The North Yungas Road (also Grove's
Road, Coroico Road, Camino de las Yungas, "El Camino de la Muerte",
"Death Road") is a 38 to 43 mile road (depending on source) leading
from La Paz to Coroico, 35 miles (56 km) northeast of La Paz in the
Yungas region of Bolivia. It is legendary for its extreme danger,
one estimate is that nearly 100 travellers annually have died along
the road -- the road moreover includes Christian crosses marking
many of the spots where such vehicles have fallen. The road descends
from approx. 12,000 ft (3600 m) to 1000 ft (330 m), transitioning
quickly from cool altiplano terrain to rain forest as it winds
through very steep hillsides and atop cliffs.
The road was built in the 1930s during the Chaco War by Paraguayan
prisoners. It is one of the few routes that connects the Amazon
rainforest region of northern Bolivia, or Yungas, to its capital
city. However, an alternative, much safer, road connecting La Paz to
Coroico is nearing completion.
Because of the extreme dropoffs, single-lane width, and lack of
guardrails, the road is extremely dangerous. Further still, rain and
fog can make visibility precarious, the road surface muddy, and
loosen rocks from the hillsides above. On July 24, 1983, a bus
veered off the Yungas Road and into a canyon, killing more than 100
passengers in what is said to be Bolivia's worst road accident. One
of the local road rules specifies that the downhill driver never has
the right of way and must move to the outer edge of the road. This
forces fast vehicles to stop so that passing can be negotiated
safely. The danger of the road ironically though has made it a
popular tourist destination starting in the 1990s. Mountain biker
enthusiasts, in particular, have made it a favorite destination for
downhill biking.
A South Yungas Road (also Chulumani Road) exists that connects La
Paz to Chulumani, 40 miles (64 km) east of La Paz, and is considered
to be nearly as dangerous as the north road.
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