Amboro Tours

The “Che” Guevara Route

Vallegrande and La Higuera – Public Transportation

• Itinerary of 2 Days 1 Night ( Public Transportation)

From the City of Santa Cruz

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2 Days 1 Night

1^st Day

At 8:00 we go out from Amboro Tours’ office to get into a Taxi to the Public Transportation Stop for taking the transport go to the town of Vallegrande; located at 6,660 feet (2030 meters) above sea-level. Vallegrande has a population of approximately 8,000 inhabitants in the urban zone and approximately 27,000 if we include the bordering communities. Vallegrande is located 149 miles (240 meters) away from the city of Santa Cruz, and the trip to this population lasts approximately 6 hours.

The transportation used can be on a Sedan Car or on a Minibus, but in the latter case we may take a Bus. On the vehicles of the Public Transportations like the Minibuses, generally its capacity is forced adapting it to carry one more person.

The going out of the city of Santa Cruz is quite chaotic, but once you are on the outsides of it you can go appreciating the landscape. The highway that leads to Vallegrande is paved although the forst 60 Km are in repair; part of this highway borders the Piraí River, which can be appreciated from above in some parts, this highway goes through mountains. The landscape vegetation diminishes as we approach the population of Vallegrande.

Once in this town, we will look for a restaurant or we will eat a box lunch which could be already made for the occasion, so we can save time.

In Vallegrande, we will also meet a local tour guide with whom we will proceed to the community of La Higuera in a public transportation without four-wheel drive.

This road is similar to the last part of the road from Santa Cruz to Vallegrande, because it borders the mountains, but with the difference that this road is dirt one and it is narrower. The peak altitude that we arrive is 9,200 feet (2800 meters) above sea level. We will stop whenever the visitor wishes to take some photos or to appreciate to the Andean Condor flying over the area.

This trip from Vallegrande to La Higuera will lasts 2 Hours plus the time that we will need on visiting The Churo Creek, where “El Che” fought his last battle in total disadvantage, malnourished, without adequate clothing or boots (he made his own boots with some leather in disuse) and with his rifle was not working well.

To get to this place we need  to trek for 1 1/2 hours  down hill in company of our guide who  will tell us in details how this uneven battle took place and how “Che” was captured by the military and taken to the small village´s school of La Higuera, which at the time had more inhabitants than it does at the present time.

It is there where “el Che” is executed by order which come from outside.

We will arrive to the population of La Higuera at dusk, this population is at 6,560 feet (2,000 meters) above sea level and is near the refuge that “Che” had in the nearby forest.

Over night in La Higuera.

2^nd Day

After breakfast we will have a walk around the plaza, where we will be able to appreciate the paintings on the house walls and monuments raised in honor of “Che”. We can ask the guide how many times a small monument was raised in middle of the town square and how many times the military came to destroy it.

We will visit the “El Che” museum, which is the place where El Che was killed. The guide will provide further explanation about the photos and objects in exhibition. Later, if time allows to, we will visit other places in the surroundings of La Higuera where “El Che” was present. Besides, if you would like you can talk with the Cuban Doctors about their work in the place and their point of view concerning to the current changes.

We will return the same way that we arrived, stop at Vallegrande where we will visit the old laundry of the hospital where Ernesto “Che” Guevara was exposed to the press after having been brought in a helicopter from the town of La Higuera, where he was killed. We will also visit the place where “Che” was buried next to his companions in battle.

We will leave our guide and continue to the city of Santa Cruz.

We need to be at Vallegrande bus station where the public transportation departs to get into the next one that goes out to the city of Santa cruz. It is also advisable to drive through the part of the mountainous way during the day, due to the scarce signaling and the road conditions.

We will arrive at the city at evening or at night and leave you in your hotel or address.

End of our service. Thanks.

Please Read The Terms and Conditions of our Services

Amboró Tours is the only original source of this Itinerary

Note: This service is in Public Transportation. Damages and accidents can

Happened.

- Public transportation in Bolivia is generally poor and / or with many flaws.

- In case of mechanical problems, passengers have to manage how to get to their destination by themselves.

- In case of mechanical problems in public service vehicles, usually there is no mechanical assistance or replacement vehicle.

Adverse climatologic conditions or social unrest can change the original itinerary.

Amboró Tours also offers longer tours to this destination.

“Take only photographs and leave only footprints”