are useless, them  are full of tiny ants that may get into your tents really easy depending on the the tent. 

Amboro Tours recommends to bring about half liter of diesel so you are able to set up your tent on the ceramic of the cabins. 

Be aware that the  roof of the cabins may fall down any time. Also be aware of wasps nets, they love to live in some parts of this old cabins

There is a stream about 800 meters for Los Fierros but it is necessary to open the path with machetes Dinner and overnight in Los Fierros

4th Day

After breakfast we have to get ready to  keep hiking or if we have a motorcycle we should get on the bikes to keep going on towards the Caparu (caparuch) Plateau.

Around Los Fierros and in most places in this part of the park there are  thousands of bees on activity as soon as the the day warm up 

From Los Fierros Caparau plateau is some 20 kilometers away crossing the seasonal overflowed pampas 

The times when a vehicle could get to this part of the park the road was full of water on rain season

After the pampas the  path gets us back into the forest for some times. 

Nowadays the last five or more kilometers of this path should be full of vegetation blocking it.

This day we will get as far as we can on our way to Caparuch plateau. It is more likely that we would have to stay overnight by a stream Up to where the vehicles used to get.

Close by this camping site and after a walk at night of about 30 minutes in the path and in the forest at night we can find this glowing termites during the months of October or November. They do this to attract other insect.

During some months of the year the activity of moths is very annoying

Assuming that we stay overnight by this stream.

5th Day

From this point it  takes approximately 2 hours to hike to  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 jungle. 

We also need to pay attention to the gradual change from forest of high trees to very low vegetation.

Once we reach the base of the plateau, if it is hot or still it is not evening we should not be in this place  longer than thirty minutes.

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. 

But this time we are only resting in Las Lajas for about 20 minutes

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.

After the rest we proceed on our hiking to caparuch  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” lake 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 top of 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 tree.

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.

Hiking to others edges of the plateau caparuch, near by we can appreciate different views of green forest around us

You can program a longer visit to the plateau, because after one hour and a half hiking on top of the plateau is possible to get the a part of the plateau  covered with a beautiful  jungle and to a place where Amboro Tours used to set up the tents next to a nice stream 

In this place is possible to see monkeys and others mammals.

From this point, that used to be or still is the camping site on top of the plateau. It was possible to do some  trekking in the pampas for about 40 minute to a beautiful natural pool.

on the way to this pool we will see a burned motorcycle  and a short distance away we also can see parts of a small crashed airplane.

Both the motorcycle and the airplane used to belong  to a drug factory  installed in forest near by where still is possible to see   some remains of it.  

A well known bolivian conservationists named Noel Kempf Mercado was killed in the airfield of one of these factories on top of Caparuch plateau when his small plane landed with a team of nature researchers. It happened  the 5th of September of 1986. 

Besides of Noel kempf Mercado also were killed at the same time,  Juan Cochamanidis, Franklin Parada Auclos. Vicente Castelló, a Spaniard scientist, was the only survivor.

Getting back on our itinerary and because this program does not include more days and after about one or one hour and a half on top of caparuch,  we should return  by the same footpath. On the way down hill we must take care of loosen stones. 

We arrive at Las Lajas and proceed towards Los Fierros. 

During the hikings we always have big chances of watchin some exotict birds 

And bing or small groups o spider monkeys

overnight some where next to a steam

6th Day

This way is entirely to hike to Los Fierros.

The hiking distance of today is approximately 20 kilometers. 

One in Los Fierros we can take a bath in the stream near by.

Until the year  2010 (approximately) the road for vehicles to El Encanto Waterfall was open or was possible to get to the end of the road for vehicle with some difficulties. 

From Los Fierros it is about 25 kilometers El Encanato waterfall.

On this road we almost always had to chop many logs fallen on the way specially on raining season  or  because in months nobody else  wanted to mess with this troubles

At the end of the road for vehicles there used to be a small hut where we used to set up the tents. 

From this point we had to do some trekking of 5 kilometers to reach the waterfall 

On the way we had to cross the same steam twice, some times on raining season  it was a bit hard but beautiful 

Dinner and overnight in Los Fierros

7th Day

After breakfast in Los Fierros, we should start hiking to Florida Community. Florida is about 38 kilometers away from Los Fierros.

On this day at about 5::00 some one from Florida is supposed to come for us with a boat and motorcycles to help us to get to Florida 

Dinner and overnight in Florida

8th Day

After breakfast we should leave Florida. There are two roads to take, We should decide for the best option  depending on the conditions of the road 

After about 8 hours of driving we may get to a town called Concepcion.

Dinner and overnight in Concepcion

9th day

After breakfast we return to the ciy of Santa Cruz.

Once in the city we take to your hotel 

It is here where this excursion with Amboró Tours finishes.

End of our services. Thanks.

Please Read The Terms and Conditions of our Services

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”

Parque Nacional Noel Kempf Mercado