Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
farmland, where hummingbirds, condors and flocks of green parakeets are a frequent sight.
The low mountains surrounding Samaipata make for excellent hiking - just follow any of
the paths or tracks leading out of town. You can also access the Samaipata section of nearby
ACCOMMODATION AROUND SAMAIPATA
If the idea of having a base in the breathtaking
countryside
around Samaipata sounds
appealing, there are a couple of attractive options. In addition to those here,
Michael
Blendinger Tours
also has a wide range of cabins to rent across the region.
Gingers Paradise
No phone,
gingersparadise.lobopages.com
.
A working organic farm,
around 35km from Samaipata, where owners Cristobal and Sol offer hearty meals and a
host of activities, including handicraft sessions, horseriding, swimming in nearby rivers
and Quechua lessons. To find it, ask the bus driver to stop at Bermejo (about 76km from
Santa Cruz on the road to Samaipata), cross the hanging bridge a
nd wa
lk about 250m up
the path where you will see their multi-coloured house. Full board
Bs100
El Refugio Los Volcanes
03 3372042,
refugiovolcanes.net
.
Los Volcanes
is a pleas-
ant lodge situated about 75km along the road to Samaipata from Santa Cruz in a deep val-
ley with spectacular views of lush forests and sandstone cliffs. The comfortable double
rooms have private bathrooms and solar power. It's a great place for observing wildlife -
over two hundred bird species have been spotted from the lodge. Book in adv
ance directly
or via a Santa Cruz agency s
uch as Ruta V
erde. Full board including transport
Bs2240 ($320)
;
full board without transport
Bs1400 ($200)
El Fuerte
Daily 9am-5pm • Bs50
About 9km east of Samaipata, the archeological complex known as
EL FUERTE
is amongst
the most striking and enigmatic ancient sites in the Andes. At its centre lies a great sandstone
rock carved with a fantastic variety of
abstract and figurative designs
, including animals
and geometric shapes. The rock is surrounded by the remains of dozens of
Inca buildings
,
but the carvings predate Inca occupation of the region by over two thousand years. The site's
original indigenous name has been lost - the Spanish name El Fuerte, meaning “the fort”,
reveals more about the military obsession of the Spanish conquistadors than it does about the
primary purpose of the site, which was clearly religious and ceremonial.
Brief history
It's thought the first carvings at El Fuerte were made before 1000 BC by an ancient lowland
people who were perhaps driven from the region by the
Chiriguanos
- a collective name
given to those from the eastern Chaco. The Chiriguanos arrived here in force in the fifteenth
