In the northwest of Franz Tamayo Province, the Marka Cololo Copacabana Antaquilla is located in the municipality of Pelechuco. It lies entirely within the Área Natural de Manejo Integrado Nacional Apolobamba; Franz Tamayo is in the Department of La Paz. When looking for a holiday rental, it helps to be specific about the location: Pelechuco is the point of reference for the Marka, while the municipality of Apolo, home to the Leco de Apolo people, has a different cultural and ecological focus within the province. This lets you choose accommodation in the part of the region that suits your travel interests.
Highland Landscapes in Apolobamba
The Marka covers about 40,000 hectares. Snow-capped peaks, glaciers, grasslands and inter-Andean valleys characterize the area. Grasslands, pajonales and scrubland predominate, along with numerous lagoons and bofedales. These provide a food source for wildlife and domesticated camelids. As well as highland features, the landscape includes lagoons and bofedales, which play an important role for wildlife.
The Marka contributes to the conservation of keñua forests and Andean fauna. The animal species mentioned include vicuñas, tarukas, foxes, Andean cats, condors, huallatas and flamingos. Together with the grasslands and glaciers, they make up a landscape in which open highland areas, forests and wildlife are equally important.
Ayllus and Cultural Influences
The Marka’s ayllus identify as Puquina-Colla Indigenous people and are strongly influenced by Kallawaya, Quechua and Aymara culture. They preserve ancestral traditions as well as ritual and ceremonial practices. Camelid herding and trade with the inter-Andean valleys are also part of their traditional way of life. Camelids have two specific roles here: they are domesticated animals for which lagoons and bofedales provide a food source, and they are part of the ayllus’ traditional herding practices.
The Área Natural de Manejo Integrado Nacional Apolobamba also overlaps with the Marka Cololo Copacabana de Antaquilla Indigenous Community Land. It consists of eight ayllus. In the Marka, the landscape of the protected area and the community’s cultural identity come together, without either being reducible to the other.
Apolo and the Leco de Apolo People
Another location within the province is the municipality of Apolo. The Leco de Apolo people are based there and comprise 17 communities. Their territory is home to the Palkachupa (Phibalura boliviana), an endemic species of the Apolo pampas. This part of the province is therefore associated both with the community and with a distinctive feature of the local wildlife.
About 348,000 hectares of the TCO Lecos de Apolo overlap with Madidi National Park and Natural Area of Integrated Management. These areas include both titled lands and areas undergoing land regularization. The approximate area refers to the overlap; it does not refer to the entire TCO.
Choose Accommodation Based on Location
When comparing holiday rentals, you can first decide which area interests you most: Pelechuco and the Marka, with its highland landscapes and ayllus, or Apolo, with the Leco de Apolo people and the Palkachupa’s habitat. Include the municipality in your search so that your chosen accommodation is in the part of the province that interests you. You can then compare options for your trip without conflating the different cultural and landscape themes into a single location.
Discover more destinations: Ucumari, Caranavi Province, Pacajes, Nor Yungas, Cercado, Larecaja, Omasuyos.
Back to the main travel overview: La Paz.
