Worldwide Walkies

Tag: South America

  • Essential Guide to the Condoriri Trek | 5 Day Trek [2025/2026]

    Essential Guide to the Condoriri Trek | 5 Day Trek [2025/2026]

    Hiking in Bolivia is… chaotic. It’s not an activity that’s popular amongst locals, and travel agents aren’t very forthcoming with information on how to navigate tracks unless you pay them for a guide. Trails aren’t marked, the paths that you may find are probably made by cattle, and will probably disappear after five minutes. People and their livestock live everywhere in the mountains, so you’ll likely be walking on someone’s land (even though they may not be nearby to care). It’s certainly not a hiking experience of isolation and peace, but there is still a lot to be enjoyed and incredible beauty to experience.

    Since we’d arrived in Bolivia, we’d chickened out of multi-day hikes in both Sucre and Cochabamba, but La Paz is perched on the edge of the major heights of the Andes, and we were set on our first foray into high altitude hiking. We’ve had a taste of altitude sickness before, in Ecuador in 2022 where we took a tour up to Cotopaxi base camp (4900m). It was only a day, we didn’t even summit, but we’ve experienced the nausea and lack of focus that altitude can cause. We thought we knew what to look out for, but the Condoriri means five days of walking, eating and sleeping up high – the lowest point is right at the start at around 4400m, but you never sleep lower than 4600m, and the high point at Pico Austria is 5300m. It’s only 43km, but we’d read other blogs & AllTrails reviews saying to do it over 5 days – which seems ridiculous! But it is completely reasonable. We’d spent four days in La Paz acclimatizing, but nothing really prepares you for sleeping at 4600m four nights in a row. Every day was a struggle – sleeping was freezing – the trail was fairly non-existent on the first two days – and we both got mild altitude sickness.

    For anyone else who’s trekking for the first time at altitude – or for the people who’ve done it and want to relive their first experiences – we think the key aspect to monitor at altitude is a lack of appetite. It’s easy to identify acute altitude sickness. If you’ve got serious nausea and certainly if you’re vomiting, get out of there. Dizziness, headaches, are normal for mild sickness – but the lack of appetite is the absolute kicker. The effect is twofold: not eating means you won’t have enough energy to tackle the remaining hiking. It also means you aren’t reducing your pack weight like you planned, so you’ll just lug around (already feeling drained) an extra few kgs until the end of the trek. To be fair, stuffing yourself doesn’t really work, because it brings on the nausea (worse). A shitty solution is having foods that are more bland – anything that’s easy to consume without thinking too hard.

    Don’t let the warnings put you off. We seriously think hiking at altitude is some of the best. It’s an incredible challenge that is so satisfying to finish – hitting heights that you haven’t before, pushing through lower oxygen and steeper hills. And of course, being in the mountains – walking under snow-capped peaks, past massive mirrors that are glacial lakes, and amongst rocky outcrops and alpine grasses is all part of the beauty of the landscape.

    Note: AllTrails does have reasonable trail descriptions in Bolivia, so you can use this alongside WikiLoc to gather more up to date information.

    Keep it Short & Sweet:

    Description: A high altitude three or five day hut-to-hut (with prior booking only) trek between glacial lakes and under the peaks of the Andes. The glaciers have mostly melted, so the lakes have been dammed for preservation. Unfortunately, this means there is a lot of debris from construction along the hike, and you’ll see many hamlets and sections which are connected by road. The trek is part of a greater trail that runs along the sub-range between Illampu and Illmani, and can be linked up with a summit of Huayna Potosi, if you have time to acclimatise.

    Climate: Drier, clearer skies in winter (April – October), wetter and warmer in summer (November – March). Alpine walking (above 4000m), therefore very changeable weather. Cool during the day, fairly cold at night.

    Total Distance: 43km

    Elevation: Highest point 5300m at Pico Austria (slight detour), otherwise ~4400m – 5100m

    Costs: On day 3, before ascending Pico Austria, you need to pay if the collector arrives before you leave (this is the starting point for many day hikes). May need to pay fees to camp on other nights if there are shepherds/land owners around (very variable, we didn’t encounter anyone on night 1 or 2). If using refugios, fees vary.

    Track: Non-technical, except for some of the rock scrambling around Pico Austria. Unmarked and inconsistent track. GPS essential. Some places require very steep ascents to make up ground if you lose the track. Many animal tracks make the path confusing. Each ‘campsite’ is at a hamlet of some description, so you’ll always be around some evidence of humanity.

    Facilities: Hand-pour flushing toilets at the refugios (the refugios & toilets may be locked – see below).High altitude makes ascending more difficult than usual.

    Notes: Always carry small change on these types of treks. If anyone wants to charge you they will not (or, they will say they do not) have change. Be mindful of your body with the altitude at all times. While a guide is absolutely unnecessary on this track, get in touch with an agency to help you book the refugios (or at least open the toilets for you if you’re happy to camp).

    Getting there: Taxi to the north side of the Cemeterio General; take the bus going towards Cochabamba (20BOL pp); disembark at Palcoco (~1 hour); take a taxi to the trailhead (150BOL to Condoriri (2N 3D), ~300BOL to Laguna Karakota (4N 5D) (~1 hour for either)

    Day 1: Laguna Karakota – Laguna Ajwani (10km). After arriving (probably around mid-morning), at the end of Laguna Karakota, ascend with the ridgeline. The path is not clear – pick your own way. At some point a path should appear and will turn eastward after about 3km, around the curve of the hill. The path continues into a bowl between the mountains, before reaching a high point and descending into the neighbouring valley. There is a road and a small settlement. Cross the stream at an appropriate place and then ascend steeply up the opposite side until about 4500m, then follow the elevation. The trail should eventually turn to the right, alongside a small stream. You may need to pass across a fence to reach a few deserted buildings and a dam. There was a number on the outside of a dorm room here: 71268235, but it and the bathrooms were locked.

    Day 2: Laguna Ajwani – Laguna Juri Khota (8.3km). This day is more marching through a combination of dry alpine grass, across gravelly tops, and also through boggy wetland. The elevation is similar – ascend to start, drop down into the neighbouring valley, cross the stream, and head up the opposite side to the next laguna and your dam and campsite. This one had an unlocked toilet, a big locked new dorm, and some old concrete dorms which were unlocked. There was no contact number, but someone came the next morning to charge us for the Pico Austria walk.

    Day 3: Laguna Juri Khota – Laguna Chiar Khota (6.1km+1.3km to Pico Austria). While the distance is small, do not underestimate this day. The highpoint of the trail is 5100m, but Pico Austria is at 5300m, and walking gets quite hard at that altitude. The trail is well marked with cairns as you ascend into the rocky saddle of Pico Austria. There are a couple of sketchy bits of moving around rocky ledges, so take your time and possibly rethink it if it’s rainy and certainly if it’s icy. The descent on the other side to the refugio is a very easy trail. Because Pico Austria is a popular trek, this refugio appears to always be open, so you should be able to get a mattress inside if there is space (20bol per person). If doing the 3-day trek, you can start with this day, or start at Laguna Chiar Khota (possibly leaving bags at the refugio) and climb Pico Austria as an out-and-back trail. This one-day ascent of Pico Austria is quite popular.

    View from Pico Austria

    Day 4: Laguna Chiar Khota – Unmarked Refugio (12km) There are a few options on this day for both camping and trail. We ascended via Paso Condoriri, then skirted around the next pass (trekking adjacent to Laguna Pouchinta, rather than upwards). There is a hamlet at Laguna Sura Khota, but no clear refugios which were open and no nice camping spots (a lot of rubbish). We continued up the hill, through a fence and along another road to find another refugio at a very small hamlet (halfway to Maria Lloko), where another group were staying – so we were able to use the facilities. Mario Lloko is at a higher altitude, and the campsite didn’t look amazing.

    Day 5: Unmarked Refugio – Road End (6km). The advantage of continuing further the previous day is reducing the distance on your final day – and therefore how early you need to wake up. The trail follows the road for a few kilometres before starting up the hill and towards the final pass. At the other side of the pass is a road, and the end of your trek if you’ve arranged a ride. Otherwise, you’ll need to continue another 6km down the hill until you reach the main road between Huayna Potosi and La Paz.

    Getting out: Pre-arrange a taxi from the closest road end, get lucky and meet a group trekking alongside you and jump in their car, or walk all the way to the main highway between Huayna Potosi basecamp and La Paz. For the last option: you must arrive before 11:30 to have a good chance of getting in a returning vehicle with one of the tour groups. After midday most of them will have departed.

    Tell me everything:

    As noted above, getting information about hiking in Bolivia is a bit of a nightmare. There are no hiking guilds, no government departments, and it’s not a super popular activity with the locals. There are plenty of agencies in La Paz who will offer you packages, but there is no need for a guide on this hike, unless you are interested in chatting to the guide while walking, and you’re in a big enough group to make the guide and cook fees worthwhile. It is worth noting that the hike will probably be more difficult than you expect – only because of the altitude. Keeping a light pack goes far in having a good time, so if you want to go unguided but are worried about gear, you should try to book refugios to save on tent and mattress weight. The travel agencies in La Paz can be a bit cagey, but if you ask directly and with confidence (there should be enough information here for you to know what to ask for! If not, leave a comment) for the refugio owners’ numbers, we assume they would be more forthcoming. 

    It’s also pretty cold at night at the altitudes you’ll be sleeping at, so having a refugio is a nice way to get another barrier between you and the frost. We actually slept inside 3 nights out of 4 – on the first night, none of the facilities were open, but on the second night, the doors on an old concrete dorm were only tied shut (rather than padlocked), and the toilet was open for use. We ‘pitched’ by setting our groundsheet down in one of the dorms, and our mattress on top – being in an enclosed space kept the warmth in much better. On nights 3 and 4 the refugios were open, and we paid a few bolivianos for our own room and a straw mattress each – and an extra blanket to throw on top of our sleeping bags. So cosy!

    Getting to the start of the Condoriri requires a few different modes of transport, but the most annoying part is bartering with the taxi drivers once you arrive at Palcoco. Our hostel was very helpful in getting us this information – of course, you could take a private taxi to the start of the hike (as you’ll need to taxi at either end, anyway), but you can get a fair way via bus, which should cut your costs down. First taxi to the north side of the Cemeterio General; tell the driver you want to go to Cochabamba (also – take this bus if you want to go to Cochabamba, they’re cheaper than the ones from the main bus terminal). It should be about 20BOL per person. Tell the driver you want to go to Palcoco for the Condoriri trail. When you get off, you’ll be on a random bit of highway, but there should be a few taxi drivers waiting around. Now, these guys are used to taking people to ‘Condoriri’, which is the trail for Pico Austria, but if you are doing the 5 day hike you want to go to the far end of Laguna Karacota. It really is about the same distance from Palcoco, but because the latter is less popular (I guess from the Condoriri they can score a return ride) they tried to charge double to get to the Laguna. We spent a bit of time haggling but eventually settled on 220BOL. We arrived late morning, around 11am, to a construction site.

    In this part of the Andes there used to be a great number of glaciers. Because of rapid global climate change, they are melting off, but the lakes that they form are essential to the lifestyle of the people in the valleys below. As part of maintaining the landscape, unfortunately, the government has had to build dams along the range. This means there’s a lot of really ugly concrete amongst what was once beautiful and untouched lagunas. However, it seems necessary for the lives of the local people. At any rate, the start of the hike was, for us, in the middle of a construction site, which also made us a little uncertain. We eventually found the trail, and although it didn’t appear for a while, the initial ascent provides increasingly incredible views of Laguna Karakota. We had incredible weather for this whole hike – very lucky with blue, blue skies and little wind. Once the trail appears, it’s reasonably easy to follow across the saddle and down into the next valley. Then it disappears again as you cross the base of the valley and begin ascending, just keep an eye on your GPS and it should reappear eventually. The last ascent takes you next to a small stream and into a property of some kind – we think it was an old dorm designed to house workers who built the dam (it was certainly abandoned), and a refugio. The number for the refugio was scrawled on the wall, and both the refugio and the bathrooms (down the hill) were locked up tightly. We slept in our tent outside the refugio – not the best place, but at least the ground was flat. We both had a bit of altitude sickness so had a really small dinner, and crawled into bed as soon as we could to ward off the bitter cold!

    Day 2 is pretty similar to day one – up to the next saddle, down into the neighbouring valley, across a stream, and then back up the other side towards the next laguna and your campsite. However, for us it was a little less straightforward. As we climbed to the first saddle from the campsite, we had a little mishap with the reading of the map and getting our bearings, and ended up well to the right of the track. While we could’ve doubled back a little, we could see a track in the distance, and decided to go with it. Instead of skirting around the right of the main peak, we walked further to the north, walked up a different scree saddle, and ended up having to make a very sharp descent into the valley. We probably were on a random llama trail – a classic mistake, but thankfully we were still able to get down on the other side. It didn’t add too much time but it was a little stressful – better practice reading topo lines a bit more.

    Another thing to note in the wet areas near the river – there are lots of hairy caterpillars! They’re weird little guys, but their crawling is a little creepy and they look like the type that would give you a rash if they touched your skin. Thankfully, they aren’t near the campsites, only in the low areas.

    Once you’re out of caterpillar world and up the ridge, the next campsite awaits – this one is situated next to a stunning long lake and really gives you the idea of sitting at the foot of mountains – you’ll be able to see tomorrow’s challenge, Pico Austria. The campsite had a new big refugio (locked), and a small concrete dorm which was unlocked. There was a bathroom behind the main dorm which was only covered by a curtain, so I assume it’s always unlocked. We were a bit whacked by this point – having had the extra km or so with the detour, and generally being fatigued from the altitude and lack of food. However, we still arrived pretty early, set up in the open concrete area with our groundsheet, had a nap to stave off the altitude headache (it’s kind of like a hangover), enjoyed the sunshine, and tried to eat a decent meal before the sun set. The only problem with this campsite – was there was some asshole animal (rat or fox – who knows) who decided to scrape around in the discarded metal outside in the middle of the night, which woke us up a few times. 

