SERVICES
A. Bars and Restaurants
B. Horse Rides
C. Guides
D. Bicycles
E. Water sports
F. Taxis
G. Agencies
H. Tourist Information
I. Public transport
J. Bank
K. Laundry
L. Spanish Classes
M. Internet
N. Rent-a-car
O. Hospital & Pharmacies
P. Post Office
B. Horseback riding
Reinaldo of El Relincho offers riding classes, jumping and he does horseback tours. Most of his horses are nice and quiet, but you can also ask for a wilder one. His tours include:
To Miraflores is a short and easy tour. You start of on the road to Cruz Loma. After half an hour you take to the left, on a road with hardly any traffic. Then you visit Santa Ana, where you can see a gigantic coca field. You return via a pretty trail and you can take an ice-cream at Villa Bonita (not included!) before heading back to the village. Price: 100 Bs. per person; 2 hours.
To San Pablo. Visit a part of the Coroico area that is hardly exploited by tourism. You first take the main dirt road to Carmen Pampa, and then you take a hardly used road connecting a number of communities. You can make a stop in Incapampa to visit the Montaño Family and learn about coffee production. Ask for Reinaldo to arrange the visit to the Montaños or do it yourself using the info in chapter 1.A.7. Price: 200 Bs. pp.; 4-5 hours
To the Vagantes: first you ride to Miraflores, and then you go down to the river through the citrus plantations and the coca fields. You can spend an hour at the riverside, enjoying nature and going for a swim. Price 200 Bs. pp.; 5 hours.
The Tour around the Uchumachi takes two days. You’ll spend the night in an abandoned hotel (there are beds) in Trinidad Pampa. More details about the circuit in the Uchumachi Tour leaflet. The all-in tour costs 100 US$ per person.
Visit his stables (nº 15 on the map) or call 71913675 or 719 23814. Spanish only.
A. Bars and Restaurants
C. Local Guides
It’s a good idea to go with a guide if you don’t like to get lost and if you want to learn more about local nature and culture. If you want to go to small and isolated communities, being introduced by a Bolivian might help break the ice, especially if you don’t speak much Spanish. The local destinations can change a lot in the course of the year: a river may become impassible, a small waterfall may have grown to impressive size. The guides are the people who know best how the destinations look at the moment. Most of them will give information without expecting anything in return.
You can call Goni at his cell phone (719 76403) or find him with his dark yellow Toyota-taxi on the plaza. Daniel is another guide you can call (cell. 730124272).
At the Tourist Information office on the plaza you can find Camilo (cel. 725 05402) or Miro (cel. 735 33000.)
If you want an English or German speaking guide, call on Carlos, the bicycle guide (see C. Bicycles). Murci the Taurus barman, knows a lot about orchids and speaks Spanish, English and French.
D. Bicycles
Cross Country Coroico (since 2002) offers guided bicycle tours to almost all the attractions of the area on excellent mountain bikes. The standard tours can be changed at will, to have a day of just downhill biking, of enjoying nature and observing birds, doing a long and exhausting trip, or to try to stay on both wheels on challenging single tracks. Lots of the tours include a dip in a river or lake. All trips include a CD with the photos of the day, a light lunch and transport back to town. Guide and manager Carlos speaks Spanish, German and English.
You can contact Carlos at tel. 712 73015, Cxc_mtb@yahoo.com or in his office at Pacheco # 2058. It’s the house with the bike hanging from the wall, just passed the viewpoint. Special prices for groups.
More information on www.mtbbolivia.com .
E. Water sports
The best places to go swimming are the rivers (Vagantes, Rio Coroico, Supay Punku) and the Green Lagoon near Arapata. A fun way to enjoy the sometimes wild rivers is if you rent inner tubes, available at the Cross Country Coroico office for 15 Bs. per day, plus a deposit of 60 Bs.
F. Taxis
You can always find a taxi on the Plaza and at the Terminal, or your hotel can arrange a taxi for you. The prices in this list are from December 2006.
