Samaipata
Step into the captivating allure of Samaipata, Bolivia, where history and nature intertwine seamlessly. Known for its UNESCO-listed archaeological site, El Fuerte, Samaipata beckons with mysterious rock carvings dating back over a thousand years. Beyond its ancient charm, this picturesque town boasts a diverse ecosystem, with the Amboró National Park nearby, showcasing an astonishing array of flora and fauna.
Samaipata is definitely not the first destination that comes to mind when people think of visiting Bolivia and, to be perfectly honest, it was not somewhere that we had heard of before planning to visit the country. A tiny village nestled almost directly in the geographical centre of this landlocked country, Samaipata is the perfect place for those seeking some outdoor exploration. Its position at the base of the Andes mountain range makes it an ideal location for hiking, swimming in waterfalls and for the exploration of some truly unique historical sites.
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Its location off the beaten path does mean that this is a stop that requires some dedication to reach but, if you follow our guide below, the journey will be totally worthwhile once you find yourself experiencing all this 'hidden gem' has to offer.
Things To Do
1. Codo de los Andes
The Andes mountain range is huge. It turns all the way up the western edge of South America, covering seven countries as it goes and spanning a total distance of 8,900 km, making it the longest mountain range in the world. Samaipata is found within an area of the mountains known as Codo de los Andes, which translated means Elbow of the Andes. This area is so called because if you look at the topography of the mountain range from above, at this location the pattern changes direction, almost at a 90 degree angle, and looks like a bent human elbow.
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The mountain range is visible on all sides of the road when you arrive into Samaipata but if you really want to experience these peaks up close we recommend taking a walk to the top. It is entirely feasible for you to do a self-guided hike but I would not recommend it. For starters, the drive to the trailhead area is extremely treacherous - you would definitely require a 4x4 as everything is unpaved and there were a few small stream crossings to navigate. It is also a reasonable distance from town, about 45 minutes in a car, and whilst a taxi would likely take you, you would have to negotiate a price for them to wait for you to finish your walk. The trails are also not that obvious to follow once on them - cows graze throughout the area and, over time, have made a number of decoy pathways that you could easily end up strolling down accidentally.
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Instead we would recommend going with a guide as part of a tour. You'll get a safer ride to the trailhead, a guide who will be able to ensure you stick to the correct pathway and, depending on which company you choose, the opportunity to swim in some waterfalls after (which is extremely appreciated as this hike is tough). The entire hike takes around 3 hours, excluding the drive there and back, and is not easy (it incorporates a 500m elevation gain and is predominantly out in the open sunshine) but the views of the endless rolling green hills and one hundred percent worth it. Plus this is a superb area for seeing the huge Andean condor, South America's largest bird, swooping overhead and there are actually specific tours that focus on seeing this bird in the mountains. For more information about which tour agency we used, and would highly recommend, as well as exact costs and all required information checkout my full Codo de los Andes article here.
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Opening Times:
Codo de los Andes Walking Trail: MON-SUN (see tour companies for timings)
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Cost:
Tours around 150-260 BOB per person (£17-29pp)*
*cost varies by company and whether tour is private/shared
2. Giant Fern Forest
For a long time the mountain ranges here kept the giant fern forest a secret. This area of woodland, found on the opposite side of the valley from Samaipata in the Amboró National Park, is home to some of the tallest, natural fern specimens found in the world. These ferns grow at a maximum of 1cm per year and there were some specimens seen that easily measured at least 10m high, meaning it is believed some of the individual ferns standing here are over 1,000 years old and walking amongst them legitimately made us feel like we had traveled back to when dinosaurs roamed the earth - the species of fern seen here is actually believed to have predated prehistoric times!
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There is a main circular hiking trail found here that takes you down into the fern forest itself, along streams and finally to a spectacular viewpoint out across the valley below. Given the area's protected status you are only supposed to visit here with a guide but we saw a few groups who clearly had not abided by this rule. We used the same company for this excursion as we had done for the Codo de los Andes hike and we would highly recommend them. To find out more about them, the cost and all other relevant information for visiting this unique ecosystem check out my Giant Fern Forest post here.