    Day 3 started in a less-than-ideal way; Emma found that the zip holding her pack frame closed had burst, making the whole thing a lot less stable. While not a trip-ending event, it’s pretty annoying to have a 4-month-old 500NZD Osprey Pack break mid-hike, so we had a slow and unsuccessful morning while we tried to get it back together. This was also the first morning we saw anyone else interested in hiking – first of all, a fellow arrived on a motorbike, and once we were done with our pack disaster, came over to say hello and ask for payment for a ticket for the next part of the trail – we paid 20bol each. Once we got started, it turned out that he was probably there to get payment from a van of other hikers, so if we had’ve been a bit earlier in getting our shit together he probably would’ve missed us altogether!

    This day really is a stunner, but it’s tough. At barely above 6km (7km, including the summit of Pico Austria), it’s short day in theory, but you’ll be hitting the highest altitude on the track today – so take it easy and take it slow. Eat and drink often. Today’s the only day it gets a little technical – it gets a little steep on the scree ascending to the upper lake (note, on the map it says you can camp next to this lake – but the campsites are tiny and it’s very rocky, so it might be a tough pitch. Past the lake, there is a little bit of rock climbing and scrambling – keep your cool and get your hands and feet set before you move too fast (especially with weighty packs!). Keep an eye out for cairns on this section of the track, as there’s no path to follow. It is, however, an incredible day. Once you get to the lake, you can see Condoriri and the snowy peaks to either side. The trail up to Pico Austria is tough but getting a true view of Condoriri (with the birdlike perspective!) is awesome. You’ll also get your first shot of Huayna Potosi, on a clear day.

    This section is quite busy with day hikers, but the funniest thing (if you’ve got your big backpack on) is how interested and impressed all the guides are – every one asked us where our guide was, realised we were carrying all our own gear, and made a whole lot of impressed noises – hilarious, but also a great way to make a good impression (and some chatty friends!) fast.

    View from Pico Austria

    The track down to the refugio from Pico Austria is easy, with a well worn track, but longer than you’d expect. The descent can be tough on the knees so if you weren’t convinced by poles we would say 100% yes right about now. The refugios here are busy – there are a few different buildings – and lots of overnighters or day trippers or people heading up to Condoriri (at the laguna above) in the high season pass through here. We were able to snag a room with a couple of mattresses, and have a cosy night cooking and eating inside. We were absolutely stuffed after this day, so we were in bed very early – and seriously considering taxiing back the next morning.

    We started day 4 slowly, uncertainly, but once a tour group of four, who had been staying in the same refugio as us, started up the trail to Paso Condoriri, challenge mode was on. It was actually an excellent decision too – the track up to the pass was icy and filled with mischievous llamas, and the views over the mountains on the way up and at the pass were incredible. The descent on the other side got a bit muddled, as (again) there are plenty of animals tracks mixing and mingling. The trail will cross over the river at the bottom, and we scrambled up the ridge to meet up with the road (we aren’t sure, but we think you can skirt around it and still meet up with the right place – it’s probably easier). The trail continues along the road for a while, before turning off and passing by the small Laguna Puchinta. There’s an alternative route that continues upwards, runs up to another saddle, and meets up with a big descent on the other side. We were able to see the track from the laguna, but decided that was a biiiiig no. The lower track is reasonably well marked and follows the curve of the hill, sometimes on quite loose scree. It ascends a bit, before dipping back down towards the Lagunas Sura Khota and Wichu Khota. There’s a hamlet between these two lakes, and we’d read that there are refugios here too; however, nothing was open, even though one local pointed us in the right direction. There was flat ground, but the vibe was a bit weird, and there was no running water. We were pretty keen to continue on to somewhere nicer, but we weren’t convinced by anything the map was telling us now.

    Yet we were in luck! We didn’t realise, but somehow we’d overtaken the group of 4 and their guide and cook. As we sat at the ‘refugio’, a bit desolately, we spotted them coming down the hill. Not that we were waiting (we were waiting), but instead of turning towards us they continued along the other side of the lake. In comes a bit of hope and the smell of a little opportunity. We picked up our weary bodies and followed – under the pretense of walking toward the next campsite on the map, Maria Lloco, but really with the hope that they might stop at another refugio with a spare room. We eventually caught up to them, and we just want to acknowledge – we have really got so lucky so many times on this trip. We had a friendly chat about the track, the refugios at the lagunas, the general scenery… and their guide (our new mate Vladdy), who recognised us from the day prior, said we’d be able to stay in their pre-booked refugio – and that they’d have space for us in their vehicle going back to La Paz the next morning. An absolute stroke of kindness and good timing – we have been so thankful for such people!

    We again got our own room at the refugio, comfy straw beds and an extra blanket. This refugio was next to the road, halfway between the lagunas and Maria Lloco (see the image of the map for the marking). We don’t really know who to contact for this one, but there are a few houses around here so you might just be able to knock on a door and ask to stay. The refugio is in a gorgeous spot surrounded by snow capped mountains and right next to a burbling stream. The tour group actually caught some trout for their dinner with the help of the refugio owner, which was a hilarious scene.

    Refugio for our last night

    The great thing about the stay at our random little refugio was the proximity to the road. We still had one more pass over 5000m to walk over (normal by this point – how did it end up like this?!), but it was only going to be 6km, and now we conveniently had a guide to follow. The track followed the road for the first few kms, before starting to ascend (a bit randomly) up the side of the mountain to the pass. Although the group had acclimatised a couple of days less than us, they also weren’t carrying anything, so we struggled a little to match their pace. However, it was totally worth it – where we were intending to walk all the way to the main road (another 6km) to wave down a taxi, the vehicle was waiting at the road right on the other side of the pass. The group of four were actually using the 3-day Condoriri to acclimatise for Huayna Potosi – so we first drove to basecamp, waited for the day’s hikers to return, then got back in the van back to La Paz. We ended up heading off at about midday; it’s really early, but we really recommend if you don’t have a pre-planned ride, try to get to the highway by midday at the latest – all the hikers get down at about the same time, and if you can’t get on one of those vans it’s really hard to find another shared ride.

    We ended the hike still with half our food – a solid 4kgs or so of uneaten food, just weighing us down. Even though we’d worked through the appetite struggles by night 3, there’s only so much you can consume during the day. But what a learning experience it was – with stunning mountains and weather, friendly people and overwhelming kindness. While it’s not the most disconnected hike out there, it’s beautiful and it’s tough and it’s so very Bolivia.

  • Why La Paz is the Perfect Base for your trip to Bolivia

    Why La Paz is the Perfect Base for your trip to Bolivia

    Have you ever wanted to explore a city – yet still wake up amongst great snow capped mountains? Felt the urge to wheeze your way up (and down) every street? Thought to commute by the absolute best method in the world – telēferico? La Paz holds potential for all that and more. Bolivia’s capital – the highest in the world – has something for everyone, from mountain summits to wrestling extravaganzas, street market chaos to fancy cafes and restaurants. We spent over a month jumping to and from La Paz, always revisiting between sights to recover for a day – recovery meaning grabbing coffee, boba and as many saltenas as it’s possible to consume at breakfast. 

    La Paz is a ridiculous logistical nightmare. It sits in a narrow, rocky valley, hemmed in on one side by the heights of the Andes. La Paz extends massively eastwards and upwards and to the plains where sub-city El Alto lies, and downwards to the south into lower, milder elevations – and more posh suburbs. The demographic changes massively with altitude, which is a curious and somewhat controversial facet of the city’s layout. Whatever biases it represents, the vistas are spectacular – the best way to get an idea of the craziness of the geography is to catch the telēferico (gondola) around the city. As its purpose is to more effectively navigate the steepness of the city, the lines take you to all the good viewpoints. The carriages (what else do you call them?!) are clean, the lines are efficient, it’s smooth and quiet, and for foreign currencies, it’s incredibly affordable.

    Being the nation’s de facto capital, La Paz can also be tumultuous – fireworks on the weekend = party, but fireworks in the week = protest. Although we were always safe, there were protests where tear gas was used while we were in the region, and it’s quite common to have the road blockaded between La Paz and Cochabamba.

    Bear in mind that we visited Bolivia while the Blue Dollar was particularly strong – so our experiences of eating in more upscale restaurants and cafes was very affordable, and we were more flexible than usual with taking tours.

    Keep it Short & Sweet:

    • Getting there: if you’re starting your South America journey in Bolivia, this is where you’ll probably land (though, El Alto is technically not La Paz). By bus, La Paz is very well connected – as the financial capital and largest city, it only makes sense!
    • Where to stay: Central suburbs, Rosario or Centro Historico, when first arriving. Universo Hostal for a quiet vibe, Wild Rover (not that we stayed there) for an iconic La Paz hostel experience. Stay in Sopocachi if you’re staying longer or looking for a more authentic time, we wholeheartedly recommend Raven Hostal.
    • Where to go: Take a walking tour – exploring Mercado Rodriguez, the Witches Market and the Centro Historico is best with a guide. Visit the El Alto market at 16 de Julio, then go experience a Cholita Wreslting match. Bike down Death Road for an adrenaline rush, or use La Paz as a base to explore many other areas of Bolivia.
    • Fees: Despite being a bigger city, La Paz has prices at both ends of the range and we found it very comparable to the normal Bolivian prices – upmarket tourist areas and gringo-centric cafes charge a premium, but local restaurants with excellent menu del dias and cheap produce at markets will exist just a few blocks over. If you’re on a budget, just keep hunting. 
    • Walkies? Yes! Huayna sort-of fits the walkie category – and check out the Condoriri Trek nearby, or the Illampu Circuit & Sajama National Park further afield. Nearer to La Paz but dependent on the wet season is also the El Choro Trek (we didn’t complete this). Closer day walks in the valley of the moon & the dead are accessible by pupblic transport.
    • Recovery: Eat salteñas from Los Castores or Salteña Mania. Relax with views on the teleferico (not at rush hour though!)

    Tell me everything:

    Our arrival into La Paz was ungracious – travelling by overnight bus from Cochabamba only takes 7 hours, so it’s a leave-late-arrive-early situation no matter what departure time you select. We walked 10 minutes in the wee hours of a Sunday morning and arrived at our hostel doors unhassled and sleep-deprived. Thank god for South America’s chill hostels for relaxed check-in times – by 6am we were in a proper bed (and a proper bed – it was at least a super king!) and ready for a decent sleep in. We stayed at Universo Hostel, which isn’t on any websites, but the rooms are so incredible, the staff are ridiculously helpful, the location is central but not hectic, and the beds – well our bed – we still remember as the best bed we’ve slept in (at time of writing – in 9 months). It’s a pretty quiet vibe, there aren’t great common areas, but if you’re looking for something cheap and quiet, it is perfect. We stayed there two separate times before moving suburbs. 

    We also stayed in the Greenhouse Hostel (good social vibe, but 0% recommend unless you’re looking for a bargain – the rooms were a bit dirty and small, and the guys owning the place were unfriendly, and we’re pretty sure they tried to scam us), and Raven Hostel in Sopocachi. Raven was incredible – really good vibes, super friendly staff, and also really amazing rooms. It’s a bit pricier, but the facilities are extraordinary and it’s in a great location.

    Now – why to move? The area around Universo Hostal is central as it gets – Sagarnaga is the key road for tourism, lined with tour operators and international food options. A visit is essential to organise tours in and out of town. One of La Paz’s main tourist attractions, the Witches Market runs parallel – shops filled with stillborn llama fetuses, items for offerings, and charms and potions for whatever you can imagine, next to stores packed with knick-knacks and ponchos. Sagarnaga ends at the Basilica of San Francisco, which marks the start of the Centro Historico – a great place to check out some old churches, refreshed museums, parliamentary locations, and a plaza that’s seen some serious history – we definitely recommend getting an overview with a walking tour. Sagarnaga and the Centro Historico sit on either side of the valley, and La Paz’s main road sits in between them. Combine steep hills, a single key thoroughfare of the city, old architecture and therefore street layout… and we have some serious crowding and traffic issues! There are plenty of cool hostels on both the western (Rosario) and eastern (Centro Historico) sides of the highway, but the chaos and clustering of tourists and locals in the area can be a bit overwhelming at all times of day. Sopocachi is about an hour’s walk to the south, it’s a little lower in altitude, a little warmer, and a lot more relaxed. If you’re planning to stay in La Paz for a while, we think you’ll end up here naturally.

    Activities in La Paz

    We’ve already alluded to a few key spots to visit – Sagarnaga, el mercado de las brujas, centro historico. We also loved the sprawling Mercado Rodriguez on a weekend – there is so much produce to sample, and it’s a wonderful way to interact with locals. Most of these sites you would explore if you took a walking tour – and the history of La Paz is quite interesting, so we absolutely recommend it. We went with Red Cap Tours, which we found pretty great. 

    We visited the Museum of Ethnography and Folklore, which was quite cool – although most of the plaques were only in spanish. We never made it to the Coca Museum, but this shouldn’t be something you also miss – as such an essential and unique part of Bolivian culture.

    Going further abroad, it really is easiest to use the teleferico. Traffic is heinous, and while taxis are cheap and respond to bargaining, getting stuck for an hour is not great fun. Looping around the teleferico is a chill activity – just don’t go at peak hours as the carts can get really full. If you started the loop at Prado (midway between Sopocachi and central), you’d travel via:

    (prado) celeste > (del poeta) blanca > (villarroel) naranja > (central) rojo > (16 de julio) plateada > (faro murillo) morada. There are other lines – the two majors are the verde line taking you down into the gentrified lower suburbs, or the azul line which traverses El Alto. 

    The teleferico is by far the best way to get to El Alto if you want to explore. Thursdays and Sundays are the best days – for the El Alto market, South America’s largest outdoor market, which sprawls over streets and streets, selling all kinds of goods (and snacks). In the evening on both days, you should also be able to catch Cholita Wrestling – Lucha Libre, but with women in traditional dress. It’s a pretty amusing spectacle, and while it now caters in its majority to tourists, it began as a form of protest for the rights of indigenous women – so its roots are in a pretty special place.

    Going wider afield, but still in the city – a half day trip to the Valle de la Luna or a full day to Valle de las Animas can get you off your arse and on your feet for some more crazy rock formations. Buses or collectivos can take you to both locations – just check in with your hostel for the exact location.

    Activities Around La Paz

    There are two main excursions out of La Paz. A one day adventure cycling down Death Road (though we’ve also heard that staying a night in Coroico and exploring some of the lower elevation is a good way to tack on some more exploring) is one of the most popular activities in La Paz. Named Death Road for the ridiculous number of accidents which occurred along its length, this was previously the main road towards the Amazon, but since a new (safer) highway has opened, it has been closed to general traffic and opened up as an adventurous downhill biking experience. We didn’t actually spend the money on this – but it’s done by basically all travellers, so take from that what you will!

