Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ORGANIZED TOURS FROM TUPIZA
Tupiza's tour agencies all offer broadly similar guided excursions into the desert landscapes
around the town. Often referred to as a “triathlon”, they combine 4WD excursions, trekking,
horseriding and sometimes mountain biking (in the case of Valle Hermoso Tours). The
full-day tours usually cost around B$300/person depending on numbers, and half-day tours
are often offered for a little over half the price. You can also do longer but not terribly
rewarding trips to San Vicente , where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid are
thought to have died. These same agencies organize trips to the Reserva de Fauna Andina
Eduardo Avaroa and the Salar de Uyuni, usually as a four-day circuit in a jeep with three
to five passengers that should cost about B$1300/person, ending at the town of Uyuni
(though returning to Tupiza is usually possible). Reserve entrance fees (B$150), Fish Island
entrance fee (B$30) and use of showers (B$10) are payable as extras, as is the luxury of an
English-speaking guide. The advantage of doing the trip from Tupiza is that you hit the
highlight of the salt flats on the last day.
2
T 02 6943003, W tupizatours.com.
Valle Hermoso Tours Av Pedro Arraya, inside either
Valle Hermoso hostel T 02 6942592, W vallehermoso
tours.com.
TOUR OPERATORS
La Torre Tours Hotel La Torre T 02 6942633,
W latorretours-tupiza.com.
Tupiza Tours Av Chichas 187, inside the Hotel Mitru
private rooms. Hot water is gas powered, breakfast is
included, plus there's a sma ll roof ter race, free wi-fi and a
book exchange. Dorms B$40 , doubles B$90
Hostal Valle Hermoso 1 Av Pedro Arraya T 02 6943441.
Just up the road (towards the train station) from its sister
hostel, this is also a fine choice (though lacks the wood-
panelled charm). It's fresh and clean with a large TV room
and gas-powered showers, though breakfast is not
included. No private rooms available. The huge fig tree
climbi ng up through the central space is a pretty feature.
Dorms B$35
Pollo Al Spiedo Petra Av Chichas, near corner with
Avaroa. Sure it's a chicken place, but locals adore it and
owner Juan Thomas is a true gent. The window-side
tables give good views onto the town's comings and
goings - a good thing, because the decor is not much to
look at. Spit-roasted chicken and sides B$12. Mon-Sat
from 6pm.
Tú Pizza Southwest corner of the plaza. The pun's good
but the food is better and the surroundings are lovely
too, with high ceilings, warm and colourful decor, and
an ornament-filled old fireplace. Pizzas from B$20,
pasta from B$28. Dangerously cheap cocktails (B$12)
and pleasingly incongruous café turco (B$5.50) are on
offer too. Daily 7-10.30pm.
Urkupiña Just off the main square on C Chorolque. Pretty
spit-and-sawdust, but this is the local tip for good salteñas
(chicken or meat) from B$2. They also do a cheap almuerzo .
Mon-Sat 9am-noon.
EATING AND DRINKING
There's a limited choice of places to eat and drink in Tupiza.
As usual, the cheapest place for food is the market, on the
first floor of the corner of Calles Chichas and Florida. Local
specialities include asado de cordero (roast lamb), usually
served at weekends, and tamales stuffed with dehydrated
llama meat - the best are to be found outside the Mercado
Negro on Av Chichas.
Alamo Avaroa 203. A bizarre US-diner-style bar/restaurant
with walls covered in celebrity pictures. The food is cheap,
and served in large portions. Beer B$10. Daily from 5pm.
Il Bambino Florida, at Santa Cruz. Up an easily missed
flight of stairs (tall people should mind their head), this
lunchtime-only place offers good homely almuerzos which
include a salad bar and free juice. The ramshackle dining
room is enlivened by posters celebrating the local land-
scape and history. Mon-Sat noon-2pm.
Café del Sur Av Chichas Near the bus station, this is the
most stylish place in Tupiza by a long chalk, with half-
decent coffee, good cakes and desserts, plus sandwiches
and burgers.
TARIJA
In the far south of the country, the
isolated city of TARIJA is in many ways
a world apart from the rest of Bolivia.
Set in a broad, fertile valley at an altitude
of 1924m, Tarija is famous for its wine
production, and the valley's rich soils and
mild climate have historically attracted
large numbers of Andalucian farmers.
The surrounding countryside is beautiful,
particularly in the spring (Jan-April),
when the vineyards come to fruit and the
whole valley blooms.
 
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