November 3, 2025
MAPIRI, BOLIVIA (November 3, 2025) – The Municipal Government of Mapiri today announced the creation of the Gran Paitití Municipal Park and Integrated Natural Management Area, a new protected area slightly larger than Singapore that will safeguard wildlife, clean water and sustainable livelihoods for local communities.
The protected area pays homage to the legend of Gran Paitití — a mythical Inca refuge said to be hidden on the slopes between the Andean highlands and the Amazon.
“For centuries, the legend of Gran Paitití has stirred imaginations — it’s a story we consider very much our own,” said Mapiri Municipal Secretary Milton Butrón Guerra. “In the past, there were major expeditions into that Incan territory. Now, as the municipal government, we will work to ensure this protected area is also safeguarded.”
Supported by Conservation International-Bolivia, the Andes Amazon Fund and Rainforest Trust, the new protected area is located on the eastern slopes of the Andes, where the mountains meet the Amazon River basin. Nearly half of this region remains ecologically intact. Its cloud-covered peaks and steep valleys supply fresh water to local communities — but its gold-rich soil makes it vulnerable to mining. Protecting this region signals a turning point: recognizing water, not gold, as the region’s true wealth.
“One of the main factors that motivated us to create this protected area has to do with the need to conserve all the water springs within our municipality, as well as in the agricultural areas,” Butrón Guerra said. “We want to make the Municipality of Mapiri a productive municipality once again.”
The area serves as a migration corridor for wildlife moving between the Amazon lowlands and the Andes highlands, and contributes to a much larger conservation mosaic that connects some of Bolivia’s most important protected areas, such as Madidi National Park and Cotapata National Park.
The new protected area provides habitat for nearly 30 amphibian species – including three critically endangered endemic frogs, Telmatobius verrucosus, Telmatobius bolivianus, and Allobates mcdiarmidi, as well as two endangered glass frogs: Nymphargus bejaranoi and Nymphargus pluvialis.
The forests also provide refuge for jaguar (Panthera onca), Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus), tapir (Tapirus terrestris) and giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus).
Conservation International–Bolivia, in partnership with the Bolivian Network of Community-Based Solidarity Tourism (Red TUSOCO) and with financial support from the Andes Amazon Fund and Rainforest Trust, guided the consultation process, prepared the technical and legal documentation, and coordinated local participation that made the new protected area possible.
“By protecting this area, Bolivia strengthens an entire conservation mosaic that stretches from the cloud forests of La Paz to the lowland Amazon, ensuring species like the jaguar and Andean bear can move freely across their habitats,” said Eduardo Forno, who leads Conservation International’s Bolivia office.
The area will be divided into two categories: Approximately two-thirds will be a municipal park, while the rest will be an Integrated Natural Management Area, establishing clear legal and institutional frameworks to safeguard wildlife and natural resources.
The designation creates opportunities to restore traditional farming and build a more sustainable economy. With its pre-Hispanic ruins and ancient pathways linking the Andes and Amazon, Mapiri is looking to develop ecotourism, with plans for guided hikes, wildlife viewing and birdwatching once routes and facilities are in place.
“With the enactment of this law, we reaffirm our commitment to conserving Mapiri’s natural resources,” said Mapiri Mayor Alfredo Apaza. “The protected area will allow us to safeguard our springs, flora and fauna, while also promoting sustainable tourism that showcases the natural and cultural wealth of our municipality.”
Gran Paitití highlights:
Area: 83,825 hectares (207,136 acres).The area will be 66.6% Municipal Park and 33.4% Integrated Natural Management Area
- Location: Mapiri municipality, Larecaja province, La Paz department
- Biodiversity: 103 plant species and 24 animal species classified as threatened by IUCN.
- Corridor connectivity: Strengthens links between Madidi, Apolobamba, Cotapata, Carrasco, TIPNIS, and municipal protected areas such as Guanay, Mayaya, and Alto Beni
- Communities: Supports water security and sustainable livelihoods for Mapiri’s population
Read more on Bolivia’s protected areas in Conservation International’s blog:
- In Bolivia, a 'conservation mosaic' gets another (big) piece
- How one South American country became a lab for conservation
- In Amazon, small towns are a force of nature
About Conservation International: Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, for biodiversity and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples and local communities to help people and nature thrive together. Go to Conservation.org for more, and follow our work on Conservation News, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.