Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Vallegrande
3 / POP 16,850 / ELEV 2100M (6890FT)
Vallegrande's claim to fame is that it was the spot where Che Guevara's emaciated corpse
was exhibited before its burial, and it is the main base for the
Che Trail
, a community-
based tourism project. Che's final movements are followed on the trail on foot, mule, bi-
cycle and boat, with rustic accommodations available at encampments and with local fam-
ilies.
Most visitors to the town are passing through on a Che pilgrimage, but Vallegrande is
also a nice spot to relax and walk in the hills. It's a quiet little town set in the Andean foot-
hills and enjoys a lovely temperate climate.
Sights
Museo Ruta del Che & Museo Arqueólogico
(admission B$10; 8am-noon & 2-6pm Mon-Sun)
On the 2nd floor is a photo-docu-
mentary of events leading up to the capture of Che, featuring objects and artefacts that be-
longed to the guerrilla group. A small archaeological museum, mainly of ceramics, is on
the ground floor.
MUSEUM
Hospital Señor de la Malta
After Che Guevara's execution in La Higuera, south of Vallegrande, his body was brought
to the now-dilapidated hospital laundry here. The hospital still functions, but the laundry
itself has now been cordoned off as a pilgrimage site, where graffiti pays homage to this
controversial figure. To get here, head one block south of the plaza along Escalante, and
then five blocks east along Malta.
LANDMARK
El Mausoleo del Che
In 1997, nearly 30 years after Che's death, one of the soldiers who carried out the burial
revealed that his body lay beneath Vallegrande's airstrip. The Bolivian and Cuban govern-
ments called for his exhumation and Che was officially reburied in Santa Clara, Cuba, on
October 17, 1997. The spot where he was originally buried is marked by a mausoleum ad-
orned with the typical smiling image of Che that beams out across the valley. The interior
can only be visited by guided tour, but the building is clearly visible from the bus station.
MUSEUM