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Opening Times:
Amboró National Park: MON-SUN (see tour companies for timings)
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Cost:
Tours around 90-160 BOB per person (£10-18pp)*
*cost varies by company and whether tour is private/shared
3. El Fuerte de Samaipata & Museum
We almost ended up not doing a trip here given that it is quite a way out of town has some mixed reviews online and requires a taxi (or a very long walk along the road in baking sunshine) to get there. We are very pleased that we made did make it though as the UNESCO listed historical site was one of our Samaipata highlights. For starters the attraction is actually spilt into two parts. There is a small museum (called the Samaipata Archaeological Museum) found within Samaipata town and then the actual archaeological site is situated twenty minutes drive along the main road.
I would recommend visiting the museum first. You can purchase a ticket here that allows entry to both sites for a rate of 50 BOB per person (£5.70pp). The museum is very small but houses a lot of interesting information about the archaeological site and about Samaipata itself. It is definitely not the most interesting museum we have ever visited and some of the information is solely in Spanish but it was definitely worth visiting here before we headed to El Fuerte itself. The actual heritage site is the star of the show here. We got a taxi from the town plaza who agreed to drive us to the entrance and wait two hours (which was than ideal amount of time) whilst we had a walk around the huge site for a price of £8.
Upon arriving at the carpark we used our previously bought ticket to gain entry and were shown a map of the site. The place is absolutely huge but had plenty of information boards (some are repeats of what you have just read in the museum but all the ones here are in both Spanish and English). The archaeological site at El Fuerte is unique as it encompasses buildings of three different cultures: Chanè, Inca, and Spanish, having been utilised by all these cultures at some point during its history. Although called a fort, Samaipata had also a religious, ceremonial, and residential function. Its construction was probably begun by the Chané, a pre-Inca people of Arawak origin. There are also ruins of an Inca plaza and residences, dating from the late 15th and early 16th centuries as the Inca empire expanded eastward from the Andes highlands into the sub-tropical foothills. The Spaniards built a settlement at Samaipata fort, and there are remains of buildings of typical Arab Andalusian architecture. The Spaniards soon abandoned the fort and moved to a nearby valley, establishing the town of Samaipata in 1618. he sight has a number of lookout platforms and walkways where you can see the ruins of buildings from all the above historical periods. There are also a number of intricate rock carvings found at the highest point, the purpose of which are still currently being debated, and some stunning viewpoints look down into the valleys below.
There were a few other tourists visiting but, despite being a UNESCO World Heritage site, it honestly felt like we had the entire place to ourselves. Most of the tour companies in town offer guided tours to El Fuerte but honestly we would recommend doing this trip by yourselves. The information boards provide you with enough facts about the area and, as long as you can find a reliable taxi driver, it is very easy to get to. The only thing we would say is that it is very exposed given that it is atop a mountain peak meaning you are at full mercy of the unrelenting Bolivian sunshine so we would maybe recommend going early in the morning to avoid the heat of the day, especially given that the size of the site means a decent amount of walking is required.
Opening Times:
El Fuerte de Samaipata: MON-SUN (8:30-16:00)
Samaipata Archaeological Museum - MON-SUN (8:00-12:00 & 14:00-18:00)*
* just be aware whilst these are the listed opening times on the door we found the schedule not to be set in stone and a bit variable.
Cost:
50 BOB per person (£5.70pp) for entrance to both El Fuerte and Samaipata Archaeological Museum
4. Centro Ecologico Cuevas
These are a set of three waterfalls found just off the roadside a short way down from Samaipata. The falls themselves are pretty spectacular but the added bonus is the ability to be able to swim in the natural pools below. The falls are located on private property and so there is a fee of 15 BOB (£2) per person to pay when entering but the grounds are well kept and there is an accessible car park.
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Parking across the road, you purchase an entry ticket at the gate and then are able to walk to the falls. It takes about ten minutes to reach the first one, which is very small but less busy if you are interested in a quieter swim. The second fall is only a short distance further up the trail and is much more impressive in terms of size. The pool here is deeper but it is possible to walk behind and under the falls but, be warned, this area can get busy at peak times (especially weekends).
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We actually visited these falls as part of our Codo de los Andes hiking tour. Upon finishing our walk we headed to the waterfalls where we took a very refreshing dip. This was the absolute perfect way to visit as our entry ticket was included in our tour price and we very much enjoyed a swim following a tiring walk in the blistering sun. I would highly recommend this as an option given I am not sure this place warrants a full, self-guided visit but, if you want to travel here by yourself, you will find taxis in town willing to take you - again you will have to agree a price with the driver beforehand and likely have to ask them to wait for you to finish your swim.I would recommend a stay of around 1-2 hours. You can take food and drink in but there are not that many places to sit and have a comfortable picnic and the areas around the best waterfall can get very busy with locals, limiting sitting opportunities.
