Samaipata Bolivia Paradise in South America
Five reasons to visit this small town in the Santa Cruz Department
Aug 27, 2008
In the eastern Andes foothills, near Santa Cruz, Bolivia, the small paradise of Samaipata awaits travelers. Here are five items you must see, starting with your hotel.
Samaipata, nestled in the lower altitudes of the Andes, called "el codo de los Andes" is home to native townspeople, many weekend Bolivians and even expatriate Europeans. You can get to Samaipata from Santa Cruz by bus or taxi at very inexpensive prices. Once there, here are the five top attractions.
- El Pueblito Resort is probably one of the most enchanting locations you’ll find on any continent. Set on one of the highest peaks around town, El Pueblito offers quaint boutique style lodgings, a multitude of local animals, and a charming plaza. The owners, Sandra and Giovanni, welcome each guest with hospitality that is unmatched anywhere. Each room or “cabaña” is decorated in a different theme according to its place in the “village”. El Pueblito also boasts a full-service restaurant and gift shop, complete with items that are hand painted on the premises. With spectacular views of the surrounding area, hospitality, and charm, your visit to Samaipata begins at El Pueblito.
- The town of Samaipata itself, about five minutes from El Pueblito by car, is a charming South American small town – with its own pharmacies, shops, general stores, cafes, and bars. Once you’ve settled in at El Pueblito, be sure to go directly to town and take a walk through the plaza – it’s a small town version of some of the large plazas you find in big South American cities. Around the plaza you’ll find the shops and cafés, where you can sit outside and watch the world go by over a beer.
- Your trip will not be complete without a look around at the surrounding countryside and weekend homes, so why not check it all out from the back of a horse? La Vispera, one of the other resorts above the town of Samaipata, offers horseback riding, where you can ride very calm horses on well-known trails. Your guides are friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful if you're a first-time rider. At no more than a quick canter, you can check out more of the scenery and take in the pure mountain air.
- A visit to Samaipata also includes an impressive historical site, called El Fuerte. This site is an entire pre-Incan and Incan city that was populated until after the Spanish conquest of South America. The Amboró Tourist Service offers impressive tours of the site with knowledgeable guides. While there, you’ll see ornate carvings in the rocks and what was presumed to be a stadium, as well as prayer niches for the various classes of inhabitants at El Fuerte. You’ll tour the remains of citizens' houses, take a walk through the plaza, and see what was believed to be a large central public building. All around, you’ll find that new excavations are taking place. El Fuerte is definitely a site to see.
- The Amboró National Park, which is the area surrounding Samaipata, is the convergence of three separate areas of Bolivia: the “chaco” or arid plains, the Andes Mountains, and the Amazon basin, which creates separate microclimates. Inside these areas, you’ll find wet and dry forests, hiking trails, and some of the oldest ferns in the world, some estimated at more than a thousand years. For a fantastic hike as well as a trip in an open-air truck, check out The Roadrunners Tourist Service, located on Calle Bolivar in Samaipata. Your knowledgeable and experienced guides can create a hike to your liking – and you can learn about the flora and fauna of the area in Spanish, English, Dutch, or German.
Samaipata is an undiscovered paradise within Bolivia – it can be part of an overall tour of the country or it can be a vacation destination in itself. For more information, check out www.samaipata.com – and have a great trip.
The copyright of the article Samaipata Bolivia Paradise in South America in Bolivia Travel is owned by Chris Amisano. Permission to republish Samaipata Bolivia Paradise in South America in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
