The southern reaches of Noel Kempff Mercado are not easily reached, and that is much of the point.
This expedition focuses on the Caparú Plateau region — a seldom-visited sector of the park where escarpments, cerrado, and forest converge into one of the more biologically distinct landscapes in tropical South America. Two locations anchor the route: Laguna Chaplín, a wetland rich in birds, mammals, and reptiles; and Catarata El Encanto, an 80-meter waterfall plunging from the rim of the Serranía Huanchaca.
Between them lies a landscape shaped as much by access as by protection — intact, in part, because so few have ever traversed it on foot.
We move through forest trails and transitional terrain, ascend to the plateau rim where stunted cerrado and expansive sky give way to silence, and descend into drainage systems where camera traps have documented jaguars, tapirs, and other elusive forest species.
This expedition is being shaped through on-the-ground reconnaissance, not built from a template. Routing, camp logistics, and seasonal access are still being learned. Future departures will be informed directly by what we learn in 2026 — which is one of the better reasons to consider joining one.
Why Noel Kempff Mercado
Bolivia consistently ranks among the most biodiverse countries in the Western Hemisphere. Noel Kempff protects vast tracts of intact Amazonian forest intersected by major river systems where tourism pressure remains minimal.
Within the park's approximately 1.5 million hectares (5,885 square miles) — an area larger than the state of Connecticut — the variety of ecosystems is extraordinary: seasonally flooded savannas, gallery forest, cerrado, and montane plateau, each with distinct photographic character.