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Opening Times:
Centro Ecologico Cuevas: MON-SUN (8:30-18:00)
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Cost:
15 BOB per person (£2.00pp)*
*It is possible to visit here as part of a tour to Codo de los Andes which we would recommend. If you do so your entry fee is included in your tour ticket.
Where To Stay
Samaipata is a very small, remote village and literally wherever you choose to stay will likely be within walking distance of the main plaza. This is a good thing as public transport options for getting around the village are almost non-existent (there is no bus network and whilst there are taxis, they are all based within the plaza). There are a few out-of-town accommodations that get really good reviews but I honestly would not recommend these unless you have a car as everything you will want to do in Samaipata (tour agencies, restaurants, markets) will likely require you to be in the centre of town and the benefit of being in a slightly 'nicer' accommodation outside of town is not worth it in our opinion. In general the accommodation options here are quite limited and are predominantly budget-friendly in variety - you will not find any big resorts here.
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We actually did not follow our own advice when in Samaipata and we ended up staying at the Yvy Casa Hotel (marked on map below), about a ten minute walk from the plaza. This place was right on the cusp of where I would deem a maximum limit for distance away from the plaza. The walking to and from the hotel was not an issue for us at all but, when walking back at night, we did have to go down a road with absolutely no street lighting and there were no amenities (grocery stores or restaurants) between our hotel and the plaza.
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Our hotel had an interesting vibe in that it was sort of a hostel but also a hotel. We had a room that was separate from the main communal building, with our own private shower. The communal building itself had a seating area and a kitchen that could be used by all guests. Breakfast, which was incredible, was freshly cooked and available each morning within the communal seating area. As travellers who do not necessarily like to mingle too much this was a good balance for us as we were able to say hello to everyone and get some hints/tips for exploring but we never felt like anyone was intruding on our enjoyment. In all honesty the breakfast, which included freshly made breads, pancakes, fruit platters, eggs and homemade jams was absolutely worth the nightly cost of this hotel. Despite its distance from the centre of town, which was most notable when we had to walk with our backpacks upon checking out and in, we would still recommend this accommodation for a comfortable stay but looking for somewhere closer to the plaza would also be highly recommended.
Location Tips to Consider
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Find a place near the main plaza (star on the map). The plaza is where you will find the majority of the tour companies, all the restaurants and it is where the truffi will drop you when you arrive from Santa Cruz.
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The area around the main road is almost exclusively lived in by locals and there are not too many tourist amenities here.
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Make sure you are no more than 10 minute walk away from the plaza.
Where To Eat
Samaipata has a number of small, locally run eateries, most of which are good without being truly outstanding. The main issue we found when trying to get something to eat here is the opening times - almost everywhere has incorrect business hours on Google Maps and all the restaurants seem to have different days for which they are closed. It made planning our meals here particularly difficult, especially since most also did not have WhatsApp contact numbers, and so we had to take a more relaxed approach to our eating - and take advantage of the street vendors in the plaza (who are really good but just very difficult to predict when they will actually be there).
BEST FOR A MEAL
01
La Mexicana
A small family-run Mexican restaurant situated just outside the main square. This was our favourite meal in Samaipata and serves fajitas, enchiladas and quesadillas in an outdoor courtyard setting. If you opt for a spicy dish, be warned that they live up to expectation but are super tasty.
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Opening Times: Unknown (not found online and not on the restaurant door). We had to walk past a few times before finding it open one day.
Cost: £4pp (main plus non-alcoholic drink)
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La Cocina
One of the most popular spots in town, this German-run burger restaurant is a favourite with the local expats so get there early or be prepared to wait. Great range of decent sized, tasty burgers (including vegetarian options) but could be more generous with the sides.
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Opening Times: WEDS-SAT (18:30-22:00)
Cost: £6.25pp (burger plus non-alcoholic drink)
BEST FOR A SNACK
01
La Cafette
Our favourite place in the town plaza, this small cafe offers indoor seating as well as takeaway and, in our opinion, was the best place for pastries. A huge range of well sized, baked goods and desserts available but we particularly loved the lemon meringue pie and apple tart. We visited here a few times and ate in the plaza across the street. Not the cheapest option but well worth it.
