Tarija, Vineyard & Landscapes

Departure in the morning by private transport to reach San Lorenzo, this village is the birthplace of Colonel José Eustaquio Méndez "El moto", national hero who fought for the independence of Tarija. Discovery of his house and the church. Then road in the surrounding countryside, offering landscapes similar to "Provence", pine forest and scrubland. Arrival at Coimata, a very pretty place nestled in a valley, offering beautiful natural pools and refreshing waterfalls. Discovery of the lake of San Jacinto, holiday resort of the Tarijeños, the "Chapacos". From there, there is a splendid view of the Tarija Valley and the Sama Mountain Range which overlooks the valley. Lunch in a traditional restaurant and tasting of local specialties. The afternoon is dedicated to the discovery of the intoxicating beauty of the Tarija Valley Wine Route. At first, visit of the house "Campos de Solana", specialized in high altitude wines, then visit of the house "Casa Real", offering varieties of Singani, a Bolivian brandy. Finally, visit the bodega Casa Vieja, one of the first artisanal bodegas in the region. To end this beautiful day, we return to Tarija passing by the Angostura canyon.

Day dedicated to the Inca way. This region was populated in pre-Inca times by the Chichas people (Aymara tribes) who spoke a language called Kumsa. Arrived in the Cordillera de Sama, on the high plates. You will start the trail from a windy and bare pass, located at 3665 meters above sea level. The path is immediately rocky. There is a beautiful atmosphere. The view is clear over a green valley at the bottom, the Calderillas valley, which will be our first objective of the day. Little by little the temperatures are getting warmer. We make a stop to observe very old engravings on a rock. Then we continue the descent to the village of Calderillas. It is a very peaceful place. This small village is isolated. It is located on a platform at 3100 meters of altitude halfway between the Altiplano and the Tarija valley. It is possible to sleep in this small green village in order to cut the road in two and avoid the aches and pains of this frantic descent! After the village, we enter the bed of the brook to swing from one bank to the other. The path is always splendid and sometimes surrounded by queñuas forest. We will have to go up to a pass located at 2990m of altitude. The view over the Tarija valley is just splendid. The condors are flying above our heads. After a break, we start the last crazy descent to the village of Pinos, still on a splendid paved path that winds in zig zag. The heat then becomes very strong. The vegetation and the landscapes are very similar to French Provence. The arrival at the edge of the stream in the village of Pinos is very refreshing. We arrive at an altitude of 2220 meters after having descended more than 1600 meters of cumulated height difference! A splendid day awaits you!

Several excursions are possible on the plates overlooking the Tarija valley, the Sama reserve containing the beautiful Tajzara Lagoon. Hiking in the middle of the sand dunes and lagoons, home to different species of birds and flamingos. Visit of rock paintings and pre-Inca ruins. Walk in a forest of Queñuas.