A blue sky with immense "cotton-wool" clouds is the natural setting for the slow and stately flight of the king of the winged predators on the Andes heights: the Condor.

This is a magnificent, moving and memorable spectacle that one often sees in the cross-wind scenario of Ulla Ulla National Reserve, located in the Franz Tamayo province of the Department of La Paz.

In this area, the Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus), the biggest flying bird in the world, electrifies one not only with its prodigious size (it often stands at over one meter in height), but also with its agile and surprising aerial acrobatics, even more astonishing bearing in mind that each individual weighs more than eleven kilos.

Mostly a carrion eater, the Condor has no feathers on its head and neck. Its huge feet have clawless toes that won't let him carry its food as eagles and hawks do.

Within its vast craw, located at the base of its neck, it can effortlessly transport up to 4 kilos of food. Its muscular wings permit it to glide along the air currents in an amazing display that enthralls nature lovers.

A varied fauna

The main vegetation in this region is the herb pasture, explaining the presence of a great number of camelids such as llamas, alpacas and guanacos. Here one may also observe the largest population ofvicuas (Vicugna vicugna)in Bolivia.

Likewise, the visitor will find species such as the puma (Felis concolor), the taruca (Hippocamelus anticiencis), the Andean bear (Dusicyon culpaeus), the hullata (Chloephaga melanoptera), the deer (Odocoileus virginianus), among others.

Ulla Ulla National Reserve also offers a wide range of alternatives for eco-tourism and adventure sports: sport fishing, mountaineering and trekking, among others.

On the high Andes plains is found the Apolobamba Cordillera -whose altitude is 5,500 mts- giving this area a distinctive appearance. Geologists have identified three main areas in it.

The first consists of "shard-covered" flatlands; the second is the low areas facing the Cordillera; and the third one is a sedimentary area near the Suches River.

Ulla Ulla is located on an enormous high Andean plateau that may be considered part of the north "Altiplano". The climate here is cold and humid and the average altitude is 4,400 mts.


Local population and economic activities

In the Reserve there is a population of over 12,000, divided into 35 communities. The principal economic activity of this part of Bolivia is camelid (alpaca and llama) and sheep farming. The residents are ofAymaraethnic stock. They live in small communities on the plateau and keeps traditions of respect to the land that are thousands of years old.

Its wide plains, grazed by camelids, its colourful glacial lakes and its inspiring snowcapped peaks, like that of Katantika -that guard over 200,000 hectares- make Ulla Ulla National Reserve a place full of tradition, charm and beauty.