After spending most of our time in Bolivia on the altiplano, it was time to go to lower altitudes and warmer temperatures. Samaipata is a cute little town about 3 hours from the big city of Santa Cruz. Surrounded by green mountains, it’s the perfect place to relax for a few days. But also, go on a small adventure!
Samaipata Tours
We did this hike with a tour agency for a few reasons… The biggest of them being that there were roadblocks on the main road in Samaipata, in the direction of Santa Cruz. And for this tour we had to pass this roadblock, to go and return, somehow. As we had no experience with roadblocks whatsoever (can you walk through them, can we get transport after walking through it, etc.), we decided to go with a local guide. After checking some local agencies we decided to go with Samaipata Tours.
Hiking to Codo de los Andes
Getting to the start of the trail
So, as mentioned, we had to get to the other side of the road block before we could continue our way to the start of the trail. Our group, consisting of our guide and 3 other travellers, got dropped at the edge of the roadblock. Together we walked through to the other side, where we had to find another transport to the start of the trail, which took our guide about 10 minutes. A young guy with a pick up truck who was waiting to pass the roadblock (they open the road up once a day), gave us a ride. We hopped in the back and off we went.
The hike
Most of the hike to the Codo de los Andes viewpoint, as you might expect, goes up. I had started to develop a bit of a cold in the past few days, so I was struggling, haha. The hike is not extremely difficult, but of course the climbing makes it tiring.
The whole climb took about 2 hours, with many stops to rest in between. The way down is a lot easier and a bit faster, but I would recommend to bring hiking poles, as some parts can be a bit steep.
The waterfalls
After the walking part, it’s time for the relaxing part! Once everyone’s back at the car, you’ll head for the Cuevas waterfalls that are nearby. There are 3 in total and the walk to them is short, so there’s plenty of time to swim, relax, and enjoy the surroundings.
Afterwards we had to go through the road block again, of course, but at least there was a car waiting for us this time 🙂
All in all, a great day, even with the roadblocks!
