A Jungle Oasis—Fabian Villa Tunari is the right place to start an adventure. With Rio Espíritu Santo on one side and the Rio San Mateo on the other, this small town in the middle of the jungle gives the impression of a small island. An island in the middle of the road between Santa Cruz de la Sierra and Cochabamba, some of Bolivia's largest cities. I knew nothing about the area when I first traveled to Villa Tunari in 2019 to run a workshop for the international rafting federation, training raft guides and safety kayakers for my friend Ale Cruz. He discovered this place surrounded by rivers, with two small rafting companies, almost by accident.
Ale and I were curious to know how rafting began in this town. The story we heard credits a Bolivian American named Lucho, who moved to the area, bringing equipment, rafts, paddles, kayaks, etc., in the late '90s. I was intrigued, by the town, with its vibrant markets and delicious foods and stews, and by the surrounding rivers. I returned to Bolivia in February 2022, accompanied by Diego Budeguer, Leo Marsinkevicius, Juan Manuel Arquez, and Gino Vincenti, hoping to paddle the upper parts and tributaries of the Espiritu Santo and San Mateo rivers. We managed the first descents of the San Jose Uno and Campo Azul, San Jose Upper Hydro Powerstation, and some of the upper parts of the Bolivar River. There were the classic day runs, Campo Via, Cristal Mayu, and the rafting section of Espiritu Santo and