Viaje de tres horas / Three hour trip
Vagante: 100 Bs.
Cascadas:70 Bs.
Tocaña:120 Bs.
Incapampa:100 Bs.
Todo el día / Full day trips
Suapi 400 Bs.
Vuelta del 350 Bs.
Uchumachi 600 Bs.
Kellkata 2000 Bs.
Rurrenabaque 300 Bs.
Caranavi 400 Bs.
La Paz
Ida o recojo de / Pick-up or Drop-of
Yolosita 40 Bs.
Yolosa 40 Bs.
Vagante 90 Bs.
Santa Bárbara 80 Bs.
Eco-vía 150 Bs.
Laguna Verde: 150 Bs.
Carmen Pampa: 70 Bs.
Incapampa 70 Bs.
G. Agencies
All bus agencies can be found in the terminal. There is one tourism agency in Coroico, Entel Tours, located next to the Prodem bank, close to the Plaza (Cuenca street 34). They sell pampas- and jungle tours in Rurrenabaque, trips in the Coroico area and transport in Jeep to Rurrenabaque.
H. Tourist Information
There is an information office run by the Camara Hotelera and the Asociacion de Guias on the plaza. In 2007, an Information Office will be opened in the Bus Terminal.
I. Transport to the Local Communities
This section is about transport within the province of Coroico. For large distance transport see 3. Leaving Coroico.
In the streets near the plaza, there are stops for collective taxis, minibuses and pick ups that leave when full, to the following destinations:
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Yolosita (and Yolosa): About two per hour, below the viewpoint in the Sagarnaga street
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Tocaña: only on Saturdays, between noon and 1pm. In the Heroes del Chaco street, just before the road turns to the right.
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Carmen Pampa: At least 4 a day, at the corner of Pacheco with Pando
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Cruz Loma, the Waterfalls and Arapata: various daily from the corner of Pando with Cuenca
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Pacallo: Only on Saturdays, in the Sagarnaga street.
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Suapi and Santa Rosa de Kilo Kilo: Saturday and Sunday, between noon and 2pm. In the Cuenca street, on the plaza.
J. Money
The only bank in town is FFP Prodem SA, on the corner of the plaza. The ATM only works for Prodem clients. You can get VISA cash advances from the (Spanish speaking) counter. They also have access to the MasterCard and Western Union networks. They change dollars at good rates. On weekends there may be large queues. They charge 5% on top of regular transaction costs. Somewhere between NGO and regular bank, it’s a trustable bank with a social aspect, useful for everyone from tourist to the smallest business owner. In smaller cities like Copacabana and Rurrenabaque, they are the only ones offering banking services to the common man and tourists.
In Hotel Esmeralda you can cash Traveller’s Cheques at a 5% rate.
Opening Hours
Monday Cerrado - Closed
Tuesday to Friday 8.30 am – 12 am, 14.30 pm – 18 pm
Saturday 8 am – 15 pm
Sunday 9 am – 15 pm
K. Laundry
Some hotels have their own laundry service. There are also two laundry options in town, where they’ll wash your clothes in the good old fashioned way: by hand.
The first laundry is located in a small adobe house, opposite the entrance of Hotel Gloria. There is no sign, but most of the time, the clothes are drying everywhere. The price is 1 Bs per piece.
Opposite the hospital, next to the chapel, is the public laundry place of Coroico. Doña Martha Alvarez washes your clothes for 6 Bs. per dozen. If you give your clothes in the morning, they will be dry in the afternoon (if it’s a sunny day)
L. Rent-a-car
You cannot rent a car in Coroico, but you can rent one in La Paz to drive to Coroico. Be aware that on the old road from La Paz via Yolosa you have to keep on the left until Yolosita. From Santa Barabara to Caranavi you have to keep to the left again.
Kolla Motors Calle Rosendo Gutierrez 502 2419141 kollamotors.com
Rent A Car Av. Simon Bolivar 1865 2220989 rentacarocm.com
Imbex Rent a Car Av. Montes 522 2455432 imbex.com