Overview
Staying true to its name, on this tour, you set out to see 5 of the best sites that this region of Santa Cruz has to offer. The starting location, in the outskirts of Santa Cruz with an elevation of 400 meters (1,300 feet) is located in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. It is definitely the best place to start your adventure. Ready to escape the 9-5 for the adventure of a lifetime?
Highlights
- Starts and ends in Santa Cruz de la Sierra
- Go on a roundtrip journey to Espellijos in the region of Santa Cruz
- Ride up to El Fuerte and take the backroads to the town of Vallegrande
- Visit the Jardin de las Delicias, a waterfall on the edge of Amboró National Park
- Visit the memorial room in the schoolhouse where el Che was executed
- Ride up some curvy new slab to the mountain village of Samaipata
- Make the trek to the village of La Higuera
- 7 nights accommodation
Itinerary
Day 1: Sunday - Welcome to Santa Cruz!
Bolivia Motorcycle Tours will personally pick everyone up at the airport and settle you into a hotel in El Torno. After dinner you will have an informal orientation and prep session and a good night's sleep.
Day 2: Monday - To the Garden of Eden (140 kilometers / 90 miles)
You will take the bikes on a 70-kilometer (43 miles) round-trip practice run up to the “Jardin de las Delicias,” where we’ll encounter a series of breathtaking waterfalls on the edge of Amboró National Park. Hanging bridge, dirt roads, stream crossings, hiking, swimming, and a picnic lunch are just part of today’s adventure as you shake off what’s left of the jet lag.
Day 3: Tuesday - Espejillos Nature Reserve (110 kilometers / 70 miles)
More dirt today, you will take the bikes on a 50-kilometer (30 mile) roundtrip journey to one of the most unique attractions in this region of Santa Cruz, a place known to locals as “Espellijos.” After fording the Pirai River, it’s all off-road as we weave our way through the countryside to our destination. The main attraction is a beautiful waterfall followed by numerous natural pools that are perfect for swimming or just relaxing. We’ll cap off the riding portion of the day with a ride up some curvy new slab to the mountain village of Samaipata where you will spend the night.
Day 4: Wednesday - Landscapes galore - Samaipata to Vallegrande (140 kilometers / 85 miles)
Departing Samaipata, the adventure continues as soon as the kickstands are up. You will start with a leisurely ride up to El Fuerte, the site of Bolivia’s second most important ruins. After touring the ruins you're back on the bikes this time fixing your sights on the town of Vallegrande. After an early lunch you'll take the backroads to the town of Vallegrande, passing through a few quaint villages tucked away in the valleys along with an incredible waterfall. You'll arrive in Vallegrande in the late afternoon, in time to freshen up and take a walk around the town before dinner.
Day 5: Thursday - La Ruta del Che - Vallegrande to La Higuera (60 kilometers / 40 miles)
After only a couple of kilometers of riding on the pavement today, you'll transition to off-road riding as you make the trek to La Higuera, the lonely village where the Cuban revolutionary war hero Che Guevara was executed in 1967. The road to La Higuera is a pilgrimage of sorts for the more adventuresome historians. Before setting out, you'll spend a couple hours in the morning on a guided tour of Vallegrande, getting to know the historical sites made famous by El Che’s time in Bolivia. Reaching La Higuera in the late afternoon, stay at the rustic Casa del Telegrafista, once home to the teleg
Day 6: Friday - The Twisties: La Higuera to El Torno (290 kilometers / 180 miles)
After a wonderful breakfast, visit the memorial room in the schoolhouse where el Che was executed. The days route takes you through the mountains of Vallegrande and down the old highway. By late afternoon you'll arrive once again back to your base in El Torno where your journey began. After a short trip to your hotel in Santa Cruz you'll cap off the day and the tour with a farewell dinner in the evening.
Day 7: Saturday - City streets of Santa Cruz and departure day
Today’s a decompress day before returning to life as usual, so you'll relax the pace as yoiu do some site seeing around the city - last minute souvenir shopping, open markets, and good food are a few of the options.
Day 8: Sunday - Departure Day
Bolivia Motorcycle Tours will take you from the hotel to catch your flight home at the airport. You’ll want to stretch out your sore backside before you board your flight and flip through your pics as you grin (and groan) thinking of all the fun that was had. From here, it’s time to start planning your next adventure!
Ride Details
- Bike
- rental bike (Yamaha T7, included)
- Mileage
- 540 kilometers / 335 miles
- Daily rides
- 50 - 205 kilometers / 30 - 128 miles
- Riding gear
- not included: helmet, gloves, boots (minimum)
- Meals
- all meals
What's included
- 7 nights accommodation
- All meals
- Yamaha T7 motorcycle rental
- Fuel
- Entrance fees for activities during the tour
- Tolls
- Ferry crossings
- Bi-lingual guide
- Airport transfers
- Support-truck with parts
- First aid kit and an auxiliary bike
Not included
- Visas (for participants that would need one)
- Round-trip tickets to and from Bolivia
- Drinks of the alcoholic variety
- Snacks (both food and drink)
- Riding gear
- Vaccinations
- Traffic citations
- Souvenirs and the like
- Bike insurance (15 USD per day)
Accommodation
You will be accommodated in various places along the route. Lodging is typically based on double occupancy. Participants that come alone will usually need to share a room with someone else.
Food
All meals are included in your package. Please also let Bolivia Motorcycle Tours know about your particular diet in advance and most likely they will be able to meet your needs.
Getting There
You'll spend the first couple of days riding dirt roads and crossing numerous streams and rivers near the base in Santa Cruz, not to mention exploring some breathtaking waterfalls. From there, you'll venture out even further as you ascend into the mountains via the old highway; as you go, you’ll stop to check out an old (inactive) volcano as well as some impressive indigenous ruins. In Santa Cruz’
Rider Reviews
The trip and all the details were well organized and there were no breakdowns at all on the background of organization. The guides have in-depth knowledge of Bolivia - in the country and in the language and many times we were taken to walk or eat in interesting authentic Bolivian places and at a high level, as well as the choice of riding sites was made professionally. My favorite was the Casa del Telegrafista hotel associated with Che Guevara where it was kind of the highlight of the trip. The motorcycles were in good condition and provided riding pleasure, an attached vehicle provided all the support required in terms of the technical condition of the motorcycles or if someone could not regroup for some reason.