    The other is Huayna Potosi – one of the ‘easiest’ and most accessible 6000m+ summits you can do. It’s super popular; there’s a trail of lights heading up the mountain every night to hit the sunrise summit. It’s also very affordable, and a really incredible first-time mountaineering experience. Experienced (or time-poor, though we wouldn’t recommend it) climbers can do this in two days, but the three day option gives you an extra day for acclimatisation, which really makes summiting a lot more likely! We’ll make a separate post dedicated to Huayna – while it’s not quite a Walkie in our traditional sense, it was a pretty special experience!

    Other Destinations

    In the end, we visited La Paz six separate times – staying between two and four nights depending on how much recovery we needed. We returned after the Condoriri Trek, Huayna Potosi, Sorata & the Illampu Circuit, Sajama and Rurrenabaque. Because a lot of that was recovering from hiking, we didn’t do a lot in La Paz in the days that we were there. But we could always find a good spot to eat a Saltena, or drink a coffee, or somewhere to wander about and watch the people of the city go about their days. It’s a place that holds a special place in our memories, for the people we met and the experiences we had.

  • Everything you Need to Know About Exploring Southern Bolivia: Potosi, Sucre AND Cochabamba

    Everything you Need to Know About Exploring Southern Bolivia: Potosi, Sucre AND Cochabamba

    Two essential pieces of information for this post: first, that the currency in Bolivia is going through some crazy times, so visiting with foreign currency in hand means that everything is half the price*. Second, that we absolutely adore eating. Here we have cheap cafes, markets and restaurants, and two hungry kiwis who’ve spent the last 2 months cooking for themselves almost exclusively in Argentina and Chile. 

    Across our next three stops, PotosI, Sucre and Cochabamba, we didn’t do a lot. Although there is a lot to be done across all of the cities, we mostly enjoyed just being present. Visiting markets, wandering streets, appreciating the performances of marching bands that seem to be a constant in Bolivian life, and nibbling on food in plazas or cafes. 

    Bolivia is full of complex and sometimes uncomfortable history. Potosi and Sucre are two places where the Spanish were particularly present, which has impacted the development of these cities and its people. If you want to understand more about Bolivia, taking walking tours and visiting museums in both of these cities is a must. 

    * See our general post about Bolivia for a full description on how the currency discrepancy works.

    Keep it Short & Sweet:

    Potosi: Now a small town with a decreasing population, Potosi once fueled the Spanish presence in Bolivia through the richness of the Cerro Rico silver mine. The town exists with incredible, if disturbing, history. Take a walking tour (Mariam from Koala Tours was excellent) for a detailed, local view. Many tourists take a tour through the mines of Potosi – now bereft of silver, local workers still try to exploit it for less valuable metals. Conditions are still pretty dire and while companies claim to give back to the community and the families of miners, many are questionable. We were not convinced that this is a good way to support, and if you’re interested in doing this kind of exploration we urge you to complete research thoroughly.

    Sucre: Bolivia’s capital, nicknamed the White City for the preservation of its historical centre in traditional colonial white, is a beautiful place to park up and take a break from constant travel. There’s not a lot to do here, but the vibes are great, there are plenty of lovely hostels to pick from, and if you have the time, it is an excellent place to take a week or four of Spanish classes. The quality of classes in Sucre are really high, there are plenty of schools to pick from, and the prices are much better than other places in the country. There’s a sizable rich immigrant population, and the large number of gringos has led to considerable gentrification of the centre – take your pick of cafes to complete your homework.

    Cochabamba: ‘Cocha’ has a little bit of everything, but is prized as Bolivia’s gastronomic centre. The country’s third-largest city has a large, fun historical centre, with multiple markets to explore, and a beautiful plaza to hang out in. The city sits in a valley of towering peaks, so there are a few high altitude day hikes that you can tackle. Easier to achieve but also enjoyable is the walk up to Cristo de la Concordia, a massive monument to Jesus with incredible views over the city. Cochabamba is a good base to visit Torotoro and the national park there, or the Canyon Tuta Wallpas (though we didn’t make it to the latter, it seems to be growing in tourism but is still off the beaten path!)

    Tell me everything:

    Potosi

    We travelled to PotosI immediately from Uyuni – as we mentioned, Uyuni is very much a tourist town, with people visiting almost exclusively to see the Salar. We read it’s pretty seedy and there isn’t a lot to do other than the Salt Flats – so we were straight on the next bus, along winding roads up to 4000m and PotosI.

    PotosI is centred around an old, Spanish centre. The plaza is lovely, with an ancient cathedral and old government buildings surrounding the corners. Because of the historical concentration of wealth in the town, there are plenty of fancy facades to admire, and historical names have resided in many unassuming buildings. The streets are narrow and winding in this mountainous town, which makes exploring a breathless exercise – again, the altitude here can mess you up, so take it easy! 

    The best SalteNas in Potosi can be found at la SalteNeriael Hornito. Get in early as they are super popular, and do sell out. They are spectacular. Also try the K’alaphurca, a local delicacy of beef & corn soup – what’s special about it is they throw in a fire-hot rock in before serving, which initially keeps the soup splattering all over you, but does ensure that it doesn’t cool down too fast in the freezing air. We ate at Restaurante Tambo SeNorial, which was a lovely traditional restaurant with a cute vibe.

    We stayed at Hostal Los Faroles – a really lovely homestay with a delicious breakfast and large, comfortable rooms. It’s really well placed (right next to the market). We took our walking tour from Koala tours, with Mariam – she was so awesome, even though it was just the two of us and her, she was really detailed and when we started asking questions about food she got us a few treats to fuel us on the way. We really recommend asking for her if you are in Potosi!

    It’s popular to take a tour of the mines in PotosI – we didn’t think this was a super ethical thing to do, so preferred the Walking Tour only, although Koala Tours has great reviews for the mine tours, you can never be 100% sure where your money is going. If you’re going to take one of these tours, make sure you do your research before, understand the history of the mines and the current working conditions, and make sure you are comfortable with the impact you’re having.

    We also visited the National Mint of Bolivia, where the silver collected in the mines was minted into coins during the Spanish rule. The tour was really interesting but in Spanish, so we missed quite a lot of content – there was meant to be an English tour, but it never happened and we just got lumped into a Spanish one. Still – worth it for the history!

    Because PotosI is in the mountains, you can imagine that there should be some nice hikes to gorgeous viewpoints. There are, although the ‘niceness’ of the hikes seem debatable, as PotosI is an industrial/mining town outside of the city centre, so the walking is mostly along rough roads. However, on these hikes you have to be super, super careful of dogs, which can be really aggressive in this area. We met one guy who actually got bitten on the way to Laguna Kari Kari, and Emma was exploring PotosI a few blocks to the east of the city centre, and got barked at (almost to the point of snapping) by a dog. It was totally out of nowhere – I was stopped on the roadside, there were other people out, I was checking my phone – and this dog wandered out of the corner of my eye and turned on me – at least it was a busy road, so I could run behind a moving car, but it was so bizarre and pretty scary!.

    We spent a couple of days in PotosI – eating treats and exploring, before moving on to Sucre. This trail also takes you down more of the historical trail of the Spanish. The altitude of PotosI makes it a pretty undesirable place to live; it’s cold all year round, and bitterly so in winter. Sucre, sitting at about 2800m, is much more mild, with cool nights but warm days, and consistently pleasant weather. It’s also still close to PotosI (today, only a 4 hour bus ride), so the Spanish had much of their government working here.

    Sucre

    In Sucre we were planning to finally take a bit of a break – we could stay in affordable hostels, do a mix of home cooking and eating out cheaply at the market – and most importantly, we could finally, officially learn some Spanish. We’d both been learning haphazardly on the road, using reels, podcasts, conversations and Google Translate to pick up words and grammatical structures, but really nothing beats some structured classes. There are plenty of Spanish schools in Sucre – pick based on your preferred style of learning and the Google reviews, although almost all are favourable. We decided to go with Spanish Friends School – they had a good deal including a private room and the private classes for a week, and they were one of the few schools which offered a focus on speaking rather than technicalities and grammar – which is exactly what we were looking for. While initially, Awal wasn’t super interested in the classes (as he’d been leaving the learning and talking mostly to Emma), the price was so reasonable that we decided ‘why not’, and doing a class together (and having shared homework) is always a fun way to bond.

    Unfortunately, we also both got food poisoning during this week. Emma was first, and was up all Monday night, and was totally wrecked on Tuesday, so we had to postpone the day’s classes until Saturday. Awal’s reaction was more mild, but lasted longer – he felt ill, though never actually threw up, throughout Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. What’s more – we were cooking for ourselves at the time, so it was our own fault that we got so sick! 

    Classes were in the morning until 1pm, so we had the afternoons to ourselves – more practice, or feeling unwell, eating, and a little bit of exploring. In total, we spent two weeks in Sucre – a few days before the classes, and a few days after. The Freedom House National Museum is a great place to visit for some history. There aren’t a lot of plaques, so make sure you take a guided tour – they have them in English in the afternoon, though it’s best to check in person when exactly they run. The Mirador de la Recoleta is a great place to visit for stunning views over Sucre. Adjacent to it is the Museo de Arte Indigena – also a really cool museum which focuses on detailing, preserving and revitalising indigenous art forms. There’s a store out the front with beautiful works of art from the artists participating in the revitalisation, particularly of weaving, and you can have a complimentary tea in the garden afterwards. It’s a great spot.

    While we stayed at Spanish Friends School for the classes, we preferred staying at Hostel Pachamama – we got a room on the top level of a three storey complex, with a lovely view over some of the city, in a beautiful courtyard filled with blooming flowers. The family living there was incredibly lovely and welcoming, and we were always stoked to hang out with Mango the dog!

    Special food mentions in Sucre:

    • Wawa Pizza for affordable, delicious pizzas
    • Bienmesabe for really flavoursome, healthy Venezuelan-style arepas. Really great for post-food-poisoning stomach.
    • The Mercado Central for all the different typical local foods – they aren’t as cheap as if you find a small specialty shop, but the convenience is worth it.
    • SalteNeria el Patio – delicious SalteNas and an amazing setting to eat them in! Don’t spill the juice!
    • Cafe Mirador San Miguel – have a drink at the top of the bell tower at sunset for a stunning view. The cakes are pretty tasty.
    • And of course, SOMOS, our favourite cafe and consistent haunt in Sucre. Get a cinnamon roll! We’re still dreaming about it.

    Our favourite experience in Sucre was a totally random one. Our friend Guilherme was also in Sucre learning Spanish. He was immersing himself properly, going to community events wherever he could find them, and kindly invited us along to a painting workshop at the cafe at the Mirador de la Recoleta. We learned to paint with instant coffee, practiced our Spanish and met some other locals – one of whom, Elida, invited us over for coffee the next afternoon. We were a little hesitant – without Guilherme, whose Spanish was already skyrocketing, we were both a little shy and uncertain in casual conversation. But politeness and a desire to connect pushed us through the nerves. We turned up with some treats to share, and ended up having an incredibly lovely afternoon. Elida’s two dogs were hilarious – a silly boxer and a big german shepherd – her son was hanging around as well, and he had a little english, so when our Spanish fell short we could use some Spanglish. We had Colombian coffee and cake and chatted about our trip and life in Bolivia. Eventually, Elida’s granddaughter woke up from a nap, so her daughter brought her down to say hello – and then another of her friends came over, just to visit. It ended up being eclectic, wholesome and such a lovely time – one of those unexpected interactions that makes you love a place so much.

    Our two weeks in Sucre came to an end – our Spanish was better, we’d met lots of new people, made some amazing connections, eaten incredible food, and in general had time to recharge and relax from constant movement. Our next stop – Cochabamba, Bolivia’s gastronomic city.

    Cochabamba

    Cochabamba was a bit of an unknown to us, but we luckily picked an awesome hostel called El Pueblito – owned by Sergio. Sergio was a real king – he let us check in at 6am, and gave us sooo many tips on how best to enjoy Cochabamba. Cocha is a newer city – think upmarket restaurants, big boulevards, malls. There’s still a real sense of Bolivia as you know it in the historical centre – tight streets and a chaotic market spread over several blocks. But modernity is prevalent. One of the benefits of this is the bike path, which extends over much of the city, including past the iconic monument of Christ and around Laguna Alalay. Renting a bike or spending a few hours walking (or running!) along the bike lanes is a great way to see some of the city safely and without worrying about traffic. 

    If you’re looking to do something more active, there are a few day hikes in the hills surrounding Cochabamba. The city sits in a valley at about 2500m, but the surrounding hills rise up to over 5000m. One peak that you can climb is Tunari, to the north west of the city. It can be reached via public transport by taking a trufi to Quillacollo, and then another minibus to the trailhead, going towards Piusilla. We didn’t end up completing the hike, but it sounds like an awesome adventure for a day – even if you don’t make it to the top (with that altitude, watch out!), the adventure of getting there and back is definitely worth it.

    There are some other treks in the area too. We’d read about the Circuito de 20 Lagunas, an overnighter to the north of Cochabamba, but getting there required a taxi and was a bit pricey. We’d also read that some of the trails are now mostly mountain roads, rather than tracks in the hills. Instead of exploring this area, we decided to move on to Torotoro – a small town with an increasing popular national park, a couple of hours (and a very windy road) away from Cocha.

    When we stayed in Cochabamba, there was actually a real lack of hostel options – there only seemed to be El Pueblito and another in the middle of town. This should give you an indication of the number of backpackers this town sees. However, despite not being a popular tourist centre, as above there is still a bit to do – and it’s a great launching pad to get to Torotoro if you want to explore canyons and caves.

    Torotoro exists as a tourist location to service its National Park. In the way that these things go, this means it’s a little bit of a tourist trap, but we do think that the excursions are pretty cool and it’s worth a visit (especially in the current Bolivian economy). The National Park access system is a little strange. It’s impossible to enter without a guide – which makes sense, as the two main tours are canyoning and caving. You must get a group together before booking a tour – splitting the tour cost across your whole group. If someone wants to join after you’ve signed the paper and paid, it’s strictly not allowed. Staying at a popular hostel is your best bet for meeting a group – or finding some people in Cochabamba before you arrive. Of course, people will always be on the lookout, so you can loiter outside once the offices open to try find some random friends.

