Chulumani

Chulumani sits at around 1,700 metres in the Sud Yungas, the southern half of the subtropical belt below the Cordillera Real, and it is the working centre of a coca-growing district: the terraces climb the slopes around the town in narrow steps, the leaves are dried on tarpaulins in the streets and yards, and the market handles the trade. It receives far fewer visitors than Coroico across the valleys, which makes it the place to see the Yungas as a working landscape rather than a resort. Around the town are walks to waterfalls and villages, the Apa Apa private forest reserve preserving a patch of original Yungas cloud forest, and a strong Afro-Bolivian and Aymara cultural presence with its own music and festivals.

What you actually see

• Coca terraces - narrow steps of cultivation up the surrounding slopes.
• Leaf drying - tarpaulins of coca spread in yards and streets.
• Apa Apa reserve - a surviving patch of original Yungas forest.
• A working town - the Yungas without the tourism of Coroico.

When to go

May to September for the roads and the walking; the wet season brings landslides and closures. Festivals in the district, particularly around November, bring music and dancing.

Honest expectations

Coca is the local economy and is grown and traded openly and legally here for traditional use; visitors uncomfortable with that should know it in advance. Roads are prone to landslides. Facilities are basic and English is rare. Insects are present at this altitude.

Nearby

Coroico lies north across the valleys; La Paz is west.