Camino de la Muerte South — Yolosa to Unduavi via the South Yungas Death Road
600m drops. No barriers. No room for error.
Most people know the North Yungas Road — the downhill cyclist circus from La Cumbre to Yolosa. Fewer drive the southern continuation from Yolosa back up toward Unduavi, which is the section that’ll actually test your nerve. The road cuts along vertical jungle-clad cliffs above the Rio Coroico valley, single-lane with sheer 600m drops on the outer edge, no barriers, and waterfalls dumping directly onto the track. Passing oncoming traffic here involves one vehicle reversing to a turnout — on a crumbling ledge above cloud forest canopy. The surface is wet cobble and saturated clay almost year-round. Yolosa sits at 1,100m; Unduavi tops out around 3,400m, so the climb through the cloud forest is dramatic and relentless.
This is an expert-level technical drive. Minimum requirement is a capable high-clearance 4WD with lockers — a Land Cruiser 70 or equivalent. Tyres need grip, not speed rating. The road is technically open but locals and trucks still use it daily, so you’re sharing with loaded semi-trucks. No permits, but check road conditions at Yolosa before committing uphill — landslides close sections without warning during the wet season (November to March). Dry season, May through September, is your window. Cell service drops to nothing past the first kilometre out of Yolosa. Carry your own food and water.
Trail Specs
| Difficulty | Expert |
|---|---|
| Trail Type | Backcountry, Technical 4x4 |
| Surface | Dirt, Mixed, Rock |
| Features | High Altitude, Historic, Remote, Scenic |
| Length (miles) | 38 mi / 61 km |
| Duration | 1 day |
| Max elevation (ft) | 11155 ft |
| Best season | May-September |
| Minimum vehicle | High-clearance 4WD with lockers |
| Nearest town | Coroico, La Paz |
| Land manager | Bolivian Road Administration (ABC) / Unidad Nacional de Carreteras |
| Permit required | No |
| Cell service | None |
| Water crossings | Yes |
| Dispersed camping | No |
| Official sources | Bolivia ABC Road Authority |
| Start coordinates | |
| End coordinates | |
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Location
Trail Conditions
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Frequently asked questions
What's the minimum rig I need for the Death Road South — will a stock Hilux or Land Cruiser 70 cut it?
Minimum is a high-clearance 4WD with locking differentials. A stock Hilux is marginal — the trail has loose dirt shelves, embedded rock, and sections barely wider than a single vehicle with nothing but air on one side. A Land Cruiser 70 or 79 with lockers is the floor, not the ceiling.
Is this trail passable in the wet season or should I avoid it outside May–September?
Avoid October through April. The wet season turns the dirt shelf into a greased skid with active rockfall and waterfall overflow directly onto the road surface. The cliff edge doesn't move — your traction does. People have died here in dry conditions; don't push it wet.
Do I need a permit to drive the Death Road South, and is there a fee?
There is no formal per-vehicle permit or entry fee to drive this section as of current information. The road falls under Bolivia's ABC road authority jurisdiction — check with them before your trip as regulations can change, especially for foreign-registered vehicles.
What's the hardest section and what exactly makes it so dangerous?
The most exposed sections sit on narrow dirt shelves — sometimes under 3 meters wide — cut directly into vertical cliff faces with 600-meter drop-offs and zero guardrails. The danger isn't technical rock crawling, it's consequence: one miscalculation at the edge and there's nothing stopping a full rollover into the canyon below.
Is there any cell service on the trail, and where's the nearest fuel stop?
There is no cell service on this trail — plan for full radio silence the entire run. Fuel up in La Paz or Unduavi before you start; there are no reliable fuel sources along the route, and the nearest town with services is Coroico, which is accessible from the end point.
Trail track
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