Yungas Road, grimly known as ‘Death Road’ due to its notoriously high death rate, was cut into the side of the Cordillera Oriental Mountain chain in the 1930s by Paraguayan prisoners during the Chaco War. Death Road in Bolivia is a 64 km mostly downhill stretch of treacheries turns and 600-metre drops that connects La Paz with the Amazon rain forest in the north. Every year, 25,000 dare-devils cycle on it, and when the road was most used it claimed 200-300 deaths per year from crashes or falling off the steep cliffs.
Surrounded by mountainous terrain and terrifying precipices, the winding road stretches from La Paz to Coroico, connecting the Amazonian rain-forest to the capital city.
From La Paz, Yungas Road road climbs to around 4,650. The drop in altitude means travellers experience both chilly conditions in the Altiplano highlands and hot humid conditions in the rain-forests below.
Death Road Statistics
A combination of single track roads, 900m high cliffs, rainy weather, limited visibility, rockfalls, and lack of guardrails, has resulted in many motorists plummeting to their death.
It is estimated that 200 to 300 drivers were killed yearly along Yungas Road and as late as 1994 there were cars falling over the edge at a rate of one every two weeks.
One of Bolivia’s most tragic road accidents happened on July 24th 1983 when an overcrowded bus veered off the side of the road and into a canyon killing more than 100 passengers.
Lining the side of Death Road, you will find an unsettling number of crosses and altars marking some of the many spots where people lost their lives. It is no shock to learn that in 1995, the Inter-American Development Bank dubbed Yungus Road “The World’s Most Dangerous Road”.
Is the Road Still Dangerous?
After 20 years of hard work, Yungas road was modernized to include two driving lanes, asphalt pavement, drainage systems and guardrails.Thankfully, motorists can now travel from La Paz to Coroico without fearing the journey may be their last.
Even with these improved conditions, Yungas Road shows no mercy. Nowadays, the death toll is limited to local workers and daredevil backpackers still using the infamous road. It is believed that more than 22 cyclists have lost their lives on Bolivia’s “Death Road” since 1998.
Death Road Tours
Despite these statistics, the 64km downhill bike ride has been a draw card for thrill seekers and avid mountain-bikers since the 1990s.
While not for the faint-hearted, the adrenaline-pumping Death Road tour is suitable for both confident beginners and expert mountain bikers. There are a multitude of Death Road tour companies around La Paz ranging in price and quality. Often it’s a case of “you get what you pay for”, and those looking for the cheapest option can be left with an unreliable, unprofessional and unsafe tour.
For those of you who haven’t tried mountain biking on gravel, let me clarify one thing: It. Is. Hard. Not only is this kind of road like a skating rink, but the pebbles and large rocks makes it extremely uneven as well. aIf you’re looking for a truly exhilarating, world-class bike ride through some of Bolivia’s most beautiful scenery, don’t hesitate to book a ‘Death Road Tour. Fingers crossed you’ll live to tell the tale!