    On top of the tour/guide payment, you must pay entry to the national park – which is 100Bs pp, although the ticket lasts four days, so if you are planning to take multiple tours you won’t have to pay again. The tour guide office and the ticket office are adjacent to each other, and you can get all the information you need there.

    As mentioned, the two most popular tours into the National Park are a hike into the El Vergel CaNon, or a caving experience in Umajalanta. We only did the former, as we are both a little claustrophobic, and we’d read a few things mentioning that the quality of the guides is quite varied – not what two first-time, nervy people are keen on. The hike to El Vergel was a half-day activity, but we really enjoyed the wander round the park, and then the descent into the canyon, jumping across rocks, and finally the view across the canyon – it was a really enjoyable morning. The tour cost 250Bs for the group. The caving tour cost 700Bs, but it is more of a full day excursion. For people who are hoping to cram both into a trip – catch an early collectivo from Cochabamba to Torotoro, drop your bags off at your chosen hostel, and head to the offices. Head out on a tour of the canyon that afternoon. That night, meet some people at your hostel who are keen to jump on the caving tour the next day. Book the tour the next morning – spend the day squeezing through little holes and having a real adventure – then return to Torotoro. Either stay another night, if you’ve got time and prefer to relax, or jump on the next collectivo back to Cochabamba, as they run pretty constantly. 

    From the collectivo stop at Cocha, we walked straight to the bus terminal and booked our bus onwards – our next stop would be La Paz, the highest capital in the world!

  • Visiting the Uyuni Salt Flats From Tupiza (Bolivia): Everything you need to know

    Visiting the Uyuni Salt Flats From Tupiza (Bolivia): Everything you need to know

    The Salar de Uyuni (Salt Flats) is Bolivia’s major attraction. The greatest salt flat in the world brings in thousands of tourists annually, both in the dry season for blinding white perspective, or in the wet season to see the world’s largest mirror. Both are famous for the extraordinary photos that arise from them, but it’s not just the Salar that is popular. While you can ‘just’ tour the Salt Flats, the surrounding desert offers plenty of sights to see. 

    Otherworldly rock formations standing randomly amongst otherwise empty desert. Snow-capped volcanoes rising up far above your bumpy 4×4 route. Toxic lagunas of all kinds of colours – pretty means don’t touch. Flamingos and alpacas galore! All await on a multiday tour of the Salar de Uyuni.

    Keep it Short and Sweet:

    Touring the Salar & Surrounds:

    • Start from: Uyuni (cheapest (BOB) – salar first), San Pedro de Atacama (more expensive (CLP) – salar last), or Tupiza (more expensive as there is an extra day – Salar last)
    • Booking in person is cheapest, and the tours leave from Uyuni/San Pedro daily – the market is smaller in Tupiza.
    • Be aware of the altitude – if you can acclimatise beforehand, that’s best!
    • Bring your own snacks – you’ll get hungry
    • Be ready for lots of driving and viewpoints, but not a lot of walking.

    Tell Me Everything

    Tours of the Salar begin in three different locations, Uyuni (Uyuni), San Pedro de Atacama (Chile), and Tupiza (Bolivia). Generally, people will take the tour from Uyuni to San Pedro (or vice versa) to combine it into the rest of their travel, although you can return to your start point – but the costs may be different. This tour takes three days. The tour from Tupiza to Uyuni (which we took), takes four days, but only the first, and part of the second day, is really very different. 

    So which tour is the cheapest:

    Tours from Uyuni will give you the best chances of getting a good deal – there’s lots of competition and the Bolivian exchange rate is very favorable to foreigners. Tours from San Pedro de Atacama will be more expensive, as the Chilean Peso is much stronger, and Tupiza will be slightly more expensive, as there is an extra day involved and there is less competition amongst tour operators.

    However, the great thing about starting from either San Pedro or Tupiza – your tour finale is the Salar. While everything included in the three/four days is cool, nothing comes close to the beauty and otherworldly feeling of the salt flats, so finishing off on that high is, in our opinion, the best way to complete your little adventure.

    Additionally, Uyuni is not a lovely place to be – it’s not a wealthy city, although during the age of silver mining in Bolivia, it was a central point for the movement of the metal throughout the country. It’s cold and dusty, with people really only arriving with the aim of touring the Salar. We left immediately after our tour, preferring to catch the bus to our next stop (Potosi) and rest there, rather than risking a bad experience in Uyuni. If you start from the other two cities, you can do the same, but it’s nearly impossible to book a same-day multi-day tour (as they start so early), and if you book a same-day single day tour you’ll be pushed for time… so staying a night is basically unavoidable.

    How to Book a tour and whats included:

    Booking the tour itself is pretty easy, just check in with some operators for prices on Whatsapp (or in person – you may get a better deal, though we’ve generally found that the Whatsapp prices are fair – much fairer than those online, for sure!), make sure their Google Reviews aren’t horrific, and confirm that they’re able to start on your preferred day – you may have to shop around to find a combination of best price and starting date, as they’ll only send a car out with 4 people minimum. Of course, if you’re on a very tight schedule you’ll probably want to book online in advance for peace of mind, but as always this costs far far more than it needs to. 

    As far as we know, all the tours go to the same attractions – it’s just the hostel at the end of each day that differs. Whatever you pick, there is very little walking involved, only short opportunities to stretch your legs by wandering the shores of some lagunas or around windswept rocks. We found that the food on the tour was somewhat lacking – good quality, but low quantity. We heard that this is pretty consistent across the different tour companies, so bring your own snacks! One thing that they may be relying on is the altitude. The tour takes you up to nearly 5000m on one day, and you sleep at over 4000m most nights, so there is a real chance of altitude sickness – if not serious (one guy on our tour spent a whole day wiped out – it seemed like food poisoning, but could’ve just as easily been the altitude. He didn’t eat anything!), often one of the minor symptoms is reduced appetite. Do take it easy and go hard on the sweet treats, coca and water – altitude sickness can really ruin your trip. Don’t push yourself on the walking parts, just enjoy stretching your legs, and always, always be realistic with how you’re feeling – altitude sickness is no joke and can be fatal!

    While it’s a lot of time driving, it’s a nice way to bond with some people over your country’s most iconic tunes, stare at incredible moonlike landscapes, practice your Spanish with the tour guide, and really experience some 4×4 adventure. For parts of the Salar, especially the route from Tupiza, there is no true road – paths will disappear into the dunes, or your driver will be picking one of many tracks winding all over desert hills. It’s a pretty humbling experience, as you’re entirely reliant on the memory of your driver and their skill at handling an old Toyota in these freezing sands. Google Maps isn’t helping anyone!

    We really thought that the build up of the tour, through the desert scenes and alpine grasses, checking out alpacas and llamas and flamingos and rheas (seeing them run – simply hilarious), made seeing the Salar at the end that much more exciting. The whole tour is worth the time and the money. However, if you really are on a short holiday and don’t have that much time, and just want to check off the Salar, that’s okay too – as mentioned many times, it really is the highlight. Make sure your tour gets you either a sunrise or sunset on the Salar, as the flatness makes it a stunning place to watch from (and if you’re there when it’s wet, the mirror effect with the sun is truly incredible).

    Mirror effect on salt flats

    If there is water in the Salar, you may need to hire some gumboots – when we were there in April, it was so deep that Emma’s gumboots were almost not tall enough (short person problems). Basically, if the whole Salar is covered, there will be deeper and shallower sections, which are inconsistent, and the cars driving around create lovely wee waves that will send you jumping for higher ground. It’s important to have protection because the salty water can really irritate your skin. If the water is low enough to use your own boots, probably in the shoulder seasons, take care to clean them afterwards to prevent damage.

    Another curious thing about the Salt Flats – they are a highway, as the salt is mined in parts of it, and it’s an easier, flatter path to enter Bolivia from Chile. Expect to see some big trucks randomly moving though, plus locals using it to get from place to place. However, the composition of the salt flat does make this complex. It’s not the most stable of ‘roads’ due to the compacting and crystalline patterns of the salts. There are sometimes massive pockets under the top layer of salt, which can cause a vehicle to sink entirely! The salt itself is problematic too – it can do some major damage to cars if left to marinate on the metal, so it’s important to clean it all off once you’re off the flats. 

    A Day by Day Summary of a Tour From Tupiza:

    Day 1: Lots of driving! We didn’t stop a lot – first, to enjoy the view of the hills around Tupiza. Then to watch some wild alpacas. There was a ghost mining town with a pretty crazy story to it. All day the views are great, but it is a long one!

    Day 2: Is inside the National Park. More llamas and flamingos today! Plus rheas and foxes on the roadside, if you’ve got your eyes peeled. Visit lots of lagunas of all different colours, take in desert vistas, listen to bubbling geysers and top it off with a relaxing stop at natural thermal baths. The views from the baths are pretty special too – Instagram worthy, if you’re going for that kind of thing. It’s a stunner of a day!

    Day 3: Start the day off by checking out some eroded rocks just sitting in the middle of the desert – if you’re good at taking photos, they’re great material, otherwise they’re just so curious to look at and consider just how they ended up like that! More lagunas await – we loved the vibe at Laguna Negra, which is one of the few lagunas which isn’t full of toxic chemicals. This means no flamingos, but a great variety of other birds – including Emma’s favourite, the Giant Coot, which builds a nest of reeds on the surface of the water and makes a call like a crazy person laughing – it’s incredible to hear. The last stop of the day is the train graveyard… we remarked that it’s impressive that they’ve managed to turn a bunch of useless junk into a tourist destination. It’s not super interesting for those who aren’t train spotters (and we think it’s also a great place to get tetanus, so watch out for the sharp edges), but it’s nice to wander around before settling in for one last night.

    Day 4: The Salar. Wake up before the sunrise, and be out on the Salar for the changing colours of the sky and some unbelievable reflections. Take breakfast with your group in the salt house, then spend some more time mucking around, taking photos, videos, wading through the flats, and generally enjoying this special experience. 

    If you’re starting from San Pedro de Atacama, cut out day 1 and the schedule should look basically the same. Reverse that – and it’s the tour starting from Uyuni. 

    There are plenty of ways to enjoy the Salt Flats, totally dependent on your trip length and the time you have available, but if you have the flexibility, visiting Tupiza in the first place (as detailed in our last post) and starting the tour from there is a great option to experience a little more about Bolivia and still end your tour at the Salar.

  • An Essential Guide To Hiking in Northern Argetina: Tilcara-Calilegua Traverse (4 days)

    An Essential Guide To Hiking in Northern Argetina: Tilcara-Calilegua Traverse (4 days)

    This walk was a lesson in “if you’re willing to wing it a bit, it may just surprise you”. The Tilcara Traverse was a trail we picked based on a hasty search of Wikiloc, after a hot minute of deprivation from trekking (okay it was maybe three weeks… but it felt like months since Patagonia!). We weren’t certain what the hiking would look like in Bolivia, so we were willing to try something out before crossing the border. 

    We knew that we were going to be walking on paths less trodden by tourists, as all of the recommendations were by locals with local guides (and there were no blog posts at all!), but the kind contributors to Wikiloc had left great detail. The paths would still be well trodden, as the route we were going to take is one used by the people who live in the mountains – the range is dotted with pueblitos, so they need ways to connect to their neighbours, and to the roads for supplies. While the crossing from Tilcara to Calilegua is one of the most direct ways across the range, there are plenty of small trails that veer off to other villages and individual homes along the way. It’s an insight into a totally unique way of life in a really special part of the world; being able to see it first hand is a true privilege.

    It was also technically the ‘low’ season for this part of Argentina – being so far north, the summer/winter seasons are more like wet/dry, and of course hiking in the wet season is never ideal! 

    Click here to take yourself to short and sweet where we summarize this blog post.

    Tell me Everything

    Because the trail runs between villages, and actually amongst a lot of private land, the trek is a homestay to homestay number. We camped nights 1 & 3, and stayed in beds on night 2 (the weather was rubbish and the price was great… who were we to say no?), but even on the nights we camped, we were on someone’s property and were able to use a flushing (!) toilet and a makeshift shower. The relevant people can be contacted on WhatsApp before; this is most important for night one as the Yuto Pampa is not a village, but is a loose collection of houses – other homestays may be in the area but it’s not clear.

    Our original plan was to hike from Tilcara to Molulo, then return by the same route to Tilcara – because the trip back to Tilcara via road is so convoluted, and there are so many buses to catch, we were a little hesitant to waste a day or two travelling back around when we wanted to get to Bolivia (read: had meant to be in Bolivia two weeks prior…). However, the first two days were so spectacular (and we had descended SO much), that we decided to continue in the spirit of ‘just wing it’, and figure out the buses as we went along. And well… read on to see how that went!

    Day 1: Tilcara to Yuto Pampa (7-9hrs)

    It was not a good start. Our hostel host had organised a taxi pickup at 8am to the trailhead, which is at Casa Colorada, with an agreed price of 35000ARS – which was on the limit of what we were willing to pay for a 50 minute taxi. Halfway through breakfast our host burst in to inform us that the taxi was actually only going to take us to La Garganta del Diablo for 35K (a 30 minute drive, but the day before we’d walked it in one hour!) – and if we wanted to go to Casa Colorada, it was dependent on the ‘condition of the road’ (the weather had been perfect) and was going to cost us 50K! Clocking out at nearly 75NZD just to start our hike was an absolute no-go for us, and we were pretty upset as we felt like our host had been untruthful and it was feeling really, really scammy. We told him we couldn’t catch a taxi for that much and he got pretty mad – in Spanish, so unintelligible to us – and pretty much stormed out of the dining area while saying we had to follow up our end and take the taxi regardless of the cost.

    That was a pretty bad vibe – we had been planning to leave our spare kit at the hostel, but we really couldn’t afford to take this taxi, and we didn’t want to leave our stuff in the lap of someone who was potentially going to be looking for revenge. When the taxi arrived, we had a conversation about the mishap – the driver was very amicable, and relaxed about letting the job go. Nevertheless, with a few angry WhatsApp messages waiting on the phone, we shot out the door with all our things and spent the next 30 minutes finding a new hostel to book a room post-hike to secure our bag storage.

    In hindsight – we do think it was a genuine mistake by the host, and not that he was in kahoots with the taxi driver – partially because we walked past the taxi stand on the way out and checked their (always inflated) prices. The language barrier is always tough with this kind of thing. We spent the rest of the day to-ing and fro-ing – we were in the right, we were in the wrong. But at the end of the day it was done, and we had an extra 600m elevation and 6.5km to tackle!

