.jpg) The
route has been designed to enjoy the most interesting attractions in the
Bolivian highlands, avoiding the crowds and following the most logical
route to link in the easiest and fastest way as possible the following
destinations: Sajama National park, Coipasa & Uyuni salt flats, Colorada
& Verde lagoons, Tupiza canyons and Potosi silver mines.
Sajama National Park
is the first protected area created in Bolivia, it host the highest Keñua
tree forest in the planet, geysers, hot springs and spectacular views
of the highest volcanoes in Bolivia.
Our route will take
you first to the Uyuni salt flats, originally called Tunupa salt flats
by locals before the foundation of Uyuni Town in 1889. This huge 150 km
width concentration of salt is one of the most impressive landscapes in
the world. Located at an altitude of 3,653m (11,981ft) and with very low
rain precipitation (100 to 325 mm per year), this is one of the driest
areas in the Bolivian territory, a very delicate and particular ecosystem.
It is true, surrealistic
places really exist!. Not only in Salvador Daly paintings or Stanley Kubrick
movies, they are in Bolivian deserts too. Imagine multicolored lakes:
deep purple with yellow beaches, emerald green with black rocky cliffs,
intense red and white Caribbean sandy flats; hundreds of metallic colored
volcanoes surrounding the valleys, cobalt blue sky, and then an infinite
white salt flats. There are more volcanoes per square kilometer in the
southern Bolivian highlands than anywhere else above the surface of the
planet, although disperse, a lot of them are concentrated in two areas
at the east and west sides of this desert.
Despite the arid terrain
and lack of water, the surrounding deserts have been cradle of several
old, native cultures. On the shores, there are many ancient ruins and
archaeological remains of the past. Today the most important ethnic groups
living in the area are the Urus, the Uruquellas, the Llipi, the Chipayas,
and the Aymaras.
There is no camping
in this trip and accommodation is the best available in each region but
nor necessarily the most expensive. In the region of Uyuni salt flats
and the Lipez desert, we use the Tayka hotels, otherwise we have selected
the most charismatic and charming *** hotels.
This trip is a shorter
version of the program 4WDESVAL which also
have set departure dates programmed in our calendar.
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Itinerary:
D1. Transport to Sajama
National Park. Tomarapi Lodge
D2. Transport to Uyuni salt flats. Salt hotel from Tayka Eco-Lodges.
D3. Transport to Quemez. Stone hotel from Tayka Eco-Lodges
D4. Transport to Ojo de Perdiz. Desert hotel from Tayca Eco-Lodges
D5. Transport to Colorada & Verde lagoons, and to Quetena village.
Basic hostel
D6. Transport to San Pablo. Basic hostel.
D7. Transport to Tupiza. Hotel Mitru
D8. Transport to Potosi. Hotel Santa Teresa
D9. Transport to La Paz |
Highlights:
- Full tour to Sajama
National Park, including: the highest Keñua tree forest in the
planet, geysers, hot springs and spectacular views of Sajama volcano.
- Great sightseeing
of Coipasa & Uyuni salt flats.
- 4WD journey through
the most popular attractions in the Bolivian Atacama desert, including:
stone tree, Colorada lagoon, Verde lagoon and the eastern highlands
towards Tupiza.
- Splendid views
of Tupiza canyons; last known location of Bush Casidy & Sundance
Kid.
- Visit of Potosi
city and its silver mines.
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| Day
1. Transport to Sajama National Park. Tomarapi Lodge |
Elevations
El Alto 4,100m (13,450f)
Tomarapi 4,260m (13,972f)
Timing
Driving: 4-5 Hrs
Meals
L,D |
A pleasant drive traversing
the flat highlands will take us to Sajama National Park to enjoy a great
landscape in this microclimatic high-altitude valley dotted by thousands
of Alpacas, Vicuñas and Llamas, and surrounded by the highest volcanoes
in Bolivia. Despite its height this protected land host a bizarre forest
of Keñua trees, some of them subsist up to 5100m or higher, according
to some scientists being the highest forest in the planet. There we will
experiencing the hospitability of the local Aymara indigenous that own Tomarapi
lodge where we will spend the night. On the way we will visit the church
of Curahuara de Carangas, considered the “sixteenth chapter”
of the Bolivian Andes because of its magnificent mural paintings. |
| Day
2. Transport to Uyuni salt flats. Salt hotel from Tayka Eco-Lodges. |
Elevations
Uyuni 3,665m (12,021f)
Timing
Driving: 8-10 Hrs
Meals
B,L,D |
After traversing a sandy
desert southern than Sajama, we will cross Coipasa; although smaller than
Uyuni this salt lake is really spectacular containing a huge volcano island
and a salty water lake in its center. Later we will enter to Uyuni salt
lake either by Llica town in the west of by Tauca in the north. Either way
we will be amazed of the size and expand of Uyuni salt lake, actually the
largest salt concentration in the planet. There we will stay in Tawa town
located in the northern shores; our hotel is built entirely with salt bricks.
