Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TARIJA'S WINES
The first vines in the region were planted by Franciscan monks, who found the
soil
and
climate
of the Tarija valley ideal for producing wine. During the colonial era Tarija pro-
duced much of the wine consumed in Potosí, as well as large quantities of
singani
, a
fierce, roughly40°proof,white-grape brandythatisextremely popularthroughoutBolivia.
Today, Tarija's expanding wine industry produces well over two million litres of wine a
year. Wine consumption within Bolivia is growing, and production techniques in the main
bodegas have been modernized, with quality improving all the time. The main obstacle to
further increases in production is the influx of contraband wine from Chile and Argentina,
which is much cheaper than Bolivian wine, as no duty is paid on it.
Concepción-Rugero bodega
Free • 04 6118008
Roughly 35km south of Tarija in the idyllic Valle La Concepción, which runs down into the
Tarija valley from the west, the
Concepción-Rugero
bodega is easier to visit independently
- and produces arguably the best wine in Bolivia. If you telephone in advance to make an
appointment, staff are usually happy to show you around, though visits may not be possible
during busy periods of the harvest.
Tomatitas
About 5km north of Tarija, the village of
TOMATITAS
is a popular weekend getaway for
Tarijeños, who come here to swim in the natural river pools during the warmer, wetter sum-
mer months from November to April. You can also picnic in the fragrant eucalyptus woods
beside the river, or eat in one of the village's many inexpensive
restaurants
, where you can
sample traditional local specialities like
chicharron
(deep-fried pork) and
cangrejitos
(soft-
shelled freshwater crabs).
San Lorenzo
Museum
Daily 9am-noon & 2.30-6pm • Free
Ten kilometres north of Tomatitas, the peaceful farming village of
SAN LORENZO
has
many colonial buildings including, on the corner of the plaza, the former home of the one-
handed independence guerrilla hero,
Eustaquio “Moto” Méndez
, which has been preserved
as a shrine-like museum. The leader of a guerrilla band that played a key role in the Battle
of La Tablada, which liberated Tarija from Spanish control in 1817, “Moto” Méndez is con-
sidered the consummate ideal of Tarijeño manhood. Inside, the colonial-era house has been
left much as it was when he lived there, complete with rustic furniture and agricultural tools.
