Riberalta is located in the Amazon part of Bolivia. When I first arrived here, almost a month ago now, it was really different from what I had experienced before. One of the differences with France, where I come from, is food. Here is a little guide on how and what to eat.
Where to buy food?
In Riberalta there are no supermarkets or big stores to buy all of your product. You have to go to the different markets in the city or to the small stores. Next to the volunteer house is located “el Mercado San José”, with fruits, vegetables, bread and other basic products like rice, pasta or eggs. The “Mercado Central” is a bit further and you have to take a taxi, but it is bigger and there is more choice. Finally, you can also go to the “Mercado Abasto” which is also bigger and sells clothes on weekends.
Restaurants
There are many small restaurants in Riberalta, usually you can eat with a small budget (10 to 80bs). Most of them sell meat or fish with rice or fries. You can also find other type of food, like sushi, pizza, burgers etc. They often serve big portions, so it is possible to share a plate with someone else. A good thing to know is that at lunch restaurants are less expensive.
I still have to discover many places but at the time, my favourites are the Peruvian Restaurant, Bruno’s and el Tropical!
Street food
In Riberalta, many people are serving food on the street: chicken, burgers, empanadas or coxinha. I usually buy food in those places for dinner.
What about drinks?
Since we are in the Amazon, there are a lot of fruit juices to try in Riberalta, one of my ritual is going for an açai, a drink prepared with açai berry which is very good for the health.
