Bala Gorge, Bolivia
Encyclopedia
The Bala Gorge in Bolivia
is where the Beni River
breaks through the Bala Mountain Range (in Spanish 'Serranía del Bala') about 12 kilometres south of Rurrenabaque
. (The Beni River flows from south to north).
The Bala Gorge is in the Bolivian Amazon rainforest
and the west side of the Gorge is in the Madidi
National Park. The boundary of the Park follows the Bala Mountain Range towards the west and the Beni River towards the south. (The Park is south of the Mountain Range and west of the River).
A hydroelectric dam project in the Bala Gorge has been proposed (about the year 1998). It has been given up, but the idea has come up again in 2007.
"Bala" means "bullet" or "cannon ball". The landmark "Bala" is the ’shot hole’ in the Bala Mountain Range a little west of the Bala Gorge.
The most spectacular view of the Bala Gorge and the ’shot hole’ Bala landmark is from the north side, seen upstream from the Beni River, when passing the San Miguel del Bala Eco-Lodge, situated 3 kilometres north of the Bala Gorge.
In 1971-1972 D. Sommer and his wife, evangelical missionaries, lived in a house at the foot of the mountain south west of the Gorge, in one of the areas where an indigenous group called the Ese Ejja lived at that time. The missionaries built a house out of jungle materials, but had to move away due to health problems, and later the house was destroyed when the river flooded.
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
is where the Beni River
Beni River
The Beni River is a river in the north of Bolivia.It rises north of La Paz and flows northeast through the pampas. One of the tributary rivers is Tuichi River in the Madidi National Park. Tuichi River joins the Beni River upstream from the town Rurrenabaque. South of Rurrenabaque, Río Beni runs...
breaks through the Bala Mountain Range (in Spanish 'Serranía del Bala') about 12 kilometres south of Rurrenabaque
Rurrenabaque
Rurrenabaque is a small town in the North of Bolivia on the Beni River. It is the capital of Rurrenabaque Municipality. In recent years it has become popular with international tourism as it is an easy gateway for visits to Madidi National Park , as well as the surrounding pampas...
. (The Beni River flows from south to north).
The Bala Gorge is in the Bolivian Amazon rainforest
Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
and the west side of the Gorge is in the Madidi
Madidi
Madidi is a national park in the upper Amazon river basin in Bolivia. Established in 1995, it has an area of 18,958 square kilometres, and along with nearby protected areas Manuripi-Heath, Apolobamba, and the Manu Biosphere Reserve...
National Park. The boundary of the Park follows the Bala Mountain Range towards the west and the Beni River towards the south. (The Park is south of the Mountain Range and west of the River).
A hydroelectric dam project in the Bala Gorge has been proposed (about the year 1998). It has been given up, but the idea has come up again in 2007.
"Bala" means "bullet" or "cannon ball". The landmark "Bala" is the ’shot hole’ in the Bala Mountain Range a little west of the Bala Gorge.
The most spectacular view of the Bala Gorge and the ’shot hole’ Bala landmark is from the north side, seen upstream from the Beni River, when passing the San Miguel del Bala Eco-Lodge, situated 3 kilometres north of the Bala Gorge.
In 1971-1972 D. Sommer and his wife, evangelical missionaries, lived in a house at the foot of the mountain south west of the Gorge, in one of the areas where an indigenous group called the Ese Ejja lived at that time. The missionaries built a house out of jungle materials, but had to move away due to health problems, and later the house was destroyed when the river flooded.