Pierre Vernay,
going through an unexplored jungle area in 1973, discovered Santa
Rosa lake when descending the Tuichi river on a log raft.
A lake 1 kilometre
by 4 kilometres, with to the south a well carved mountain range that emerges
from the jungle, and to the north, another mountain range, the last vestiges
of the Andes on the edge of the Amazon plains.
After various
prospection trips, Tawa began its first expeditions in 1976 with young
walkers full of enthusiasm. We are sure that without their courage, adventurous
spirit and happiness, Tawa maybe would never have taken off.
To protect the
area, Tawa requested and was granted the area as a concession, but
only as a farm for agriculture and small animals, as the concept of
adventure tourism was not recognized by the Ministry in charge of
tourism at that time. This is the way Tawa created the Santa
Rosa Camp in 1978, as an agricultural centre (vanilla, coffee)
which receives travellers interested in getting to know the jungle,
its fauna and flora, its production, and also the workers, the same
people who take you to visit, with great pleasure, their everyday
environment. They are not professional guides but will show travellers
their world, shaped by former generations and by life in the jungle.
These people
and their culture are disappearing little by little. They will be there
for one or two generations more. This is the originality of the Santa
Rosa camp, the spirit of its beginnings which has remained intact, despite
difficulties, up until now.
At Santa Rosa
it is still possible, for some time more, to enjoy the last moments
of the jungle, where flora, fauna and men live and die in the same passionate
environment of life in freedom, wild freedom.
Since 1995,
Santa Rosa forms part of the Madidi National Park administered
by SERNAP. The camp offers about 20 beds for visitors. Rustic comfort
and healthy meals, all provided by experienced jungle staff.
Short treks
are available to observe the flora and fauna, and a visit to the coffee
plantation.
Longer treks
also start from the camp. They range from three to ten days, for all
levels of difficulty, with overnight camping out in the jungle, a real
initiation to life in the wild.