    From Tilcara village, follow the track to La Garganta del Diablo. Without packs, this takes an hour – with packs and a burning sense of injustice, it also takes an hour! Continue along the road for another hour, climbing steadily, until you reach Casa Colorada. When we passed by, it seemed deserted; we had contacted them on WhatsApp for room prices out of curiosity, but there was no response at all, so we aren’t sure what the deal is there. Either way, it’s the last place you’ll find real shade the rest of the climb – so take a break!

    The road then continues on vaguely, but eventually peters out and becomes a normal track. The trail really just is switchbacks, cactus, and views over the valley until you hit the saddle. We were incredibly lucky with a cloudless stunner of a day but with a decent breeze, so we never got too hot. At beginning of the saddle, there’s a small river crossing via rock bridge, and then you enter a flatter valley filled with flowers and lush grass that rises to the maximum point of the hike, before descending somewhat to Yuko Pampa and El Cokena Refugio for the night.

    We would love to tell you that the views are gorgeous, that the descent into the pampa is magnificent – and while we’re sure it is, we have no clue personally, as the weather completely clouded over for us before we even reached the high point! We reached the refugio damp from cloud, rushing from impending rain, and feeling a little off from the altitude. It’s an important point to consider – even if you start from Casa Colorada, it’s a massive gain, and you’ll be sleeping quite high. We’d messaged El Cokena’s owner in advance, so they knew that we had our own gear – we guess that was why there was nobody there to greet us, and why the dorm rooms were firmly closed & locked. They don’t seem to live in or near the refugio (again, visibility was terrible, so we could have missed something), but there was a flushing toilet (that is, a toilet designed to flush, with big buckets of water to flush it yourself! No plumbing needed) and shower under a concrete shelter which were open to use. We had a bathroom, running water, and a flat space to pitch up – what else could you want!

    With the altitude playing tricks on our appetite, it was cookies with nutella and peanut butter for dinner, and an early night.

    Day 2: Yuto Pampa to Molulo (5-7 hrs)

    Day 2 also started a little miserable – the cloud hadn’t cleared, so we woke up fairly damp and still without a view. The altitude sickness was still playing on us, and who wants to cook breakfast in misty rain, so it was a quick pack down and off we went. The track continues to descend into a valley – and with this descent, we finally got some clearing clouds and some very cool sights of red clay against green hills, with horses and cattle peppering the hills. Down it goes (and down slips the hiker!) until the river that carves out the valley, and then it’s back up the other side. The track is not entirely clear in this section due to the livestock, so check your GPS regularly. The trail then winds around the tops of this part of the range for some time, which we think would give incredible views on a clear day – maybe even all the way to the yungas forest from certain points. We were lucky enough to see sporadic vistas of our close surroundings – little hamlets would appear randomly at the base of the ridge we were walking; peaks would suddenly loom out from across the valley; sunlight would peek through to warm and dry us off for a few minutes. Not quite knowing what we were walking through really added a layer of mystery to the journey. 

    Yea, couldn’t see nothing!!!!!

    The track eventually leads you into the village of Molulo. Here, there is a school and a little hospital, and a collection of houses and two or three homestays to pick from. The popular refugio in the pueblo is Refugio Lo de Lili (according to Wikiloc), but we found an alternative called ‘Mi Esperanza’ – and we couldn’t have been happier with our choice! The area is generally quite muddy, there’s not a lot of grass, plus we’d been walking in rain all day, so we elected to splurge for the night on a dorm bed each – 15K ARS each, about 21NZD. The family we stayed with were so kind and welcoming – plenty of chooks, a couple of friendly dogs and a tiny wee puppy wandered the yard, and along with Soledad, our host, there were four relatives of varying ages. They were all a little shy (except for the youngest – she was so curious, of course!), but we felt very welcome. The accommodation was basic, a mixture of traditional adobe and concrete, but so comfortable. Another ‘flushing’ toilet, too! They gave us some space once we were settled in by heading out (to a market, or a friend’s place – we weren’t sure), so we cleaned up and relaxed in the common area, had a hot drink and finally got set on cooking a hot meal!

    By the time our host Sole and her family returned, we were feeling pretty chuffed with our decisions and comfortable and warm inside. We knew a good night’s rest was just around the corner. We also knew that if we followed our original plan of an out-and-back, we were going to spend tomorrow hiking up all the downhill we’d just trekked down… so we decided to continue down the trail to Calilegua. We toyed with the idea of walking all the way out the next day – but Sole laughed at the idea, telling us that while she could walk all the way out in one day if she needed to, there was no way that us gringos would match her mountain pace! Our plan the next day would be to head to the next pueblo of San Lucas, and stay the night at Sole’s recommendation of Refugio Montana Ramona. 

    Day 3 :Mololu to San Lucas (6-8 hrs)

    We woke up early, (just in case we made good time and could make it all the way to the road) to clear skies on day 3. With a quick breakfast we began the trek down to San Lucas. The first part of the day was unbelievable – Molulo sits tight up against the hills facing east, but the refugio itself was tucked in behind some trees, so we couldn’t see the sun rising. However, once we were out of the village and onto the trail – the vistas were insane. We finally got the full picture of where we were walking. The track is reasonably flat to begin with, cut into the side of a hill. An alternative track runs along the ridgeline above you, if you want to start the day with an ascent to see a different view, but there are plenty coming. Our initial views were just across hills of alpine grass, but as we continued we got an idea of where we’d come from – even higher hills – and where we were going. The yungas were covered in cloud, as rainforest is so commonly, but the sights of the yellow-green of the pampas graduating into verdant forest, which quickly disappears into a blanket of cloud as far as the eye can see – well, it’s a pretty humbling perspective. 

    The track follows the sights – the rough alpine plants were replaced by bushes, then eventually trees began to surround us, and suddenly we were back amongst humid clouds. The altitude is still reasonable at this point, so it’s not hot – yet. The trail is pretty well worn and clear for this section, and the whole section is mostly downhill – but it still requires concentration, as it can get very, very slippery, especially on sections where the red clay is the prominent. There are a few small uphill sections, and throughout the trail enjoy the variety and beauty of the jungle growths.

    Walking into Refugio Montana Ramona

    Coming into San Lucas, the track widened out into a grassy area, with horses popping in and out of the bushes. Refugio Montana Ramona is well signposted and is the first dwelling in the village proper. The Refugio is run by two kindly old sisters; we arrived as they were doing some building work in one of their rooms – the language barrier meant we didn’t quite know what, or why, but we were eventually able to communicate that we just wanted a spot to pitch our tent, and we didn’t need food – it seemed like they weren’t keen to take dorm visitors and didn’t have the time to ‘host’ properly. Once they realised we weren’t going to be a hassle, they were happy for us to hang out. This refugio was so lovely. As it’s the first property in the village, it sits at the top of the hill with a great view of the valley. There’s an outdoor undercover space to hang out in, with a big table to sit and cook and eat. There’s only enough lawn to pitch one or two tents, but as we were the only ones there, it wasn’t a problem. And there was a proper flushing toilet, and a hot shower if you were feeling fancy! There are lots of other homestays in San Lucas, as it’s a reasonably big mountain village, but if you can get a spot at Ramona we would highly recommend it. 

    We had arrived quite early, so we spent most of the afternoon lounging, drying off our gear, playing with the kittens and the dog (or watching them get uncomfortably close to our tent), and generally enjoying life. Eventually the views turned to rain for the evening, so we were very happy with some shelter from the rain.

    Day 4: San Lucas to Pena Alta (2.5-4hrs)

    We woke up before sunrise to get on our way. We’d done some research before we left (and hence decided to only go halfway-and-back…), and our hosts confirmed that there was only one bus from the trailhead to Libertador General San Martin, and it came at 4pm. From Libertador General San Martin, we’d have to catch another bus to San Pedro de Jujuy. Then another to San Salvador de Jujuy. Then another to Tilcara. A logistical nightmare! But we were filled with hope – for hitchhiking is common enough in Argentina; all we needed was someone to be driving along the road.

    So we were off early, slipping and sliding through the clay tracks of San Lucas, in the morning mist. The track is a little convoluted through the town as there are lots of houses and connecting trails, but once you’re out it’s very straightforward to the road. The track descends quite a lot to start, down into a ravine. The track then follows the wall of the ravine, which is pretty spectacular, occasionally passing over or through connecting waterfalls. The descent is slow along the ravine, until it’s not! But this is the final section – a drop down to the water, across a bridge, and then back up 100m or so until the trailhead. By this time you will be sweaty – the altitude isn’t enough to stop the heat and humidity, and it’s really mosquito central. Have your bug spray ready if you want to stop. 

    We really hustled through this section, and took a short break at the road before beginning to walk towards San Francisco – the closest town about 7km away – as we thought that getting a hitch might be a bit more likely from there. Luckily, we weren’t walking for 20 minutes before a ute stopped for us – a friendly young Argentinian guy who was happy to take us to San Francisco, although his plan was to head to Termas del Rio Jordan, a famous thermal spot on the river, to pick up his friends who were kayaking down towards there. We thought that sounded ideal – a touristic area was way more likely to have people coming and going, and our chances of snagging a ride would be way better. Our new friend was munching on coca the whole way, and was happy to practice his English with us, so we had a good yarn before he dropped us off at Cañon de los Loros – a little further than he’d meant to go, as he needed to find a local guide to take him down to the termas. There were plenty of people at the Canyon, so we were hopeful, but all of them were tour groups who were just starting their canyoning tours, and then continuing onto San Francisco – so, the wrong way! 

    We hung around for 20 minutes or so, before Awal suggested continuing walking away from the groups of people. We looked a little out of place, there was a bit of traffic around, and there was a little bit of a mind game behind it, too. Do you think you’re more likely to give someone a hitch if you see them struggling? Looking miserable? Or just hanging out at a touristy area, looking hopeful and bright… Awal thinks the former is a better play, so we got our packs on and started walking (again) along the road. Now, it was really just luck, not strategy, because the first car drove past us while we were walking without a second glance, but the next car – well, it was our saviour! We were picked up by a super kind Argentinian couple from BA, who were on a birthday holiday in the north. We spent the whole drive out of Calilegua yarning – in broken Spanish, with a bit of Google Translate thrown in, but they were so interested, kind, and welcoming to their country. AND in a stroke of complete luck, they were staying in San Salvador – so they offered to drive us all the way there, directly to the bus station. We were totally overwhelmed with kindness – and the pure luck of being able to get back to Tilcara in a single day. 

    Lovely Argentinean couple that gave us a 4hr hitch

    This was one of those hikes that totally, unexpectedly worked in our favour. The views were sporadic but it meant they were so much more memorable. The locals were kind, helpful and welcoming – not just our hosts, but the people that we met on the trails who were going about their day to day. And of course, without the kindness of friends who offered us a ride all the way to San Salvador (4 hour drive), our experience would have been completely different. We finished up in Tilcara with warm hearts and full of gratitude.

    Keep it Short and Sweet:

    Climate: Wet in summer – December to March ; dry in winter – June to August

    Total Distance: 65km

    Elevation: 4500m up and 5780m down

    Description: A one way; homestay-to-homestay (book in advance via WhatsApp) track that traverses a mountain range. Walk between small mountain villages in alpine grasses into a humid jungle. If it’s not overcast, there should be fantastic views from the alpine hills across the jungle plains.

    Track: Non-technical, mostly well trodden, not always well marked.

    Facilities: Homestays with dorms or a space to camp; flushing toilets; makeshift shower; running water (filter needed); food available if you book in advance

    Getting there: The track can start from the town of Tilcara. The ‘road’ ends at Casa Colorada, so it’s possible to take a taxi if the conditions are good enough (50000ARS) or walk there from the town (extra 2-3 hours). 

    Day 1: Tilcara -> Yuto Pampa. Steep uphill most of the way, with views of Tilcara and the surroundings in the valley. At the ridge, take in the views then continue to descend into the pampas. The homestay we contacted didn’t have the bunkroom open, I believe because we had our own tent. The toilet and a makeshift shower were accessible. You will have passed through some substantial altitude, so increase your water intake and be sure to eat well. Homestay: El Cokena – Marcela (+54 9 388 477 9368)

    Day 2: Yuto Pampa – Molulo. Descend into the valley, cross the river, then ascend the other side. The track can get a little unclear in patches after this, so check your GPS to eventually descend into… and stay at the home of Sole Martines (+54 9 388 462 4023), Refugio Mi Esperanza

    Day 3: Molulo -> San Lucas. Continue around the alpine ridges for a few hours before descending into the jungle. It should still be cool enough that there aren’t any mosquitos. Stay at one of the homestays in San Lucas – we camped at Refugio MontaNa Ramona, which is the first refugio in the village, without a booking. 

    Day 4: San Lucas -> PeNa Alta (trailhead). Descend for about 4 hours, mostly alongside the river, in a ravine, until reaching the road at a point called PeNa Alta. You’ll be watching out for mosquitos by the end of this track – keep your repellent handy.

    Getting out: Is complicated! The range you’ve just walked over is not passable, so you have to drive all the way back round (or double your distance – hardcore). The bus only runs once a day from the trailhead to Libertador General San Martin at 4pm – 5pm. From there, take separate buses to San Pedro de Jujuy, onwards to San Salvador de Jujuy, then finally to Tilcara. Factor in an extra night to travel back. Agencies may offer private transport if you’re willing to pay. We were able to get a hitch hike straight back to San Salvador – which was incredibly lucky, as we only had to catch one bus.

  • Border Crossing From Argentina into Bolivia & The Wild West of Tupiza: Everything you Need to Know!

    Border Crossing From Argentina into Bolivia & The Wild West of Tupiza: Everything you Need to Know!

    From Humahuaca, we caught the night bus to La Quiaca, which is the border town in Argentina to Bolivia. The night bus arrived at about 7am in La Quiaca, which is when the border opens. We walked around 15 minutes through La Quiaca to the border, as there were two of us and it didn’t feel particularly unsafe (contrary to many things that we’d read online). What happened next… was the quickest border crossing we’ve ever done. There was nobody else approaching the border from the Argentinian side, so we were stamped into no-mans-land within a minute. Then we crossed the bridge toward the Bolivian side only to see a line of people waiting outside – as Bolivia is an hour behind Argentina, the office wasn’t open yet! But when we asked one of the security guards what to do, he encouraged us to just pop our heads in – when we did, a bored-looking officer took our passports and disappeared for another minute, came back with our Bolivian immigration slip (DO NOT LOSE) and waved us on our way to Villazon. The line waiting outside the Bolivian immigration office was to exit Bolivia.

