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Coroico

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Coroico is in Bolivia and is a good place to spend a night before heading up to La Paz, or further into the Jungle. Because of the lower elevation, the weather is quite nice by comparison to La Paz, and has a resort-like feel to it.

Travel to Coroico & Visa Requirements

Coroico new highway is open to public use, It's a very scenic road and the best way to appreciate it is by using the Hotel Esmeralda express van or a local taxi, which does the route in only two hours. The best value in hotels is Hotel Sol Y luna. It is an amazing place with unspoiled nature and huge rooms (cabanas)with kitchen, large size bedrooms, private bathroom and even your own BBQ right outside your room. The views in Coroico are breathtaking and weather is semitropical.

From La Paz to Coroico you can also take the Most Dangerous Road in the World, the former main road, which is an excellent day trip on a bicycle. The most famous of those is Gravity Assisted Mountain Biking [1], though there are very cheap options to be found in the Sagarnaga street in La Paz. Another option is to contact the small Coroico agency [2].

There are also several two day walks which lead you to Coroico. See 'Do' section.

Tours & Getting around Coroico

Coroico attractions and sightseeing

Coroico city tours

There is some good hiking in the surrounding. There are several one day hikes, which include going for a swim in wild and clear rivers, seeing local agriculture (coca, banana, coffee, citrus fruits), old Casas de Hacienda (the houses of the former landowners), virgin forests and Afro-Bolivian communities. Two interesting two or three day hikes go from La Cumbre (the highest point between La Paz and Coroico, 4700m) to Coroico (1700m). The most famous is the old Inca Road "El Choro", which was the most important connection between the Yungas and La Paz until the 1930s. The other one is commonly called "Eco-vía". It is a road carved in the mountains, with the idea of having a train connection. It never did function, but as a train needs relatively flat terrain, it's a much more accessible option for people not used to walking. It can be done in two or three days, but come well prepared: the first two days you will not encounter any villages. More details on walks and excursions on this site [3]

CXC [4] offers mountain bike tours around Coroico for beginners to experts. They have been called disorganized, though they are very friendly. Most people just come to chill out at the pool, and at night go eat in one of the excellent restaurants.

You can find guides in the Tourist Information Office on the Plaza, or you can ask your hotel to recommend one.

Coroico souvenirs & shopping

Coroico Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

  • Try the comedor municipal for cheap food from Bs6.
  • Pizzeria Erika has fairly cheap pizzas and pastas, but you can also go for a set meal.
  • The best restaurant in town is the French El Cafetal. It's an open air restauramt under a jatata roof, with an excellent view down the valley. They are also a hotel.
  • Best price/quality at the vegetarian Villa Bonita, also famous for its ice-cream.
  • Buffet styled service of Hotel Esmeralda - The food is always fresh, no microwave food - no froozen Lazanas - they even have a big "lorry typed" truck to do shopping in La Paz - buffet at Bs. 25.-- / 3 bucks

Coroico nightlife, bars, clubs & pubs

Coroico cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels & lodging

  • Residencial Coroico, Plain but cheap. Bs15 for a night. There is only a cold shower.
  • The Hotel Esmeralda [5] has rooms with some stunning views. Probably the best value for the money in Coroico. Has a pool.
  • Best hotel in Coroico could be Sol y Luna[6]. Reasonably priced independente cabins with kitchen and private bathroom in a paradisical garden or cheaper rooms in a big house. Two pools. You have to make reservations, especialy on weekends.
  • Miniscule Villa Bonita offers high quality ice cream and vegetarian food in a pretty garden with a great view. The place has two cabins (for 2 & 4 people) and some rooms in their own house. It is run by a Swiss-Bolivian couple and their two small kids. Call ahead as it is often full on weekends.

Get out

There are minibuses to La Paz from 3am to 5.30pm. These take the safe new road, but are a bit cramped. 15-18 Bs.

A private taxi to La Pax should cost around 300-350 Bs.

There are daily busses all the way to Rurrenabaque (at least 15 hours), leaving around noon.

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This page was last edited at 21:12, on 5 November 2008 by Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. Based on work by Joost Schouppe, Peter Fitzgerald, Ryan Holliday and Nick Roux, Wikitravel user(s) Morph and DorganBot, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others.

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