The Road to Yungas: The Most Dangerous Road in the World
La Paz in Bolivia has the distinction of being the starting point to the world’s most dangerous road that ends in the region known as Yungas. This is a historical place in Bolivia with facilities built during the 1930s to keep prisoners from Paraguay. From La Paz which is known to be one of the world’s highest cities, the road climbs upward for 5 kilometers before plunging down on a steep descent to Yungas.
The Inter American Development Bank is responsible for dubbing it with its name, and for good reason. As you begin your descent, you will be gritting your teeth as there seems to be no road at all, just a thin sliver between gigantic walls. But the sliver of silver is not even the road but the Coroico Rivera that flows into the Amazon.
By world standards, it should be a one way road because it is only 3 meter wide yet trucks and buses manage to meet head to head and unfortunately, there have been accidents. There are no guard rails and hairpin sharp curves are common.
It is common to see drivers do the sign of the cross and say a prayer before traveling up and down this road. Some have even gone so far as to make beer offerings to the goddess Pachamama to deliver them safely to the other end.
Even more terrifying than the state and width of the 50 mile road is the speed that local drivers are famous for as if they were one fire or in desperate need to get to the other side while playing dodge car with whoever they meet. Since travel is done at all times of the day or night, the custom of local drivers is to chew on coca leaves to stay alert.
The rough estimate of the government is that around 200 to about 300 people die every year. There are bitter signs of where a bus plunged or where a car slipped into a ravine. According to the local officials, about one vehicle every fortnight falls off the mountain road; more if the rains come.
One last bit of information: there is no signal along the whole stretch of the road so this means no access to help should you happen to get involved in an accident and survive.
It is common to see drivers do the sign of the cross and say a prayer before traveling up and down this road. Some have even gone so far as to make beer offerings to the goddess Pachamama to deliver them safely to the other end.
Even more terrifying than the state and width of the 50 mile road is the speed that local drivers are famous for as if they were one fire or in desperate need to get to the other side while playing dodge car with whoever they meet. Since travel is done at all times of the day or night, the custom of local drivers is to chew on coca leaves to stay alert.
The rough estimate of the government is that around 200 to about 300 people die every year. There are bitter signs of where a bus plunged or where a car slipped into a ravine. According to the local officials, about one vehicle every fortnight falls off the mountain road; more if the rains come.
One last bit of information: there is no signal along the whole stretch of the road so this means no access to help should you happen to get involved in an accident and survive.
