Sajama National Park

Nevado Sajama is a snow-capped volcanic cone reaching 6,542 metres, the highest point in Bolivia, and the national park around it was the country's first, declared in 1939. The slopes carry queñua woodland, Polylepis trees growing above 4,800 metres, the highest forest in the world - no other tree species is recorded growing this high - gnarled and papery-barked in a landscape where nothing else stands. Vicuña graze the plain, flamingos work the shallow lakes, and hot springs bubble up in the open with pools you can sit in while looking at the mountain. The village of Sajama runs the accommodation as a community enterprise, and the geyser field at the park's edge steams at dawn in the cold.

History

The area was declared a nature reserve in 1939 to protect the queñoa trees growing on its slopes, which at the time were being cut on a large scale for charcoal for the Bolivian mines, and it is the oldest national park in the country. It spans elevations from 4,200 to 6,542 metres, around the snowy cone of the Sajama volcano and the Payachata volcanic group, and borders Lauca National Park in Chile (Wikipedia, Sajama National Park).

What's there

• Nevado Sajama - the country's highest peak, seen from the plain around it.
• Queñua woodland - Polylepis trees growing higher than any other forest on earth.
• The hot springs - open-air pools on the altiplano with a mountain view.
• Vicuña and flamingos - wildlife on the plain and the shallow lakes.

When to go

April to October, the dry season. Nights are extremely cold year-round at this altitude, dropping well below freezing. The mountain is often clear in the morning and clouds over by afternoon.

Good to know

The village sits above 4,200 metres and altitude affects almost everyone arriving from lower ground; acclimatise before coming. Accommodation is basic community lodging with limited heating, and nights are genuinely freezing. Climbing Sajama itself is a serious high-altitude mountaineering objective requiring a guide and equipment, not a trek. Facilities and food options are minimal.

Nearby

The Chilean border and Lauca National Park are adjacent; Oruro lies east.

Key facts