Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WINE IN THE TARIJA VALLEY
There are some worthwhile excursions close to Tarija in the warm and fertile Tarija valley,
which is notable as Bolivia's prime
wine-producing region
. A visit to one of the nearby
bodegas
(wineries) to see how the wines are produced (and sample a few glasses at source)
makes an excellent half-day excursion from the city. Generally, you can only visit the closest
bodegas
on an organized trip with a Tarija-based agency, but this can cost between B$100-200
per person depending on the size of the party. However, you can independently visit the
lovely
Casa Vieja
bodega
, about 25km from Tarija.
Micros
marked “v” leave from the corner
of Campero and Corrado every half-hour or so (B$4) and will drop you off in the village of
Concepción, from where it's a ten-minute walk from the plaza to the
bodega
- ask the driver
or anyone in the village for directions. You can taste the wine, wander around the pretty
vineyards and eat lunch in the restaurant.
2
Hostal Miraflores
Sucre 920
T
04 6643355,
T
04 664
4976. Converted colonial house with a sunny central
courtyard and helpful and e
cient staff. Choose between
comfortable (and significantly more expensive) rooms
with cable TV, private bath and breakfast, or
small,
spartan
and much cheaper rooms without. Doubles
B$170
Residencial El Rosario
Ingavi 777
T
04 6643942.
Friendly, sparkling clean and quiet hostel featuring small
but decent rooms with comfortable b
eds. T
he gas-
powered showers are reliably hot. Doubles
B$180
Hostal Segovia
Angel Calabi, right by the bus terminal
T
04 6632965. Friendly hostel with clean rooms, with or
without bath and all with cable
TV, conv
eniently located
right by the bus terminal. Doubles
B$120
worth treating yourself to the delicious food, including
steak, served in a lovely, atmospheric restaurant with
seating outside on the plaza. Daily 8am-10pm.
XOXO
Plaza Sucre. Tarija's see-and-be-seen venue, with
walls utterly plastered in Americana and a menu that
features a suitably respectable burger. Mains from B$30.
Live music, strong wi-fi and drinks promotions seal the
deal. Daily 8am-11pm.
DIRECTORY
Banks and exchange
The Banco Nacional de Bolivia,
opposite the
Hotel Gran Tarija
on Sucre, changes cash
and travellers' cheques and has an ATM that takes Visa
and MasterCard. There are several other ATMs in town,
including one at the Banco de Santa Cruz on Trigo, at Lema.
Cinema
Virgina Lema 126 (corner of Plaza Sucre).
Immigration
Ingavi 789, at Ballivián. Mon-Fri 8.30am-
12.30pm & 2.30-6.30pm.
Internet access
There are plenty of places around; try
Consultel on
Plaza Sucre (B$3/hr).
Post o
ce
Correo Central on Lema, between Sucre and
Tr i g o.
Telephone centres
ENTEL is on Lema, at Daniel Campos.
EATING AND DRINKING
Nowhere is Tarija's strong Argentine influence more evident
than in its restaurants. Good-quality grilled beef features
strongly, ideally accompanied by a glass of local wine, while
Tarijeños
are also justly proud of their distinctive traditional
cuisine of meat dishes cooked in delicious spicy sauces - try
ranga-ranga
,
saice
or
chancao de pollo
.
Café Mokka
Plaza Sucre. Come for the coffee and cakes
(the latter better than the former), though they also offer
salads, pizza and burgers, with mains from B$22. Wi-fi
available. Mon-Sat 10am-11pm.
Chingos
Plaza Sucre. A local favourite, their steaks
(served with a heap of chips and salad) are cheaper than
other restaurants in town, albeit not the finest quality.
Mains from B$40. They also do takeaways (
T
02 6632222).
Daily 11am-10pm.
El Fogón del Gringo
C La Madrid, off Plaza Uriondo (five
blocks west of the cathedral). In culinary terms, this is the
closest you'll get to Argentina without crossing the border
- come for the steaks (upwards of B$55 depending on size
and cut) and wines. You can graze at the free salad bar
while you wait. Daily 6-11pm.
Taverna Gattopardo
Plaza Luis de Fuentes. It may have
gringo prices (with most mains upwards of B$40), but it's
The central
valleys
East of the Altiplano, the Andes march
gradually down towards the eastern
lowlands in a series of rugged mountain
ranges, scarred with long, narrow valleys
and blessed with rich alluvial soils. Both
in climate and altitude, the
Central
Valleys
are midway between the cold
of the Altiplano and the tropical heat of
the lowlands.
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