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| Day
3. Transport to Quemez. Stone hotel from Tayka Eco-Lodges |
Elevations
Quemez 3,701m (12,139f)
Timing
Driving: 7-8 Hrs
Meals
B,L,D |
Today we will spend
almost all the day exploring and enjoying Uyuni salt lake. Along of the
way, we’ll enjoy the wild landscape that surrounds the salt lake with
its colored volcanoes. Once at the Uyuni Salt Flats, we will navigate over
the rock hard salt. In the midst of the Salar's blinding sea of white (take
sunglasses!) there exist several solid rock and earth islands each having
distinct flora and fauna. We reach “Fishback” island where we
will have lunch before heading south towards Quemez. There we will stay
in hotel made of rocks; very charming but a little cold inside. |
| Day
4. Transport to Ojo de Perdiz. Desert hotel from Tayca Eco-Lodges |
Elevations
Ojo de Perdiz 4,600m (15,088f)
Timing
Driving: 8-10 Hrs
Meals
B,L,D |
This morning we will
enter the provinces of Lipez, an area that was baptized by the National
Geographic as “The Andean Tibet” and one of the most spectacular
places in the Andes. The color-washed volcanoes, deserts, lagoons, bizarre
formations of petrified lava, Geysers, fumaroles and the wildlife are complementary
to the landscape’s immensity and the intense blue sky. After crossing
Chiguana salt lake, we will start climbing towards “Eduardo Avaroa”
National Reserve of Andean Fauna, on our way we will cross and spectacular
high-altitude desert dotted by colorful lagoons and flanked by numerous
impressive volcanoes. We will stay in a Lodge located in the middle of a
desert called “Ojo de Perdiz”. |
| Day
5. Transport to Colorada & Verde lagoons, and to Quetena village. Basic
hostel |
Elevations
Road pass 4,900m (16,072f)
Lag.Verde 4,650m (15,252f)
Quetena 3,900m (12,792f)
Timing
Driving: 8-10 Hrs
Meals
B,L,D |
On the way, we will
spend some time at the “Rock Ladies” (bizarre rock formations
that include the famous “stone tree”), and at shores of Colorada
Lagoon. Afterwards we will continue through colorful landscape making visits
to the “Sol de Mañana” (morning’s sun) Geysers,
the rocky monuments of “Dali Desert” and Laguna Verde (green
Lagoon). From this point we will change our route 180º and start heading
back north towards Quetena villate. There at the foot of Uturuncu volcano
(the only 6000er in the region) we will stay in a basic hostel. |
| Day
6. Transport to San Pablo. Basic hostel. |
Elevations
San Pablo 4,250m (13,940f)
Timing
Driving: 6-7 Hrs
Meals
B,L,D |
Back to the highlands
again but, this time we will not feel the altitude as on the first days
of the expedition. We are already acclimatized and can enjoy the return
to the high Andes. San Pablo is the capital of the province of Lipez but
do not expect too much. It is just a village of no more than 5 streets.
The hostel, the only accommodation in town, is again a very simple but clean
service. |
| Day
7. Transport to Tupiza. Hotel Mitru |
Elevations
Tupiza 2,950m (9,676f)
Timing
Driving: 7-8 Hrs
Meals
B,L |
TAs we get to “lower”
lands towards Tupiza we will have a different landscape the vegetation grows
up, the woods are not the typical cloud forests that lie at the eastern
side of the Andes, here is extremely dry and harsh. Tupiza is known because
it hosted, almost a hundred years ago, a couple of American villains: Butch
Cassidy and Sundance Kid. And in fact here we will feel being in the Wild
West while walking along the canyons and rocky formations around the valleys
of Tupiza. There are several natural “treasures” hidden into
these canyons that we will hike for several hours. As usual, we will be
at the best hotel in this sleepy town. |
| Day
8. Transport to Potosi. Hotel Santa Teresa |
Elevations
Potosi 3,880m (12,726f)
Timing
Driving: 8-10 Hrs
Meals
B,L |
The road to Potosi is
very interesting; first we will drive along of Tupiza canyons and later
on rolling hills with strange vegetation typical of really dry deserts,
with its mountains changing colors at every turn. On our way we will pass
by Atocha mine and arrive to Potosi just in time to enjoy the sunset from
the roof of a colonial church. There we will stay in the charming Santa
Teresa hotel. |
| Day
9. Transport to La Paz. |
Elevations
La Paz: 3,650m (11,972ft)
Timing
Driving: 7-8 Hrs
Meals
B,L |
The road to La Paz is
very interesting and all paved; first we will drive through microclimatic
agricultural valleys that surround Potosi city and then through rolling
with strange vegetation typical of really dry deserts. With the landscape
changing colors at every turn, we will arrive to the flat highlands and
pass by Oruro city before heading north toward La Paz.
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