    Click here to take yourself to short and sweet where we summarize this blog post.

    Tell Me Everything:

    Overall the border crossing genuinely took about five minutes – and we ‘gained’ an hour of time, just crossing the border. We also found that the exchange houses at the border actually offered a reasonable rate – or, perhaps that with the Blue Dollar rate the difference was not going to bother us. However, we did get played for buying the first SIM card we found – 50 bolivianos for the SIM itself! When we bought a second in Tupiza, it was only 20BOB. But with our access to the internet restored, we walked to the bus terminal – again, the town felt safe and we were comfortable to walk rather than take a taxi, and it took about 30 minutes.

    From the Villazon you have a few options for a direct bus, depending on what you want to do. 

    • Tupiza, 4 hours: we took the bus directly here, to settle into Bolivian travel and then start our tour of the Salt Flats. However, by heading immediately west, we missed out on…
    • Tarija, 8 hours: we learned afterwards about this stunning town at moderate altitude in Bolivia. Tarija has plenty of swimming spots and beautiful architecture to occupy you inside and around the town. Besides, it is part of Bolivia’s wine region – a drawcard for many! This is a location of the beaten track but still with plenty to do. If you have the time to explore, we’d suggest this as a stop in your route. 
    • Uyuni, 8? Hours: Salt Flats tours are a day shorter from Uyuni, and with many more operators driving competition, your overall spend can drop decently. However, unless you’re really short on time we’d definitely recommend visiting one of the above options and potentially taking a tour from there!
    • There are other options further afield – Potosí, or Sucre, though it’s most efficient to tour the Salt Flats before exploring the rest of Bolivia – unless you’re trying to wait for the mirror effects of the wet season (Jan – Mar).

    Tupiza:

    We didn’t really have many conversations in Villazon, so it wasn’t until we arrived in Tupiza that we began to get a feel for Bolivia. I’ve read quite a few blogs which comment on the reserved nature of Bolivianos – especially compared to the hospitality found across the rest of South America. We found that this was so far from the truth. 

    Fewer tourists in Tupiza mean that the locals are much more interested in your story – I had a lovely conversation with a couple of ladies selling tamales, who were confused (yet excited) as to what I was doing in their little town. 

    So what were we doing in Tupiza? Primarily, using it as the third (least popular) location to start a tour of the Uyuni Salt Flats & surrounds. The tours from Tupiza are a day longer than those starting in San Pedro (Chile) or Uyuni, so they’re a little pricier. However, we liked the extra day, although there is a lot of driving, it’s a nice way to meet people and it was fairly quiet, especially compared to the 3rd and 4th days where we were really in the same crowds as the normal tours. There is a lot of sitting and driving and chatting/listening to music/napping, so this lazier way of travelling may not be for you.  We had a really fun group (luck of the draw) and the last day you take the salt flats tour, which is the really awesome part. We went with tupiza tours – who were fine, but we wouldn’t recommend them. Our guide was awesome and the food was tasty, but there wasn’t enough for any of the meals – your own snacks are absolutely required. We met others that were on other tours and they had no complaints about the amount of food served. So do some research before you book!

    However, Tupiza absolutely has its own charm that is worth exploring. There’s a small mercado central to pick up produce, and the streets around it will be filled with vendors too, or head to the Mercado Campesino for more variety. 

    The surroundings of Tupiza are also worth your while. The town is famous for its similarity to the Hollywood depictions of the Wild West – think cactus filled desert, craggy rocks, reddened soils. Seriously! It’s some insane landscape. It’s lower altitude that a number of other spots in Bolivia, but still somewhat arid, so it’s stinking hot in the middle of the day with strong sun and lost of dust, but we still had some mozzies in our room at night. 

    To enjoy the desert landscapes, you can explore on foot – a real all-day excursion. GPS, water and sunblock are all essentials! Be aware of trail dogs, some of whom can be aggressive. Keep some rocks on hand to scare them off. Walking from town is viable, but you can also take a tuk-tuk to reduce the distance.

    We chose to explore Tupiza in the most fitting way possible – on horseback! There were options for 3, 5 and 7 hour tours, depending on what features you wanted to visit – we went with 5, and could hardly walk the next day… but it was so worth it! Although we both have next to no experience on horseback, we felt super comfortable with our guide, the horses looked happy, and the whole stable group were so friendly. And we kind of felt like cowboys – we even got to ride the horses at a trot, which is HILARIOUS for uncoordinated first timers. We went with Club Ecuestre Amazonas – highly recommended.  Get in touch with them on whatsapp to make a booking.

    The main features to visit in the desert are:

    • Canon del Duende – a narrow pass which opens up into a canyon with some spectacular rock formations. Best done on horseback as it is further away from town.
    • Puerta del Diablo & Canon del Inca – easily combined on a walk. The first is a cool looking piece of rock, and you’ll have to pass it to visit the canyon. The canyon goes on quite a way, although it starts off with a small ‘climb’ up a little rock face – and it was our last visit on our horse tour and we were feeling a little heat-strokey, so we didn’t continue on.

    This is a good thing to note though – we weren’t walking or exerting ourselves much on horseback, but by the end of the 5 hours and in the midday heat we were both feeling a little poorly – bring plenty, plenty plenty of water if you decide to go out into the desert!

    We stayed in Hostal Butch Cassidy – there are not that many hostels in Tupiza, so we mention this one because the rooms were comfortable, the breakfast was good, and it had a tidy little kitchen. We spent two nights in Tupiza, which was perfect for us. After horse riding in the morning of our full day, we lunched and rested before checking out the sunset from the Mirador Corazón de Jesus. It was an early night and an early start for the Salt Flats tour the next day!

    Keep it Short & Sweet:

    • Crossing the border from Argentina (La Quiaca) into Bolivia (Villazon) is best done early in the morning, but can be so quick and easy – depending on your passport and the requirements for a visa.
    • From Villazon, we’d suggest catching a direct bus to Tarija to explore Bolivia’s wine region and some beautiful-seeming swimming holes.
    • We caught a direct bus to Tupiza – a great place for seeing some Bolivian life off the beaten track, wild-west horse riding and launching a tour of the Salar de Uyuni.
    • Alternatively, there are direct buses to Uyuni, if you’re in a rush or aren’t interested (but we’d definitely recommend being interested!

  • Exploring Northern Chile: San Pedro de Atacama

    Exploring Northern Chile: San Pedro de Atacama

    San Pedro de Atacama is one of those places on the Gringo trail – and while I think it’s deserving of the popularity, don’t forget that it is a highly popular, heavily touristic little town. The town sits around an oasis in the high-altitude Atacama desert, and its popularity stems from its proximity to many different natural vistas – colourful high alpine lakes and birds, Mars-like rock formations, geysers, star-gazing, salt-rich lagunas, canyons and pre-Colombian ruins. Many of these activities are day-long activities, either requiring a tour or a rental car – it’s a hive for excursions, and you could spend days making your way in and out of town.

    But a concentration of tourists and activities makes one thing certain – nothing is free! Every new area that you enter, lagoon that you set eyes on, path to cycle down has a little price tag set against it – and while the communities need to (and should) make their margins off us Gringos that come through, it can be tough on budget travellers who might like to hike on their ‘saving-days’, but even that is costly.

    Excuse the whining – read it instead as fair warning – because San Pedro does pack a punch in “things to do”. Although, our other observation is that many of them will require several hours driving and not a lot of walking – and our personal vibe is that there are only so many times you can pull over to take photos before it gets a bit hoha (tiresome), but many other reviews seem to have the opposite opinion.

    Click here to take yourself to the short and sweet section for the main informative points from this post.

    Tell me everything:

    Car Hire

    We found the most efficient manner to explore San Pedro de Atacama was with our own rental car. Note: we did this with only two of us, and it was still substantially cheaper! The tour companies are sneaky and don’t include park entry in their ticket prices, so check on that. The crux of the matter lies in hiring the cheapest car possible, and I can imagine the mathematics may not apply in the peak-peak times. We hired a sweet little Suzuki Swift, which sounded like it would be a right nightmare, but just take it slow to avoid the potholes and let everyone overtake you. You should be enjoying the views while driving anyway, so just chill! There are certain tracks you can only take with a 4×4, which will nearly double the cost for car hire, but read on for more details & make a decision based on your vibes.

    The descriptions below are itineraries we nicked from the tour agencies. Get them to give you a run down of the tour in person if anything is confusing below. I can’t comment properly, but because these are all sightseeing tours, we felt no need for a guide initially, nor did we feel as though we missed out on anything substantial without one.

    Note: always have at least a half tank of gas (in our experience) and offline maps downloaded. You’ll go into quite remote places. We used nearly a whole tank of gas over two days – which was pretty efficient. We paid 100000CLP for the Swift for two days’ hire, and 37000CLP for fuel. There is only one gas station in town that is notorious for scamming tourists so please make sure you check your receipts and you bank app that the amount charged is correct!

    Road Trip 1: Piedras Rojas (South) + Lagunas Piedra y Cejar + Ojos y Salar

    This one is a long day of driving! Leave early towards the town of Socaire, where you can grab a feed if needed and you’ll have to pay for your ‘park’ entry – 15k CLP pp. Continue on to where the views begin. We drove all the way out to Laguna Tayajto before stopping for our first photo ops, then turned around to come back, but really you could go all the way to the Argentinian border if you love to drive.

    Most of the viewpoints on the way back are clear & on the main road, and all involve a small amount of walking only. Don’t miss the turn off to Lagunas Miscanti and Miñiques – up a sandy road, a lil’ suss in the Swift but doable. There was heaps of birdlife at Miñiques, and we saw our first Flamingo!! So cool.

    If you haven’t mucked around too much on the way out and want to squeeze everything in, turn off to Lagunas Piedras and Cedar on the way back (swimming), and the Salar & Ojos del Salar (photography). I do think you’d be pushed for time to get all of this in, so it’s probably easier to do another, shorter road trip to these spots – we missed them because of time, and because all three had additional charges that we didn’t want to budget in.

    All in all, this road trip was cool, but driving to see sights is not something we rate highly. In saying this, the sights were worth the drive so we would recommend it.

    Road Trip 2: Highest Geysers in the World (North East)

    Another long day, but not as long. The best time to arrive at the geysers is while it’s still dark – which means a really early wakeup, and driving down a road full of potholes in the pitch black – not ideal. Nevertheless, it makes for an adventure, and one that is pretty sweet.

    The coldness of the predawn makes the geysers the most impressive, both because they blow higher and because of the amount of steam they then generate. Let’s be real – you won’t be seeing 10m blasts – the average height is something like 133cm. While there are a range of different type of geysers to admire, check with the person who takes your ticket where the most active geysers are (they were the furthest ones when we were there) and listen into the tour groups to figure out which ones are likely to be popping off soon – we caught some cool movement luckily by doing so! It’s bloody freezing as you’re up nearly at 5000m, so definitely don’t forget to layer up. Your ticket (15k CLP pp) has no end time, so enjoy the different Geysers until the sun rises and you can warm up. 

    We had our breakfast (brought our camping stove for hot coffee, honestly amazing) on the small hill just outside the park – most of the tour groups eat there too, so going a bit later also assures some peace. One of the tour groups were finishing up their breakfast and offered us their fresh fruits and biscuits, which we kindly accepted!

    Afterward, start back towards San Pedro with a few wonderful stops. This road is stunning, and you won’t have seen it yet! Appreciate the mountain views and straight roads. Spot Vicunas and Alpacas and birdlife (MORE FLAMINGOS) in the wetlands as you descend – there are a few miradores & clear places to stop. You can pause at Puri Libre (or Termas de Puritama & pay) for a thermal bath. If you feel like walking, take a wander through the Cañon de Guatin to spy some cool cactus.

    This was definitely my preferred trip – the views were more impressive and the geysers were really interesting. We saw far more wildlife, though that’s mostly luck! It’s also less driving (or maybe we just started much earlier?), so we were back in town late afternoon as opposed to night time.

    Road Trip 3: 4×4 Cerro Toco (East)

    This one got away from us, as the tours were even pricier and the 4×4 hire was out of budget. The trailhead for this 5604m peak is only accessible on a rough road that a poor wee Swift can’t handle. Although it’s high-altitude, the climb is supposedly non-technical and easy to do without a guide – though double check this with a local before you set out as things are always changing, and triple check that you’re acclimatised, as this hike hits some real heights! We also don’t believe there is an entrance fee for this hike.

    Night Road Trip: Stargazing

    If you’ve got a car hired and you’re a star lover, why not find a spot out of town and away from street lights to enjoy the clarity of looking at the night sky in a high altitude desert. In winter, there is less rain and cloud, so the likelihood of getting a truly clear night is much higher. The higher altitudes generally have clearer skies and less pollution than at sea level, so you should be able to enjoy some sweet views! Of course, you can also take a tour if you’re so inclined, there are plenty of offers within town. There is a huge observatory close to San Pedro de Atacama – we were hyped to do a tour, learning about the kind of astronomy that they perform (and to look through some huge telescopes!). Unfortunately, most of the time the observatory doesn’t actually run tours, but also do an extra check.

    Bicycle Hire

    Another great way to explore San Pedro de Atacama is on two wheels. There are plenty of options for bike hire around the town, for either half or full day. You could probably do the two valleys below in a single day, though you’d be hooning around for a long while and the sun does get blistering in the middle of the day – so take plenty of water. We paid 7000CLP each for a half day of bike hire – a full day was 16000CLP.

    Valley de La Luna 

    We hired bikes for half a day and cycled this route – you can easily get to the ticket office from the town, and while you have to cycle for a small while on the main highway, there are big shoulders that mean you will feel pretty safe even with the cars zooming past. At the ticket office they give you a map with all the different points of interest, which are all on an out-and-back road that runs into the desert. The suggested activities totals up to 2-3 of walking plus a couple of hours of cycling. Each of the stops is pretty cool, and it’s nice to switch between taking the landscape in on a bike and more slowly by foot. Entrance was 10800CLP.

