Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE: SAMAIPATA
By bus
Services to Vallegrande (3hr 30min) or Sucre (around 12hr) can be flagged down
on the main road opposite the petrol station. Those for Vallegrande pass through
11.30am-12.30pm and 3.30-4.30pm, and always stop for passengers; those for Sucre pass
through 6-7.30pm but are often full. You've a better chance of getting on one from Mairana,
16km west (a taxi costs around Bs50); alternatively, for a small fee one of the travel agencies
will buy you a ticket in advance from Santa Cruz. The quickest way to get to Cochabamba is
via Santa Cruz.
By micro
Micros from Santa Cruz (3hr) arrive and depart from the plaza, but trufis (2hr
30min-3hr) are quicker, more comfortable and only a little more expensive. Coming from
Santa Cruz, they stop at the plaza and can normally be persuaded to drop you at your hotel;
heading back, they leave when full from both the plaza and the petrol station.
By taxi
For trips around town and to surrounding attractions, taxis can be found at the office
on the plaza.
INFORMATION AND TOURS
TOURIST INFORMATION
The best places to go for information are the
tour agencies
. There's also a useful website:
EXCURSIONS FROM SAMAIPATA
There are numerous interesting places to explore around Samaipata. About 40km south of
town on the road towards the village of Postrer Valle, a path leads 6km or so to
La Pa-
jcha
, a beautiful triple-tiered waterfall that plunges 30m into a cool pool that is excellent
for swimming. There's no public transport, so you'll either have to come by taxi (around
Bs250 return with waiting time), or go on an organized trip. The nearby
Condor Hike
is
also best with a guide. It offers a fantastic opportunity to observe these gigantic birds with
wingspans of up to 3m at sometimes frighteningly close quarters. The hike takes roughly
five hours and it's about a two-and-a-half-hour drive (each way) to the start of the Condor
trail. Bus trips with local
tour operators
from Samaipata leave before 7am (Bs230-380/per-
son). About 20km east of Samaipata, a set of three waterfalls,
Cascadas las Cuevas
, is a
very accessible option for seeing a little more of the countryside when you're pushed for
time (a taxi costs about Bs70 return, with waiting time). You can swim in the pools, which
makes it very popular with local families.
TOUR AGENCIES
Samaipata's tour agencies make it easy to visit the surrounding area's less accessible attrac-
tions; most offer English-speaking guides. Prices vary according to the number of people go-
