The Chalalán Eco-touristic Lodge, in the Madidi Park, is the oldest and best-known community-owned enterprise in Bolivia. The San José de Uchupiamonas community is made up of Tacana ethnic-origin members and some Quechua migrants who live about three hours away (by motor-boat) upriver on the banks of the Tuichi tributary, initiated this enterprise with the desire of being pioneers in community-based tourism in Bolivia. Throughout the years, Chalalán has received aid and financing from important international organizations.
The Chalalán tourist shelter owes its name to a small lagoon that covers about 25 hectares, that is found in mid-forest; it is located at about 5 hours from Rurrenabaque and three hours from the San José community.
The infrastructure is simple and adheres to forest tourism concepts. It has three cabins with one room with private bath, and two pavilions with rooms with shared bathroom facilities, each with three rooms and two baths. There is a very large central lodge that works as a dining hall, another building that acts as a meeting and conference room, and of course, a very well-equipped kitchen.
Possibly the camp’s most interesting feature and which demands the greatest maintenance is the footpath network around the lagoon that allows flora and fauna observation.
The lagoon is especially beautiful. Thanks to the ecological Park management policies, which have been deeply assimilated by the San José community members, the forest in the region is once more noisy with wildlife, as it should be, and the observation of bird species is guaranteed. The same is true of a monkey colony that has settled on the shores of the lagoon.
Without doubt, Chalalán offers excellent services with high hygiene and comfort standards. Its packages include passenger pickup from the Rurrenabaque airport, transportation by motorboat to the Lodge, complete meal services and guided tours in the forest.
Chalalán is a community-owned enterprise that has understood the need of learning tourism’s lingua franca, and almost all the guides speak English. This makes a radical difference in serving visitors who do not speak Spanish. Likewise, the guides are knowledgeable in the perfect combination of their life-experiences with basic botanical and zoological scientific information.
Staying two or three nights in Chalalán is one of the best experiences offered by the Amazonian region and allows the visitor a safe and comfortable stay in the heart of the forest.
How to get there Download a simple map, transportation info, costs and other usefull tips in a printable sheet.
From June 2009 this website has no official support, therefore prices/rates and other data should be taken as reference as they may be outdated. Please confirm these information with the contact provided in the destination sheet (PDF) or contact your tour operator.