    The entrance ticket also includes a viewpoint on the top of the hill, which is a great spot to watch the sunset – however, it’s not very accessible by foot, as it’s quite far from the town. If you want to enjoy the evening sun from this spot, make sure you hire the bikes for the whole day, or have a car to travel there in the evening. You can also just purchase a ticket for the sunset view, if you want to return, though we’ve advised an alternative (free) sunset location below.

    We both had incredibly sore butts by the end of the day, as the road is fairly bumpy! Fair warning if you’re not used to biking (like us) and plan to do more hours on the road.

    Gargantua del Diablo 

    As we only hired bikes for half a day, we didn’t get to this location. There is also an entrance fee here, paid at the entrance to Valle de Catarpe (currently it appears to be 5000CLP pp). It’s supposedly a great ride with a completely different type of scenery to Valle de la Luna, and a little mirador at the end that you must walk to. It may also be comparatively quiet to other locations you visit in San Pedro, as it’s further down the main tour list at agencies.

    Pukará de Quitor

    If you’re feeling like delving into a little bit of history, visit Pukara de Quitor, a remnant of the indigenous Atacama people. You can arrive at this site by bike, as it’s close enough to the town, but you’ll need to explore the grounds on foot. There is an entrance fee, and we can’t comment on the worthiness of the site itself, as we didn’t visit.

    Free Sunset spot at San Pedro De Atacama:

    Watch the sunset at Mirador Likan-Antay

    Keep it Short and Sweet

    There is so much to do in San Pedro de Atacama, but all of it will be dry, hot, high-altitude (make sure you take time to acclimatize) and cost you a buck or ten.

    Travel by: Hire car (instead of taking the same as a tour) and rental bike. We recommend hiring the car through West Rent a Car

    Road Trips: Piedras Rojas (15000CLP pp), Geysers (15000CLP pp), Lagunas Piedra y Cejar + Ojos y Salar (unsure on cost)

    Hiking Road Trip: Cerro Toco

    Bike tours: Valle de la Luna, Gargantua del Diablo, Pukara de Quitor.

    Tip: This list is not all inclusive! Check at the local tour agencies for all the activities that are available in San Pedro de Atacama, and don’t be afraid to use their itineraries as inspiration for your own self-guided journey. 

  • Exploring Bariloche: The four Refugio Hike and More!

    Exploring Bariloche: The four Refugio Hike and More!

    There’s no rest for those who love to hike – we had one night in a hostel in El Calafate before jumping on a plane to our final Patagonian destination: Bariloche, where warmer weather finally awaited us. In fairness, the weather was too warm – a series of wildfires had started a few hundred kilometers south of Bariloche, and for the previous few weeks the wind blowing from the south had been bringing ash and smoke into the skies. We got super lucky, and arrived as the prevailing wind turned. We had wonderful weather without a trace of the disasters further south. 

    Bariloche was the first reasonably sized town we’d been to since we left Puerto Montt. It was a bit of a shock to see so many bustling people, both locals and tourists, but overall the vibe was pretty cool – fancy chocolate shops line the main street, with stores full of Argentinian knick-knacks and anime filling the gaps. A small plaza overlooks the lake, and we arrived on a Sunday so there were plenty of locals out enjoying the sunshine, purchasing snacks and generally contributing to a sweet summer vibe.

    Bariloche was to be our last stop in Patagonia before we took a break from hiking and began to travel north towards Bolivia. We had eight days to explore the surrounding parks –  but after already spending 10 nights in the tent, we were keen to combine the hiking with some R&R. Thankfully, we spied a little B&B for a reasonable price, so the b

    Tell me everything:

    The Four Refugios Hike (well, two)

    Two days in Bariloche and we were off again, onto the popular Four Refugios hike. Of course, we weren’t staying in the refugios ($$) , but our tent (-$), although some of the refugios do have a large enough common area to accommodate campers – at least until dinner is served.

    This one didn’t go quite the way we had planned – it wasn’t just that the budget allowed us to spend less time in our tent, but that the rain forced us to cut this hike short. We spent two nights at Refugio Frey, taking a day in the sun to relax a bit, followed by one night at Refugio Jakob before the rain packed it in. The staff at Refugio Jakob strongly discouraged us from taking the route the next day to Refugio Negra (which also happened to be the most difficult section), and told us the National Park had actually closed the track for the weekend, the weather was forecast to be so bad. One of the staff described an ‘alternative’ route – that was, hiking down to the road, along it for 5km, and then back up the track to the next Refugio – totalling about 30km in the rain, with about 1000m of elevation in both directions. Once we got to the road, wet and cold, we decided it was a no-go plan. We ended up booking a last minute AirBnB within an hour’s walk of the trailhead, in the small village of Villa Nahuel Malal. Call us softies, but it ended up being the perfect little cottage – with a wee kitchen and a comfortable outdoor area – it made us feel as though we were still in the outdoors, but with the creature comforts a roof and hot water bring. Awal’s knees had started to play up with the elevation changes, so the extra days of recovery were well worth it. It does turn out that some of that ended up being beach time, because the forecasted ‘weekend storms’ never arrived! We had days of blue skies by the lake.

    The standard Four Refugios loop takes only four days. The order is Frey – Jakob – Negra – Lopez. You can book at the huts online, either camping or in the refugio itself. They all have a limited number of booking slots (which is why we stayed at Frey two nights), although in the end as far as we could tell, they aren’t too worried on the number of campers who actually turn up. Please note that it snows during winter here so sometimes it is not possible to access certain huts and they are closed. Each respective website will be the best place to find the most recent information. Each refugio has a different amount you’re meant to pay to camp, though Frey was free when we were there. There are flushing toilets at all the refugios too – fancy! The refugios provide dinner & breakfast (for extra $$$), and you can buy lunch, so if you’re not inclined to bring food up the hills, you can purchase meals (and extra snacks) as needed.

    Each refugio is accessible from the road, but the track goes over mountain passes to join up to each of them. This does mean that on weekends & in general throughout the summer, they fill up, as locals can do overnighters easily. Frey is also a popular spot for climbers – which makes it extra busy!

    Getting There:

    There’s a public bus that leaves every hour from Bariloche, #55, that you can catch to “Cathedral” (ski area), which drops you at the trailhead. A Sube card is necessary, but you only need one for a group. The fee is relatively higher than others (we recall 5k ARS each), as it’s about an hour on the bus and it’s a popular tourist route both in summer and winter.

    Day 1 (~4 hours)

    Once at Cathedral, you’ll be dropped at a big parking lot. Check your GPS for the track start (or follow the line of people). It is well marked, once you find it. The track climbs steadily for about 30 minutes until you reach a highpoint over Lago Gutierrez. The track is exposed and provides gorgeous views as you walk alongside the lake. Eventually, you reach a pass, where you will turn northeast and begin to ascend again through forest – we spotted a woodpecker in this section, so keep an eye out for birdlife! Eventually, the forest clears and it becomes rocky scree and low bush again, and there’s a final ascent to Refugio Frey, which sits next to another Laguna for picturesque views.

    Note: Some people do this as a day hike, or you could do it as an overnighter loop, looping this section in with the start of day 2. The circuit goes up the first pass, and then back down to the west around Cerro Cathedral. We didn’t check out the route, but we read a few other blogs that said this path can be pretty steep and sketchy in sections – so have some good boots to keep you steady.

    Day 2: (~5 hours)

    As above, the track continues on around the laguna and up the first pass. The first uphill section is just a tough slog upward, and you eventually will arrive at a second, smaller laguna. The next section is a bit more challenging and fun – there’s a bit of boulder scrambling to get up, using your hands and a little rock climbing. Once through the pass, there are some gorgeous views of the surroundings, so take it in for a moment before beginning your descent! The descent is pretty steep, with some sections of thick scree (fun) and some of light scree (slippery as hell). You’ll descend into the forest and skirt the edge of the valley, walking east. There’s a campground marked on the map here, if you’d prefer to wild camp off the tops, and it seemed like a really nice spot. Continue on from there to eventually start rising again – one more pass! This climb is much less technical and a lot gentler, although the descent on the otherside is again, rough, the shots of the refugio nestled in against another the laguna are very very cool.

    Day 3: (supposedly, 10 hours)

    From here on, we have no personal experience. This section of the track is supposed to be the most difficult and the most poorly marked. As noted, it does seem like the National Park is a bit overkill on what is difficult and what is probably totally doable, but it is still above the bushline so always take care with the weather and ask if there is snow or ice on the trek. We do have some friends who couldn’t attempt this trek because all the passes we snowed out!

    Day 4: Trek to Refugio Lopez

    This day takes you over another pass to Refugio Lopez, but it’s meant to be quite a short day. Enjoy a long rest at the refugio!

    Day 5: Trek out of National Park

    You have a couple of options for this day – the short option, straight down the hill to the road for a couple of hours, or take the scenic route around to the lakefront and end in Bahia Lopez.

    Once you’ve finished your hike, you can take the bus from along RP77 (so if you take the short route, youll need to walk along the road a bit) back into Bariloche, but we’d recommend finding some accomodation along the waterfront and out of Bariloche so you can enjoy some of the day hikes at the end of the peninsula!

    Cerro Llao Llao

    This regional park is the main section of daywalking. There are several tracks that sort of join up, which offer hiking in between some huge & gorgeous pine trees, plus beach access. Visiting Mirador Llao Llao is a must, as the views to the lake are stunning. If you stay back in town, or somewhere along the coast, buses go from Bariloche, along the coastline to near the trailheads. The stops are by a handful of fancy restaurants and hotels, if that’s your post-hike vibe ($$$$).

    Biking Circuito Chico

    An alternative way to reach Cerro Llao Llao, and explore a bit more of this area, is to explore by bike – known at Circuit Chico. This (quite) hilly circuit should take at least a whole day, as it’s not just the riding that you’ll want to do but also the day walks around Cerro Llao Llao and stops to some of the pueblitos on the route, such as the quaint Colonia Suiza. We didn’t end up completing this circuit – although we wanted to – as the bike hire was actually quite expensive, and Awal’s knees were still on the ginger side!

    Nahuel Huapi National Park

    We’ve described one hike in Nahuel Huapi, but this national park encompasses more than just the four refugios trek. Check on the National Park website for all of the refugios, campsites and tracks that you can link up. You could spend days in the park, drifting between refugios and enjoying the outdoors, but as mentioned before, check on conditions in the mountains before you head out, as some of the passes can get gnarly. 

    Check out the official website for a list of hikes, both multi-day and single-day. Note that the park has an entrance fee, though the only place this seems to apply is in the Cerro Tronador area (which does look like a wonderful overnighter!). https://nahuelhuapi.gov.ar/

    Seven Lagunas

    If you’ve got time and, more importantly, a hired car on your hands, there’s more to do around the Argentinian lakes district. We had neither, but we would love to return one day to complete the seven lakes road trip. This driving route runs from Villa La Angostura to San Martin de Los Andes. You can stay in gorgeous little Argentinian villages and drive through spectacular scenery of glossy lakes and mountain peaks. A quick look can be taken in one day, or you could spend a few checking out the route and exploring the little towns and some small hikes.

    Hiking to the South

    With a car, you can also turn to the south of Bariloche – and to more national parks. Alerces is another very Popular park with plenty of hiking options, although with the lack of accessibility it should take you away from the crowds somewhat. Alternatively, you can visit Lago Puelo NP, which is closer.

    Overall, Bariloche itself offers plenty of cool things to do, gorgeous scenery, and yummy snacks (we went to this chocolate shop (https://maps.app.goo.gl/X211zoyUukaqMeLL8), which was a lot cheaper than the ones on the main strip, but the chef was genuine and enthusiastic and the choccy was delicious!!), we would love to return one day and continue exploring the area.

    Keep it Short and Sweet

    • We only did 2 days of this hike as the park closed due to bad weather
    • the bad weather never arrived!!!
    • You need to book spots at the refugios and campsites
    • You can purchase breakfast, lunch and dinner at the refugios
    • Catch bus #55 from Bariloche to the “Cathedral” (ski area) for the start of the hike
    • You will need a Sube card to catch the bus. You only need one per group. You can buy them from a kiosko but get one early as they seemed to be nearly all sold out when we were there!
    • Day 1 and 2 were moderate in difficulty. Day 2 specifically has alot of desending so take care of your knees!
    • Cerro Llao Llao is a beautiful regional park for day hikes
    • You can also do a bike ride along Circuito Chico. We found bike hire to be 35000ARS
    • You can do the seven lagunas- if you have hired a car we strongly recommend this!
    • Delicious chocolate at a reasonable price: https://maps.app.goo.gl/X211zoyUukaqMeLL8
  • Los Glaciares in El Chalten: Patagonia’s Most Famous Hikes & A Moral Conundrum 

    Los Glaciares in El Chalten: Patagonia’s Most Famous Hikes & A Moral Conundrum 

    It’s curious to consider how a region gets famous, and the fine difference between popular and overrated. Is it the difference between online-generated expectations and reality? Is it the crowds of people? Is it the burgeoning prices? Or some perfect, unfortunate combination of the above.

    Parque Nacional Los Glaciares is probably the most heavily visited area of Patagonia, iconic for Petito Moreno Glacier in the south, near El Calafate, and for the Cerro Fitz Roy mastiff in the north, by El Chalten. The accessibility of natural beauty from these two towns is a key reason for their popularity. Petito Moreno is an hour bus ride each way, but only a 30 minute walk to see an advancing glacier. And while trekking to Fitz Roy is a fairly long day (25km return), the trailhead is right in town. These two small Argentine towns have a mountain-village charm that – for us – was somewhat worn down by exorbitant prices. 

    Prior to summer 2024 – 2025, there were no fees to enter Los Glaciares. Prior to January 2025, there were no camping fees in the park, and wild camping was permitted – but all of this changed, quickly, without warning, and without the infrastructure to support the changes. 

    Entry to Los Glaciares now costs 45k ARS per day – although Guardparque Stations only exist on some trailheads, and the Guardparques are only serviced from 7am-5pm, so avoiding the fees is very much doable. A night’s stay at any of the campsites in the park costs 15K ARS per person – with long-drops available, but no campers’ shelter.

    As in our previous budget posts, the high cost of goods is some unlucky combination of Argentina’s changing economy and Patagonia’s isolation, but all prices are also driven by demand, of which there is plenty. Of course, we are complaining as reasonably well-off tourists – so if we found the prices in supermarkets rough, it only stands that the locals have it even harder.

