Motorcycle trip: Wild West Bolivia

We will pick you up at the airport in Santa Cruz/Bolivia and drive to the town of Samaipata (120 km, 2.5 hours). In Samaipata, we will check into a comfortable hotel and use the rest of the day to relax and explore. If your flight arrives late, you will spend the night in Santa Cruz de la Sierra. In this case, the following day counts as Day 1.

We start with a briefing in which we learn more about safe driving, our route, the local traffic rules, and each other. To get used to the motorcycle, we ride to the archaeological site "El Fuerte." This ancient Inca city, built around a much older and largest stone sculpture in the Americas, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Some consider it an ancient alien landing field! The Wild West begins here!!

Early in the morning we set off and make a stop in Vallegrande to visit the hospital building where the revolutionary hero Ernesto Ché Guevara was shown to the world in 1967. After lunch, we continue to the tiny mountain village of La Higuera, where Ché was captured and executed. On the way, we can observe condors, the largest birds in the world. Before arriving at the hotel in La Higuera, we have the opportunity to make a small detour to a fantastic viewpoint. In the evening, we listen to Don Juan's stories from the time of the guerrilla war by the campfire in the courtyard of our hotel.

We leave Villa Serrano early in the morning to visit the Sunday market of Tarabuco. This is the only place in Bolivia where we can take photos of traditionally dressed Indigenous people without them turning away. After lunch, we continue on to Sucre, the capital of Bolivia. The rest of the afternoon and evening are free to explore this beautiful colonial city. The entire city center is painted white and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

We leave Sucre early in the morning. On smooth asphalt, we ascend towards the Altiplano (high plateau). We stop to visit an unusual monumental bridge and then continue to the mining town of Potosí, which is located at an altitude of 4,100 m and is considered the highest city in the world as well as a UNESCO World Heritage site. During the ascent, the guides give us instructions on how to deal with altitude sickness. In the afternoon, we visit the mining market, where you can buy everything from coca leaves to dynamite. Afterwards, we visit the mines and equipped, go into the "belly" of the Pajcha Mama (Mother Earth) to explore the 500-year-old, but still active silver mine. This is not suitable for people who do not like tight spaces or suffer from claustrophobia.

Driving through a breathtaking landscape, we pass by a spectacular gorge. On the way, we keep an eye out for vicuñas (camel species), emus, and thousands of llamas. We reach the small mining village of Pulacayo, where we visit the old train station, walk past the entrance of the mine, and can board the train cars. These cars are the same ones that the American bandits Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid took to Bolivia 110 years ago. The next stop is Uyuni, where we visit the "Train Graveyard," a fantastic collection of old railway machines from the 19th century, including at least a dozen steam locomotives. Perfect for photos.

The Salar de Uyuni is a dried-up salt lake as large as a small country (11,000 km²). Since the largest salt flat in the world has no references and there are only two colors (blue sky and white salt), there is a lack of perspective. Our brains get confused, and we can take the craziest photos. On the way, we visit the cactus island "Inca Huasi," the flag monument, the first salt hotel, and the Dakar monument.

In the morning we leave Uyuni on a new asphalt road. To our surprise, we find a huge espresso machine in a small village, where we have lunch. We hope to see a few emus along the way and visit some dinosaur tracks and a ghost town. Before we reach Tupiza, we drive through the Bolivian Monument Valley, where the notorious bandits Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid "operated" and were ultimately killed. Don't forget the hotel pool amidst all the spectacular rock formations!

As soon as we reach the gravel road, the landscape immediately changes to picturesque side roads with deep gorges. Since there is no infrastructure, a picnic is the only option for lunch. The drive to Tarija, the wine capital of Bolivia, remains varied. After the last mountain passage, a fantastic panorama opens up over the Tarija Valley. In the evening, we can expect an event dinner at the best restaurant in the city, the culinary highlight of this tour. Opportunity to visit Casa Dorada, Castillo Azul, and the paleontological museum (extinct mammals).

Winding mountain roads lead us from the gentle hills of Tarija to the dry Chaco region. The last part of this route is considered one of the most dangerous bus rides in the country. On the motorcycle, where we have control, it is much less risky. Photographers beware... and if you miss the section, no problem, we'll go over it again!

After all the gravel road stages, it's pleasant to feel asphalt under the tires again. Our route takes us through the gas production area of Bolivia. We take a detour to a monastery and cross an abandoned, very narrow railway bridge. An exciting ride, not for people with a fear of heights. In Abapo, there is only simple food, so there is a Bolivian barbecue dinner.

The road to Samaipata takes us along asphalt roads by the Grande and Piraí rivers and over the eastern Cordillera to Samaipata, our starting point. Just before lunch, we visit a final highlight: a very narrow suspension bridge… Be careful, it wobbles! In Samaipata, we leave the motorcycles behind and hurriedly jump into the hotel pool.

Late in the morning, we set off for Santa Cruz, where we can relax, stroll around the plaza, and shop for souvenirs. In the evening, we have a farewell dinner.

A always sad moment when we say goodbye. But who knows? You wouldn't be the first to come back!!