Beni - City Information

Find Hotel reservations, tours, offers, attractions in Beni, Bolivia! Beni is one of the regions with the greatest biodiversity in the world, characterized by extensive forests, tropical climate, wide and winding rivers.

The Department of Beni is located in the Northeast of the Republic of Bolivia. To the North is the Department of Pando and the Republic of Brazil; to the South are the Departments of Cochabamba and Santa Cruz; to the East there is Brazil and Santa Cruz and to the West there is Pando and La Paz. It has a total extension of 213.654 Km2 and a total population of about 362.521 inhabitants.

Extension: 213.654 km2 .
Population: 276.174 habitants
Languages: Spanish.
Airport: "Jorge Herrich".

Characterized by extensive forests, tropical climate, wide and winding rivers, it is a region of spectacular nature.

Beni is one of the regions with the greatest biodiversity in the world, with an unequalled abundance of unique animal and plant species.

The Department of Beni offers a great deal of natural beauty and adventure to visitors. The capital of Beni is Trinidad, located at 236 meters above the sea level. Beni has several ecological and archaeological centers, which are tangible examples of the culture that existed prior to colonial times and is almost five thousand years old. Equally important are the magnificent temples of the Jesuit Missions which bear testimony of the colonial history of the country.

The capital of the Department is the city of Trinidad. The Department of Beni has 8 provinces and 48 cantons.

The Pre-Hispanic Hills, also identified as the hills of the Amazon culture, are located in the surrounding areas of Trinidad. Every step through these hills is a step into new horizons of extraordinary natural beauty and history. Aside from its natural attractions, Beni also has archaeological zones of great importance and native groups of people that inhabit this land.

Various peoples have lived in this region, but the most prominent was the culture of Moxos (1000 BC), located in the Lomas de Moxos. It is a wet plain with high levels of precipitation. This induced the ancient inhabitants to construct their cities and ceremonial centers on artificial hills that conserve important archeological finds from that time.

Their complex system of hydraulics included the construction of dams, canals for drainage as wells as artificial lagoons that were permamnent reserves of water for irrigation.

The colonies of Moxos (today Beni) where founded tough the spiritual conquest of the aborigines, held by the Jesuits priests from Spain. The Mission gave origin to many towns that still remain in the region. The most important where: Loreto, Santisima Trinidad (today the capital city of El Beni), San Javier, San Pedro, Santa Ana, Exaltacion, San Ignacio, San Borja, Reyes, Magdalena, Concepcion, San Simon, San Joaquin ans San Nicolas.

In the year of 1767, the jesuits where expelled from the territory of Moxos by order of the Spaniard Reign. The priests where haunted and killed.

The native chief Ignacio Muiba organized a revolution for independence and is remembered as the regional native hero.

El Beni has a tropical and humid weather, with rainy seasons around the months of September and February. Sometimes there is a temperature drop known as a "Surazo", that bring cold wilds from south and lasts for a couple of days.

By bus

Regular services from La Paz, Santa Cruz and San Ignacio. Also from Guajaramirin and Marques in Brasil.

By plane

From the principal cities of the country through conneccions via La Paz or Santa Cruz.

By ferry

The ferry allows the transportation between La Paz, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz departments and ports in Brazil.

 

Festivals:

Fiesta de la Santisima Trinidad: May - June
Aniversario de Magdalena: 22nd July
Fiesta del Santo Patrono de Moxos: 2nd August
Fiesta de los Mosetenes: 20th August

Gastronomy:

Keperi beniano: It is prepared with meat, lemon juice, pepper, cumin, salt and water.

Masako: Half ripe banana, dry meat, cheese and deep fried pork.

Surubi al horno (Baked Surubi): Plate made of surubi (fish of the region), fried yucca, rice, lettuce and tomato salad.

Pacu Frito (Fried Pacu): Dish prepared with pacu (fish of the region), fried yucca, lettuce and tomato salad.

Caldo de Bagre (Bagre soup): Dish prepared with bagre (fish of the region), rice and green banana.

Chive: Flour of toasted yucca.

Pan de arroz (Rice bread): Food elaborated with rice flour, grounded yucca and cheese.

Chorizo beniano (Beni sausage): Sausage made of grinded pork and cow meat, bacon, onion aribibi (local condiment) viniegra, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper.

Tortilla de Huevo de Peta (Turtle egg tortilla): Made of beaten egg of peta (turtle) with chopped onion, wheat flour, cumin, pepper and salt.

Sarapate de Peta: Made of turtle meat, green bananas, chopped onion, vegetable oil, chopped basil, salt, pepper and coloring.

Payuje: Its main ingredients are milk and grounded banana.

Empanada de maiz (Corn patty): Made of with corn flour, cheese and shortening.

Sopa de Piranas (Pirana soup): Made of pirana meat, onion, green pepper, tomato sauce, chilli, dry oregano, garlic, white wine, salt and pepper.