Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The aguas termales
Daily 7am-9pm • Bs5
About ten minutes' walk east of town along the road to Curva and then down a steep path to
the valley floor are the
aguas termales
, natural hot springs channelled into an open-air con-
crete swimming pool that offer an excellent way to soothe tired muscles after a long trek.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE: CHARAZANI
By bus
Buses from La Paz (1-2 daily; 6-8hr) depart around 6am from Calle Reyes Cardona
in the cemetery district; they return from the plaza. From Escoma on the remote northeastern
shore of Lago Titicaca, a rough road heads north into the Cordillera Apolobamba, climbing
to over 4500m. After about 50km it forks, one branch heads north along the western edge of
the cordillera and the Peruvian frontier to Ulla Ulla and
Pelechuco
, the other drops down to
Charazani.
ACCOMMODATION
Hotel Akhamani
A block south of the plaza; no phone.
The best place to stay in town; the
clean rooms have shared bathrooms and there is a small private en-suite apartment with its
own k
itchen. S
taff c
an help organize mules and guides for the trek to Pelechuco. Apartment
Bs100
; doubles
Bs60
Curva
Sitting at 3780m,
CURVA
is the centre of
Kallawaya culture
and the starting or ending point
of the
Trans-Apolobamba Trek
.
Even if you're not planning to trek to Pelechuco, the walk up
to Curva is very rewarding: the valley is beautiful, its steep sides sculpted by ancient terraces,
and the path takes you through several Kallawaya farming villages.
Perched on a narrow ridge above the valley, with the snows of Akhamani, the sacred moun-
tain of the Kallawayas, rising above, Curva itself is a deeply traditional community and the
effective capital of Kallawaya culture. With thatched stone houses and cobbled streets it's
a picturesque village, but people here are quite wary of outsiders, and if you're staying the
night you're better off in Lagunillas.
