Bolivia is a remote place, one of the poorest but most authentic countries in South America. A wild and uncontaminated country with harsh nature and boundless spaces: the perfect destination for the most adventurous cyclists.
I cycled alone for about 1.100km from La Paz to San Pedro De Atacama, Chile. I never felt in danger, but it certainly wasn’t an easy journey due to the long distances, bad roads and altitude. However, it was a journey that gave me incredible emotions… The vast Andean plateau, the colored lagoons, the volcanoes, the clear sky swept by the wind and the blinding white of the Salar de Uyuni.
One of the most fascinating aspects of this journey is the dimension of solitude in which I felt constantly immersed, moving in a harsh and inhospitable nature. Reaching Bolivia today is still complicated and for this reason it remains a place far from mass tourism, with an indigenous culture that is still very authentic and rooted in the society.
Find here below the GPX tracks, my travel tips and some photos.
WHEN TO GO
Bolivia is located in the southern hemisphere, so the seasons are reversed compared to ours, and different types of climate coexist depending on the geographical region and altitude. In the eastern area, mostly occupied by rainforest, it’s warmer and rain is abundant during the rainy season (from December to March). On the Andean plateau, however, where there are the highest altitudes, it rains little and the climate is arid and cold, and in winter temperatures can drop well below zero at night.
The best time for a bike trip is around November, when it’s already hot but it’s not yet the rainy season. Remember that on the highlands the temperature difference between night and day is significant, and that in the desert areas of the south it can be very hot during the day!
BIKE AND EQUIPMENT
I rode with a gravel bike, which is always the best solution when combining asphalt and dirt. However, I got the wrong tyres, as I chose 42mm, which turned out to be too small for the Ruta de Las Lagunas, where the roads are in very poor condition (a mix of sand, soft gravel and tôle ondule)! I therefore recommend traveling with nice big tyres, at least 47/50 if not larger, bringing several inner tubes with repair kits (or traveling with tubeless) and a spare tyre. After leaving La Paz you will not find spare parts!
Since distances are big and you cross very remote areas, I recommend being totally self-sufficient by bringing a tent, camping stove, food and lots of water. In La Paz and Uyuni you will find some shops where you can buy gas cartridges and other outdoor equipment, along the rest of the route you will not find anything, so be well organised. You can find water and food in every village, there is not a great variety, but it’s also easy to find instant noodles.
A good sunscreen (better if total), cocoa butter and a bandana to cover yourself from the sun and wind are essential. I got burned on the Uyuni Salar and it wasn’t pleasant!
LA PAZ
La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, its heart, and also the highest capital in the world at 3.600 meters above sea level. It’s a chaotic and hypnotic city, surrounded by plateaus and snow-capped mountains.
Don’t miss the Witches’ market (las brujas), where you can find amulets for the cult of the Pachamama and even have a good luck ritual performed by a Curandera, and the wrestling show of the Cholitas Luchadoras in El Alto (Thursday and Sunday).
If you have time, ride the Carretera de la muerte (Road of the Yungas), the most dangerous road in the world, which connects La Paz to Coroico. You can get to the starting point (La Cumbre, 4700 m above sea level) by bus and then ride the 3.000 meters D+ downhill until you reach the Amazon area. Alternatively you can take part in an organized tour which will rent you also the bike, helmet and various protections.
To exit La Paz there are approximately 10km with 500m D+. If you don’t feel like climbing straight away, you can load your bike on the Mi Teleferico, like I did, and enjoy the view of the city from above.
Overnight stay: there are many solutions for all budgets, I stayed overnight at The Adventure Brew Hostel.
RUTA 1
Ruta 1 is a state road that from the Peruvian border crosses the entire western and southern part of the country down to the Argentine border. Starting from La Paz I followed it for several days, before turning in the direction of Salinas de Garci-Mendoza and the Salar de Uyuni. The stretch between La Paz and Oruro is made up of two recently built carriageways, and there is a nice large emergency lane, perfect for cycling. After Oruro the road returns to being a single carriageway.
Along Ruta 1 you will find many small and large towns, such as Patacamaya, Oruro and Challapata, where there are a lot accommodations; I usually slept in private rooms with a shared bathroom at a cost varying between 50 and 70 BOB (around €5-7). If you happen to stop for the night in Pazna, look for the Termales… they are friendly and will let you spread out your sleeping bag in the pool hall.
SALAR DE UYUNI
The Salar of Uyuni is undoubtedly the most iconic place in Bolivia, a lake that about 40 thousand years ago dried up leaving behind an immense expanse of salt , today the largest salt expanse in the world with a surface area equal to over 10 thousand km2.
Coming from the north, as I did, the access points to the Salar are the three tiny villages of Jirira, Coqueza and Tahua, which can be reached from Salinas de Garci-Mendoza by cycling about 40km of dirt road around the spectacular Tunupa Volcano. Before tackling the 38 km from Coqueza to Incahuasi Island, I stayed overnight in Jirira at Hostal Doña Lupe, where I was also able to have dinner and breakfast.
Incahuasi Island is a rocky outcrop covered with huge cacti where you can enjoy an incredible sunset over the salar and spend the night. You can pitch your tent, but also sleep inside a ruined former restaurant with mattress and sleeping bag. There are bathrooms, and a bar is also open during the day.
From Incahuasi I then cycled eastwards towards the town of Colchani, about another 75 km of salt, and before leaving the Salar I passed by the Plaza de las Banderas and the Salt Hotel.
Uyuni, the largest city in the area, is after another 20km of asphalt road; there are many hotels, restaurants and shops there. I stayed overnight at the Casa de Sal Hotel, but if you’re happy with more basic accommodation, where you can meet other cyclists, consider La Casa del Cicista Pingui. Don’t forget to wash your bike at one of the many lavaderos before arriving in town!
The Salar can be visited all year round but if you want to see it covered with a thin layer of water that transforms it into a mirror, the best time to visit it is the southern summer (from November to March), during the summer season rains. I was lucky and cycled the northern part with water!
RUTA DE LAS LAGUNAS
Ruta De Las Lagunas – the road of the lagoons, is a long dirt road that runs between lagoons, volcanoes and geisers at an altitude of 4,500 metres: 400km through harsh nature and boundless spaces. A terrible yet magnificent road, which made me suffer and fall in love, during what was probably my most beautiful week in Bolivia.
The area is protected by the Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve of Andean fauna, important above all for the protection of birds, in particular flamingos, which live and breed in the reserve’s lagoons.
I didn’t cycle the entire original route, but having visited Uyuni I initially passed through San Cristobal, Bosque de Pedras and Villamar, and then rejoined the route after Laguna Capina. An equally beautiful and impervious road, with lots of sand and tôle ondulee.
The lagoon that challenged me the most was Laguna Colorada, I was so tired of riding on its sandy shores that I almost didn’t notice its incredible color; the one I liked the most was Laguna Chalviri, where I was able to relax in the amazing Aguas Termales De Polques; the wildest one was Laguna Blanca. At each lagoon you will find spartan refuges where you can sleep, dine, have breakfast and stock up on water. Some also have wi-fi connection.
Once crossed the border and entered Chile there is asphalt and a 20km descent with over 2.000m D- to reach the tourist village of San Pedro de Atacama… where you can treat yourself to a well-deserved pisco sour. Chile is not as cheap as Bolivia, but San Pedro has lots of accommodation and restaurants for all budgets: I stayed overnight at wonderful Don Raul, which also has a very good restaurant.
There are many bike rental shops where it’s possible to find a box to pack the bike for the flight. To reach Calama airport I used a private taxi (100km, 50€).
