Charobamba

 

A village in a middle of beautiful cloud forest, Charobamba lies inside the Parque Nacional Cotapata.

Not only is it a nice stop on one of the most beautiful walks in the area, it deserves a visit from anyone interested in modern history. Not many villages in Bolivia can say they were founded by Jewish immigrants. In the 1930s thousands of Jews tried to leave Nazi-Germany. The problem was that there were very few countries that would accept them, sometimes sending them back to Germany. Bolivia did accept Jewish immigrants, on the condition that they would work the land. Thus a small community was founded near Coroico, of which a lot of houses still exist. Most families left shortly after the end of the world war, but one of them stayed.

In the village the big Administration House reminds of the days of the colony, as well as the mule path on the other side of the valley, carved in those days to export their produce.

Ironically, Nazi leader Klaus Barbie lived for years at less than 50 kilometres from Charobamba after fleeing Germany. Much less then extraditing him, Bolivian governments used his skills from time to time to suppress popular movements.

 

How to visit Charobamba:

 

Motorized (30 min.) or via a trail (1h.30) to Yolosita, then a 45 minutes walk, crossing a wooden suspension bridge, through the forest. After the visit you can walk on to Polo Polo, where you go down through coca fields, to the river to cross another suspension bridge. There is a good swimming hole down the bridge. Don’t go down in Polo Polo if you want to visit Tocaña, about 45 minutes more. In either case you reach the asphalted La Paz- Caranavi road, on which it is easy to find transport to Yolosita (and on to Coroico).

With a bicycle: see the Tocaña bicycle trip.

With a guide: walk to El Jiri, with lunch and walk to a nearby waterfall.

“El Jiri” ecolodge: only reachable on foot or with a quad (they have pick-up service). On foot it’s a beautiful 20 minute walk on a forest trail, starting in the village of Charobamba.

Price: 20 US$ pp. pn., including breakfast, lunch, dinner and walks in the area.

Call ahead to 715 58215.