Bolivia’s sloths are masters of camouflage — hanging motionless from cecropia branches, green-tinged by the algae living in their fur, invisible until your guide points directly at them. When you finally see one, two metres above your head, the reaction is always the same: pure delight.
The Two Species
Bolivia has two sloth species with overlapping but distinct ranges:
Three-toed sloth (Bradypus variegatus) — the more common and widely distributed species. Found from lowland Amazon up to about 1,500 m. Distinctive round head, stubby tail, three curved claws. Spends almost all of its life in cecropia trees, which provide both food and habitat.
Two-toed sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni) — larger, with longer fur and two claws on the front limbs. Found in cloud forest from 500–2,500 m. More nocturnal, harder to spot.
Stop 1: Amboró National Park
The most accessible entry point into Bolivia’s sloth country. Amboró lies just 3 hours from Santa Cruz and spans an extraordinary elevation gradient from 300–3,000 m, encompassing lowland Amazon, yungas cloud forest, and high-altitude grassland — all in one park.
Certified guides from the Buena Vista ranger station achieve 80–90% sloth sighting rates. The mossy, epiphyte-draped cloud forest at 1,500–2,000 m is prime two-toed sloth habitat.
Stop 2: Madidi National Park
The most biodiverse park in the world covers 4.7 million acres from the Bolivian Andes down to the Amazon lowlands. Accessible from Rurrenabaque (45-minute flight from La Paz), Madidi offers the fullest jungle experience in Bolivia.
Chalalan Ecolodge (a UNESCO-recognised community-owned lodge operated by the Quechua-Tacana community since 1998) is the recommended base. Three-toed sloths are regularly seen in the cecropia groves near the lodge.
Stop 3: Carrasco National Park
Located between Cochabamba and the Chapare lowlands, Carrasco offers some of Bolivia’s most spectacular cloud forest terrain. The park is home to glass frogs, pygmy marmosets (one of the smallest primates in the world), and two-toed sloths in the 1,500–2,500 m belt.
Access is from Villa Tunari on the Cochabamba–Santa Cruz highway.
Stop 4: TIPNIS (Isiboro Sécure)
Bolivia’s most politically contested park — 1.2 million ha of pristine lowland Amazon — offers the deepest jungle experience but requires serious logistical preparation. TIPNIS is home to the largest concentrations of three-toed sloths in Bolivia, along with pink dolphins, giant river otters, and caimans.
Access from Trinidad (Beni department) by boat and on foot with Mojeño community guides.
For the guided multi-day sloth spotting itinerary across Bolivia’s cloud forests and Amazon lowlands, see the Sloth Wildlife Route.
Ethical Guidelines
- Never handle or touch a sloth — stress causes immune suppression
- Maintain at least 3 m distance; use binoculars or telephoto
- No flash photography
- Book certified guides registered with Bolivia’s Protected Areas Network (SERNAP)
- Do not support facilities that keep sloths as “selfie animals”
Key facts
- → Bolivia has two sloth species: three-toed (Bradypus variegatus) in lowland Amazon and two-toed (Choloepus hoffmanni) in cloud forests up to 2,500 m.
- → Sloths sleep 15–20 hours daily and travel a maximum of 125 m per day — the slowest metabolism of any mammal.
- → Certified guides achieve 80–90% sloth sighting success in Bolivian rainforests; unguided visitors find them less than 10% of the time.
- → Madidi National Park is considered one of the most biodiverse protected areas on Earth, covering 4.7 million acres from 180 m to 6,000 m altitude.
- → The cecropia tree (Cecropia sp.) is the primary indicator species — look for clumps of large pale-leaved trees to find three-toed sloths.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best park to see sloths in Bolivia? +
Amboró National Park (accessible from Santa Cruz) offers the highest sloth sighting rates with certified guides. Madidi via Rurrenabaque is more biodiverse but requires more planning. Carrasco is best for two-toed sloths in cloud forest.
When is the best time to see sloths in Bolivia? +
May to October (dry season) when trails are accessible and sloths are easier to spot in the bare-canopy transition areas. Look in the early morning and late afternoon, when sloths are most active (1–2 hours of movement per day).