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Opening Times: WEDS-MON (8:00-12:00 & 15:00-18:00)
Cost: £1.50 per pastry
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La Boheme
This bar is run by an American who now lives in Samaipata. It is the best spot in town to have a drink (with a daily happy hour and live music) but it also offers food in the form of some excellent toasted sandwiches. Granted the menu is very small but it is one of the few places in town that is open the entire week, plus the food is actually really good and portion sizes on the larger size.
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Opening Times:MON-SUN (12:00-23:00)
Cost: £4.50pp (one sandwich plus non-alcoholic drink)
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Best Time to Visit
In terms of cost it really does not matter when you visit Samaipata. This small town is not a well known tourist destination as of yet and so it does not have a defined 'peak' season for visitors. The only thing to maybe consider is that some of the major attractions can get a lot busier at weekends as this is when the locals tend to go. The main thing for you to consider when planning a trip to Samaipata is the weather.
If you are visiting this part of the world then it is likely the outdoor activities on offer are of interest to you and so I would advise aiming for the months that provide the best conditions for hiking. The driest months are June-September with the smallest chance of rainfall coming in August. These months are also good for hiking as the average temperatures are slightly lower (18-22 celsius) which makes for much more comfortable walking, especially when scaling Codo de los Andes as the mountains have almost no shade. The only downside is that the lack of rain can mean the surrounding area is very dry and attractions such as the Giant Fern Forest are not as impressive in turns of colour.
To combat this the shoulder months of April and May can be a great time to visit since the rainy season is coming to an end but the surrounding forest is still bursting with the vibrant green colouration that the rainfall brings to life. The months of December and January are the warmest in terms of temperature but also the ones with the most rain. This is not the wettest part of the country however and it is entirely feasible you could travel in these months and get some good weather but, if possible, I would avoid and aim for the dry season.
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We traveled to Samaipata at the start of October and had great weather. There was one day of overcast clouds and rain but the others were filled with blazing sunshine and high temperatures. Traveling at the end of the dry season meant the Fern Forest was not as impressive as we would have liked in terms of vibrant greenery but it also meant there were fewer tourists in town.
Currency
We were surprised to find that most restaurants and tour companies in Samaipata, despite its remoteness, accepted card payments. This was particularly pleasing given that there was an ATM in town but it often had a significant queue and was sometimes closed completely. That is not to say you should solely rely on card payments as there were a few places that only accepted cash, with the payment for our bus tickets to Sucre at the end of our stay being the most notable alongside most of the grocery stores and some of the bakeries. The only currency accepted here is bolivianos and, as far as we could tell, there is no money exchange in Samaipata so make sure you get these before you arrive.
Language
Samaipata has a small expatriate community consisting mainly of Americans and Germans so you can often find those languages being spoken in the restaurants and bars that they own. Elsewhere the local population solely speak Spanish and you will definitely need some knowledge of the local language when in stores, museums, markets, for taxi drivers and when ordering in some restaurants. Tour agencies offer tours in English but just make sure to check before booking as some are in Spanish and/or German only.
Safety
Despite sometimes feeling like we were in a town in the middle of nowhere we never felt unsafe during our time in Samaipata. As mentioned before we walked everywhere, even in the dark at night, and never felt uncomfortable. The locals here were extremely friendly and the expat community just as welcoming. We used taxis that were parked in the plaza and found the drivers to be very amenable and respectful when it came to quoting prices. We genuinely got the vibe that everyone here was happy to have people wanting to visit and experience their little slice of Bolivia.
The only thing to note is there are a lot of stray dogs in Samaipata and they will regularly follow you along the street or approach your table if sitting outside, often in large groups. None were aggressive though, they mainly bark at each other and sometimes chase the cars, but it is something to bear in mind for those of you who, like myself, are not the most confident around unknown dogs.
The other thing to be aware of is the road into Samaipata, especially if you plan on driving yourself. It is considerably treacherous with multiple curves, huge drops and steep climbs and I would not recommend driving it yourself unless you are a very confident driver and have a decent car. That being said, the transport that takes you up into the mountains is usually not that well maintained (see below) and seems to manage just fine - the difference is that the drivers know the road layout well and are experienced in making the journey.