    But while consuming food and booking accommodation supports the local community, it sounds like the changes to the park and park fees themselves are having little impact on the local people or the park maintenance itself. Although, whether that is the truth or a tale designed to make us all feel better, we have no proof.

    We’d say that in general, we’re pretty rules-driven people. We like lines. We think sign-in books are cool. We’re comfortable paying for an honesty campsite. And we both instantly feel guilty when we do something that we know isn’t right – so camping in Los Glaciares was a mixed bag for us. 

    We planned the trip to El Chalten based on information collected from the previous year – which turned out to be wildly wrong. It wasn’t until we had booked flights in and out that we checked again – on reddit – only to find out about all the changes to prices. We were already massively over-budget in Patagonia (a good start to a year travelling!), and couldn’t even remotely afford an extra 60USD each per day. Our only option was to hide out in the park, free camp in secluded places, and enjoy the solitude as much as possible.

    Tell me everything:

    Overall, we spent 11 days in Los Glaciares, with one restock. Five days were on the Huemul, which we’ve detailed in another post, then another 6 in the ‘main’ section of the park.

    Skipping Petito Moreno

    We flew from Ushuaia to El Calafate, as we’d already travelled through Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales, and didn’t need to return (and it ended up cheaper). We decided to only spend a single night in El Calafate, skipping a visit to the Petito Moreno Glacier. If you’ve the cash to burn – don’t do what we did! It does sound spectacular. The walkways are close to the glacier front, so you get stunning views all around. In the afternoon, it’s supposedly common to see the glacier calving, where it sheds chunks of ice. But it’s 45k ARS entry (as part of Los Glaciares), plus 50k ARS for the return bus. That’s about 100USD ea…

    Bus Prices: Calafate to Chalten

    Talking about extortionate – buses in Argentina are far more expensive than those in Chile. The three hour ride between the two mountain towns will set you back 38K ARS per person, each way. Apparently, there is one bus that’s cheaper, but we don’t think it runs often (or at all) anymore.

    Camping at Laguna Sucia

    After the Huemul Circuit, we restocked and reentered the park late, snagging an uninspired camping spot in some trees a couple of hours in. The next day, we continued on with the intention of enjoying Fitz Roy from the neighbouring Laguna Sucia, rather than the main track, and camping there the night – we’d read and heard that there were lots of good campsites on this track. As mentioned, we had snapped a picture of an old park map, which had multiple tracks that are no longer displayed or ‘recommended’. So when we went to turn off onto the Laguna Sucia track, there were a couple of signs telling us to turn back! We ploughed on, crossed the river and did some fun boulder hopping to get to the laguna – which is absolutely worth it. It was super quiet, and the weather was stunning – no wind, no clouds, and only one other person, who wasn’t camping there. We picked a spot with a big rocky barrier someone had kindly built, and settled in for a calm evening.

    Little did we know – although perhaps it should’ve been obvious by the absence of other campers at the laguna – a storm was coming over the mountain. And that’s the problem with camping near such dramatic peaks; the sudden changes they can cause. From 9pm, the wind and rain picked up more, and more, and more, until we were pulling on rainproofs, crawling out of our shaking tent, restaking pegs and tightening guys – and eventually, changing clothes completely, packing up everything non-sleep related, and considering packing down and leaving. But at 3am, the storm eased off a bit (to the point where we didn’t have to hold up the tent’s buckling pole system), and we slept uneasily until sunrise. We snapped a cute photo and enjoyed the morning light on the mountains, slept a few more hours, then made our way down the mountain and away from the horrors of the previous night.

    Camping by Lago Electrico

    We’d wanted to spend two nights at Laguna Sucia recovering from the Huemul, but there was no way we were taking another chance there. Our next goal was Lago Electrico – at the far end of the park, and far away from the big crowds. It also turns out, Lago Electrico is actually private land and isn’t technically part of the park. There’s a shitty little barbed wire fence that has been maneuvered to fit a hiker, but otherwise we were easily able to move between the two without any guard stations.

    From the base of the Fitz Roy trail, we traversed down the true left of the Río Blanco, which enables you to take a side trip to some cool views of Glaciar Piedras Blancas. There’s a bit of rock hopping around this section too, which is fun, but will slow you down a bit. With the pack weight and the tiredness, this actually ended up being a much longer day than we anticipated.

    Río Electrico and the valley run perpendicular to the Cerro Fitz Roy mastiff – that is, it runs in the direction that the storm came the night before. This didn’t become obvious until we exited the cover of the forest, right after the Piedra Del Fraile refugio. Camping at the refugio was available for 20k ARS a night, so we continued on to brave the winds…

    … which did not work out in our favour. It took over an hour to reach the shores of Lago Electrico, where again, we’d read there were good camping spots – all of which were super exposed! There were a few ‘sheltered’ areas amongst the rocks on the way, but the wind simply said no – it must’ve been gusting at well over 100kph, and always found a way to rush around or over the surrounding escarpment. As we retreated back from the beach, we tried to set up in three different spots, quite unsuccessfully, and eventually were forced to run back to the trees, racing a rain front and the dying sunlight, and setting up camp alongside the cliff-face ascending to Piedra Negra. It was cookies and nutella for dinner.

    We spent three nights in the same spot – the next day, the sun shone and the trees gave us shelter, so we spent the whole day lazing around, eating our spare food and enjoying the break. The following day, the rain packed it in again, so we had a slow morning before taking a day-walk back to the shores of Lago Electrico. Emma really wanted to see the marked ‘Playita’ campsite on the map, but the river was impossible to cross without getting boots wet – so in the spirit of taking it easy, we enjoyed the view of the back of Fitz Roy and headed back for an early night.

    Cerro Fitz Roy

    Day 10 in the park – a few hours walking took us from Lago Electrico and back to the big crowds, and it was time to join in – for the most famous peaks in Patagonia. Actually, only Emma ascended to admire Fitz Roy from the traditional spot, and Awal stayed with the packs (a kind gesture, but also driven by being a wee bit hoha). It was a gorgeous day; although the wind was howling the whole time, the clouds would part to expose the peaks. What I found most hilarious was the line of people waiting patiently to stand on ‘the’ rock in the laguna, which provides the best shot of you, the clear blue waters, and the dramatic peaks. Do take care heading up – there is a steady line of people in both directions, and some places are well worn and quite slippery. It’s great fun to race up and down (especially being pack-less after walking 10 days with a pack!), but watch out for the wind in the exposed sections, it will blow you over if you’re moving too fast…

    After snapping a few shitty (hilarious) selfies with ol’ Fitz, we carried on to find a new campsite, again running away from a rainfront, and trying to find a spot nice and close to a trailhead for an early morning exit. We eventually set up near Laguna Capri, and had an early night hiding from the rain.

    Over and Out

    We exited super early the next morning down the main Fitz Roy track, and en route were greeted by dozens and dozens of other early risers! So many people complete this trail, from keenos who want to see the sunrise to trail runners getting their ks up to the majority – who just want to get through before the guard gets onto their shift. Since we’d been off the main tracks in the popular hours, this final part of our hike was the real ‘holy shit’ moment of the density of people walking in Los Glaciares.

    And it was a good thing we left early – we rocked up to the bus stop to check our tickets at about 7:50am, and found out that our midday bus was cancelled and we could only get on the 8am bus! There was a rush to grab some snacks, and then it was a prompt return to El Calafate and the biggest pot of post-hike maccy cheese you’ve ever seen. Delicious!

    Keep it Short and Sweet

    Normal Routes

    So we did a few odd things, and spent a few extra days just chilling out, but in the end didn’t backtrack on ourselves that much. We’ve put a little annotated map below, with a similar circuit and some options for wild camping that we thought might be good. Aside from our recommendation, there are apparently two massive circuits that you can complete – one that links up the Huemul to the main attractions instead of re-entering in the town, although you’ll need to do an extra Tyrolean and hire the harness for your whole trip. There’s also a super hardcore route, which you should only do guided or with expertise, that takes you over the ice sheet itself from Lago Electrico down to midway on the Huemul – it sounds so amazing!

    Our route in Los Glaciares
    Our recommended route in Los Glaciares

    So… Our Recommendation

    In conclusion, we had a superb time enjoying the hiking in Los Glaciares – there are plenty of trails to fit a journey to your liking, and plenty of spots that are less crowded to explore. What we did absolutely not enjoy was the continuous stress. Will someone find us without a ticket? Are we allowed to camp here? Is someone going to fine us? Is any of it worth it? On this trip, we realized the extent to which we are not rulebreakers, and while we loved the walking we were able to do, we aren’t sure that we could stomach doing it again.

    So, a lesson for us and maybe some insight for anyone reading, always stay true to your values, because doing the opposite doesn’t feel good!

  • Exploring The End of the World: Puerto Williams & Ushuaia

    Exploring The End of the World: Puerto Williams & Ushuaia

    Keep it Short and Sweet

    Puerto Williams:

    • Awesome 5 day trek- De Dientes De Navarino; to be some of the most southern people in the world
    • Chill and relax, very cosy and comfortable vibe

    Ushuaia:

    • The boat fromj Puerto Williams to Ushuaia costs $160USD per person. Pay at the only tour agency in Puerto Williams (Turismo Shila) in Chilean Pesos so you aren’t disadvangted by the Argentinean Peso exchange rate!
    • Day hike to Laguna Esmeralda and if your up for it, continuing further to Glacier Albino del Ojos
    • If you got the $$$ bills, take a tour to Antartica. If the tour leaves tomorrow, make sure you bargain because you can get a massive discount (We heard from other travelers who were offered $5000USD compared to the usual $10,000 USD)
    • Take a boat tour to see penguins.
    • High end cafes and shopping
    • Pretty expensive overall

    Tell me Everything

    Puerto Williams

    Reaching the end of the world – except Antarctica – is a pretty exciting feeling. We flew from Punta Natales to Puerto Williams, officially the southernmost city in the world. Hilarious fact: this is a reasonably new title, as Chile only recently changed their municipal definitions to include the tiny population of 2000 to be defined as a city. Puerto Williams pushes boundaries in that sense and no other. It is a quiet, sleepy coastal town, boasting a single tourism agency. It’s vibe is “end of the world”, but in the sense that it’s the end and nobody goes there. It is honestly,  completely lovely. Not that there is anything to do; our opinion is probably skewed by our choice of accomodation – a cottage that we found on Airbnb, tucked into the forest, away from the township with chooks, a garden and a wood-burning stove. We picked it because it was only 5 minutes away from the the start of the Dientes de Navarino, the southernmost hike in the world & the reason we visited Puerto Williams. However, it turned out to be the best choice, and the peaceful setting gave us the utmost sensation of being at the end of the world.

    This is our recommendation for Puerto Williams, if you aren’t (or can’t be arsed) hiking. Enjoy the peace. Unless you’re made of money and can head to Antarctica, this is the time to appreciate the fact that you’re one of the southernmost people in the world!

    Ushuaia

    Now, while Puerto Williams gives you the sensations of isolation and tranquility at the end of the world, you will find neither at the original Fin Del Mundo. Ushuaia feels like a city, and has the price tag to match. Picture this: two silly kiwis enter Argentina at its most isolated town, at the country’s most expensive point in history. That makes two hungry, hungry kiwis. To be fair, the “ferry” crossing from Chile to Argentina costing 160USD ea should have given it away. “Ferry” = 60 mins of driving along the coast of the Chilean side to reach the narrowest point of the Beagle Channel, then 30 mins on a speedboat to reach Argentina. 

    There are many more activities in Ushuaia, but all of them have a hefty price tag. 

    Channel cruises to see seals, penguins, and a few random attractions (lighthouse, anyone?) can be taken on big catamarans, or you can take a smaller boat for a higher price. We opted for the latter, and got to see some penguins up pretty close, but we would say it wasn’t worth it for the cost. There are better, cheaper places to see penguins, and the breeds aren’t endemic to the Beagle Channel. The channel itself has some interesting history – we enjoyed some explanations of the local indigenous population and

    As with all the national parks in Argentina, Tierra Del Fuego is now a pay-to-enter model. There’s a single shuttle group which has a monopoly of price, so you’ll be paying around 50k ARS to enter the park. There are options for camping, with a multi day circuit available. For reference – kiwis should be thinking “west coast”, aussies should be thinking “tassie”. It rains a lot in this region, so be prepared for some very boggy group and knee high mud patches. With a big price tag and tough conditions, we avoided!

    There are a few other day hiking options around Ushuaia which are not national parks. Absolutely our favourite was Laguna Esmeralda and Glaciar Albino del Ojos. This was also a shuttle ride away, so they took a fair bit of money off us for a very short ride – but we spent the whole day out, enjoying the track. This is an out and back – Laguna Esmeralda is an easy walk, well graded and well marked. It’s worth it and gorgeous. However, if you’ve got a good pair of boots and are feeling strong and fresh, we highly recommend continuing onto the glacier. The track is not well graded, it’s big rocks and some scree, which eventually turns into some rock climbing. It’s technically a little challenging and so – to us – super fun! As long as you have good weather, good boots and experience using them, there is no need for a guide. The glacier at the top has receded a fair bit but is still very cool to look at, and a great reward. We saw some people hanging our right under its shadow (but always take care doing this – glaciers can calve at any time!). We spent so long enjoying the views and chatting that we had to run back to our shuttle – worth it, though. 

    Glacier Albino del Ojos

    There are also some options for short hikes closer to Ushuaia. We climbed around the old ski lift, which is near the entrance to the Martial Glaciar track, for some great views and generally nice walking. We think we read you can get to the Martial Glacier yourself, although there are lots of (expensive) tours if you want to do it guided. Wandering around the wetlands and along the promenade is also pleasant, although the wind can really chill you, and watch out for the seagulls! They’re super aggressive. 

    Other than that – being a city, Ushuaia has plenty of cafes, restaurants and cute nooks that you can sit and have a bevvy and a treat. It’s also got at least three supermarkets (Emma’s dream), which gives you plenty of options to cook at home if you’re on a budget like us. It’s definitely a different “end of the world” vibe – think ‘Fin del Mundo’ plastered on shopfronts, the world’s southernmost mall, European and American outdoor brands in stores, flash coffee places. It’s a place made for money, especially with the Argentinian currency as it is, but there is still a place for a backpacker if you’re willing to skimp a little!