Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sleeping & Eating
Most people stay in the village of
Sajama
(4250m). Camping is fine just about anywhere
in this sparsely populated region, so a tent and a good cold-weather sleeping bag are re-
commended. You can also contact the
tourism office
(
513-5526;
tatasa-
jama@hotmail.com
;
SERNAP headquarters)
in Sajama village about
homestays
(per per-
son B$35-55)
with local families. There are numerous hotels in town, each serving break-
fast (B$16), lunch (B$20) and dinner (B$20).
Hostal Sajama $
(
7150-9185;
eliseosajama@hotmail.com
; southern entrance to Sajama village; r per
person B$70)
With traditional-style thatched-roof huts, firm beds, clean sheets and elec-
tric heaters (nice!), this is your best bet in town. The arched ceilings give a feeling of
openness to the otherwise tight rooms, with Andean textiles adding to the overall charm.
Even with the electric heat, you may wish to bring a sleeping bag. Meals are B$16 to
B$20.
LODGE
LODGE
Albergue Ecoturístico Tomarapi $$$
(
in La Paz 2-241-4753;
www.millenariantours.com/tours/eco-hostels
; s/d B$400/550)
Albergue Ecoturístico Tomarapi, on the northern border of the park, 12km beyond Sa-
jama, is an enticing community-run 35-bed ecolodge, which offers the area's most com-
fortable accommodations. It has been widely cited as an ideal model for community in-
volvement in tourism projects, with about 31 families from the nearby village of Caripe
working at the lodge on a rotational basis. Occupying a lovely thatched building, styled
along traditional local architectural lines, it boasts simple, comfortable rooms with private
baths and hot water and a very welcome log fire. It also offers excellent food, featuring
lots of alpaca meat. Rates include two meals per day. A two-day program from La Paz is
available for B$1020 per person, including three meals per day, private transportation, a
bilingual guide and visits to attractions in Sajama National Park.
Information
Park admission (B$30, for which you are also provided with a small map) is payable at
the Servicio Nacional de Areas Protegidas (SERNAP) headquarters in the sleepy Sajama
village, 18km north of the Arica-La Paz highway. The fee applies to all foreigners, in-
