16°17′25″S 67°49′38″W / 16.290253°S 67.827126°W
The Yungas Road, popularly known as The Death Road, is a 64-kilometre (40 mi) long cycle route linking the city of La Paz with the Yungas region of Bolivia. It was conceived in the 1930's by the Bolivian government to connect the main city of La Paz with parts of the Amazon forest in the north part of the country. Large parts of it were built by Paraguayan prisoners during the Chaco War. Several sections of the road are less than 3 meters or 10 feet wide, and due to presence of rain, fog, landslides, cascades, steep slopes and cliffs that drop more than 2000 feet or 610 meters, it is largely considered the most dangerous road in the world.[1][2][3] Since 1994, nearly 300 drivers and passengers are reported to have died there annually.
Unlike in the rest of the country, The Yungas Road is a left-hand traffic road, which allowed drivers to better gauge the distance between their vehicles and the edge of the road.[4] It has since been replaced by a newer, two-lane asphalt road featuring guardrails and drainage systems.[5]
Known for its extreme danger with 3,500 metres (11,500 ft) of descent, the Death Road draws about 25,000 tourists per year and has become a popular destination for adventure tourism, particularly mountain biking.[6][7] At least 18 cyclists have died on the road since 1998.[8]