Public Transport
The only way to get around whilst in Samaipata is to walk or to take a taxi. For everything within the village I would recommend walking - the roads often have sidewalks and there is minimal traffic. Walking at night is absolutely fine as well, just be warned that there is no street lighting on some of the roads on the outskirts.
To get a taxi you need to head to the plaza. You will usually find the drivers sitting along the eastern plaza edge, near the cathedral. Taxis are your best bet for visiting the sites that are a little further afield such as El Fuerte or Cuevas. Given there is not a lot of business for drivers they will often agree to drive you to the attraction and wait for you in the car park until you are finished. This is almost a must given that there is often no WiFi or phone signal at these places and if you do not have a driver waiting for you you'll likely find yourself walking, or having to hitchhike, back to town.
How To Get There
You basically have two routes for getting to Samaipata, arriving from Santa Cruz de la Sierra or from Sure. Regardless of which of these you start your journey from, the likelihood is that you will then be travelling to the other after spending some time in Samaipata. We travelled from Santa Cruz and so I will detail that journey below but be mindful that it is totally possible to do it in reverse.
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For starters there is no direct bus service to Samaipata and so your journey will require a little preplanning (and a bit of luck). In Santa Cruz you will find a small company, Expresso Samaipata, that operates a trufi (shared minivans) to Samaipata. This is where you will need a little luck as the trufis do not run on a set schedule. Instead you will have to turn up at the office and wait until there are enough passengers for a full bus, usually five or six in total, before the driver agrees to start the journey. Unfortunately, as you can probably guess, this means you could end up waiting at the office for quite a while, hoping some like minded adventurers turn-up. We got extremely lucky, as when we arrived there were already three others waiting and so we completed the group and headed off immediately. The best advice we have is to aim to get there early (8-11am) as most people travel in the morning wanting to arrive around 2-3pm, the usual hotel check-in time, in Samaipata.
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The journey itself took us about three and a half hours, including one stop-off, but it can be longer depending on the amount of traffic getting out of Santa Cruz (which is worse in the afternoon, so another good reason to go early). The minibuses are absolutely fine but definitely not the most comfortable and there is a good chance some of your luggage might be strapped onto the roof but, overall, this is the best way to get to Samaipata. The cost per person is a set fee of 30 BOB (£3.40).
It does appear that you can get a bigger coach but this requires some negotiation with the companies at the bus station since it involves them making an unscheduled stop off for you. The best bet is to find a coach travelling from Santa Cruz to Sucre as this is the route that passes by Samaipata. You will then have to negotiate a price and hope the driver remembers to drop you off on the way. Just note that this will also mean you decamp on the main street outside of town as opposed to in the plaza (which is where the trufi takes you) so it is not something I'd recommend unless you really do not want to travel in a minibus.
Where To Next?
We spent five nights in Samaipata and that gave us time to see everything that the small village had to offer. There is no need to stay any longer and I would recommend 3-5 nights as the perfect amount of time. If you are planning to travel to Samaipata then the likelihood is that you are wanting to visit other parts of Bolivia as well. These are the best recommendations for where to go next:
1
Sucre, BOLIVIA
Sucre is the de jure capital of the country and a superb city to visit as a tourist. It is quite a contrast to the remoteness of Samaipata but there are loads of sights to see here and it is often referred to as one of the safest cities in Bolivia. This sprawling city is steeped in colonial history, has some amazing buildings and rooftops to visit and is home to a prehistoric site that is one of the rarest of its kind in the world.
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Getting to Sucre from Samaipata involves booking bus tickets at the local launderette (it is totally as weird as it sounds) but it is definitely the next logical step on your travels and from Sucre you can reach almost any other part of the country that you wish to visit.
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Santa Cruz de la Sierra, BOLIVIA
If you have followed our itinerary in reverse you will be getting a truffi from the plaza in Samaipata to Santa Cruz, the city in Bolivia that is expanding at unprecedented levels. The city itself is home to some of the most modern buildings and apartment blocks in the country as well as a number of high-end restaurants.
The main plaza hosts one of the country's most impressive colonial cathedrals and it is where you can access the surreal Lomas de Arenas national park, an area of sweeping sand dunes just outside the city.
