Tunari National Park

Tunari protects the range that forms the northern wall of the Cochabamba valley, rising from the city's edge at 2,600 metres to the Cerro Tunari at 5,035 metres in a short horizontal distance, which makes it one of the most accessible high mountains in Bolivia: a road climbs into the park from the city, and the summit can be walked from the road head in a long day by anyone acclimatised. Below the peak are a chain of glacial lakes, polylepis woodland, which is among the highest-growing forest in the world, and puna grassland with condors overhead. The lower slopes have pine plantations and picnic areas used by the city at weekends. Cerro Tunari is climbed in numbers on the June solstice.

What you actually see

• Cerro Tunari - the 5,035-metre summit walkable from the road.
• Glacial lakes - the chain of waters below the peak.
• Polylepis woodland - high-altitude forest on the slopes.
• The valley below - Cochabamba spread out from the ridge.

When to go

April to October, the dry season, for the summit and the lakes; the wet months bring cloud, snow on the peak and difficult roads. Mornings are clearest before valley cloud rises.

Honest expectations

The summit is over five thousand metres and altitude is the limiting factor, not technical difficulty; acclimatisation in Cochabamba first is necessary. Weather changes fast. Robberies have been reported on the lower approaches, so going in a group is the usual advice. Facilities are minimal.

Nearby

Cochabamba lies below; Quillacollo is southwest.