Andoriña Hostel in Samaipata, Bolivia - welcome to our English site

For reservations: call (3) 944 6333 (prefered) or send an e-mail: noilenna@hotmail.com (2 days before)

Samaipata, capital of the Florida province and 2 ½ hours east from Santa Cruz de la Sierra, is situated in between the Andes foothills. Altitude: 1650 metres, with the average year temperature of 23 degrees Celsius forming one of the most pleasant climates on earth. Between the national park Amboró, many mountain ranges and valleys with microclimates, Samaipata is a paradise to enjoy nature and to ‘rest in the highlands’ (meaning of Samaipata in the continent’s main indigenous language). From April to September one should bring all season clothes, as a south wind (with cold) can appear.

The village itself counts with good services like various types of fresh and brown bread, organic vegetables, fruits, honey, ham and various types of cheese. Local & international bars and restaurants guarantee a wide variety of food. The local museum tells and shows history and historical items, especially about the pre-Colombian ruins ‘El Fuerte’. There are art galleries and antique houses to visit.

As Bolivia can be considered as an underdeveloped country, one always can expect bad roads, delays because of social conflicts, unreliable answers, etc. Especially in rural areas hygiene can be not as wished. Travelling alone is not a problem, there’re always other travellers to meet and share experiences with. Be aware of robberies in big cities. Samaipata itself is a very safe area.

Andrés & Doriña:

2007 NEW:

We sell tikcts to SUCRE (sleeping bus)

Andoriña is a rustic hostel (since 2006) and Art & Picture Gallery (since 2004) in Samaipata, 2 ½ blocks before the Main Square, Bolivia. It’s been founded by Andres (Dutch) and Doriña (Samaipateña). We also offer breakfasts and cafetaria service with many healthy juices, postcards, a relax & reading area, meetings, music nights & cultural movies. Our main goal is to make you feel you home, ready to rest and prepare to discover the beautiful area.

Our photographic exposition contains more than 200 framed pictures and can make you feel being in a museum. The house has many ‘surprises’ to discover, with natural, rustic accents and materials from the area. The lookoutpoints offer views 360 º over village and mountains. Local & international guides in town can inform you about tours & hikes and organize your trip for one or more days.

For our guests and visitors there is an information book which tells you everything about the village and the area. We can help you in organizing hikes and tours. The electricity system is 220 V.

Strategic and magnificent location

The province ‘Florida’ belongs to the ‘Cruceño Valleys’ and is situated between the cities Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Sucre (11 hours by night from here) and Cochabamba (10 hours via the old mountain road).

With the Andean zone, the Amboró park and the start of the Amazona all north of Samaipata, and in the south both dry and humid mountain ranges, one can say that this area offers an almost unique combination of different landscapes and (micro)climates.

From Santa Cruz de la Sierra one can reach the remote national park Noel Kempff Mercado and other Bolivian Amazonian destinations, the Chiquitania region with its Jesuit mission churches, the Bolivian Pantanal, and to Brazil (Corumbá-Caceres-Mato Grosso) and Argentina (Pocitos).

Our mission

Now we’re established like hostal and art & picture gallery, we will work more sustainable and social; besides offering work for people from the area, support capacitation and concientization, help building schools, planting trees; managing and exploiting natural resources and tourism in a sustainable way.

For actual information visit our weblog:

www.andorina-samaipata.blogspot.com

Cafetería - Juices - Small Food

On any place, on the big balcony, the patio or in one of the common inside areas, you can always enjoy our coffees & teas, pancakes & small food, cakes, fruit and vegetable shakes with many powerful and healthy, local ingredients.

Why Samaipata ?

Samaipata is best known for the pre-Colombian ruins ‘El Fuerte’ & the south side of national park Amboró with its cloud forests. Other beautiful areas are the cascades of Las Cuevas & La Pajcha, Serrania de Volcanes, Cerro de los Condores & Bella Vista / Codo de los Andes. If you’re a nature lover, Samaipata is the place for you ! It’s also the entrance to the Cruceño Valleys which hide historic cave paintings, many varities of cactus and small villages.

There are bicycles for rent, and as said there’re local guides and touroperators which offer a service of high quality. The Cuevas area can be explored independently and the ‘Patria Mountain’ above town offers beautiful views.

The best time to visit is March/April up to September, which is considered to be more stable in climate terms. Bring winter as well as summer cloths, as the temperature can vary quite a lot. The summer (October-April) is maybe even nicer because of the vibrance and everything is very green because of more rainfall. Summer daytemperatures are in general 23-30 degrees Celsius and nights are comfortable fresh.

Bolivia & Samaipata

Bolivia is one of the most diverse countries on the planet in cultural and ethnical terms, as well as biodiversity. With more than 30 ethnic native groups it’s South America’s most indigenous country. Mestizos (a mix of indigenous and Spanish), Mennonites, Europeans, Japanese and Africans make it even more diverse.

Also in terms of biodiversity Bolivia is sensational; in flora and fauna it’s always in the best of ten ! In this case Samaipata is a good example: the Amboró national park is one of the best birdwatching places; rugged and wild landscapes in the Cuevas, Bella Vista & Volcanes areas, sandstone mountains with high forest in its canyons and valleys, where many types of animals have their habitat. The fruits of the many Cactusses attract hundreds of birds in October-November. The Andean Condor has its nest in the area and finds his prey even around the ‘El Fuerte’ ruins. At last, on misty days being in the cloud forests can make you feel like in a fairytale !

How to get in Samaipata

From Sta Cruz city, it´s the easiest way to take a taxi to the Samaipata taxi stop, Avenida Omar Chávez Ortiz / esquina Soliz de Olguin, tel. 333 5067. A taxi fills up with four persons, which pay 25 Bs each. When having 2-4 persons together, you can call 333-5067, to be picked up from your ho(s)tel. The drive takes about 2 ½ hours and the route is very scenic and most beautiful in the early morning or after 14.00 in the afternoon.

About 50 metres after the taxi stop in Santa Cruz, at the same side of the street, leaves a microbus at 17.00 (15 Bs, be there at 16.45). Microbuses (15 Bs) leave from Plaza Oruro / Avenida Grigota, at 16.15, be there before 16.00.

Another option is the (spacious) microbus from Expreso Mairana leaving at the same time. To find them, cross the Avenida Grigota and turn left, close to Expreso Saipina. You’re lucky if that day their big red bus leaves, with more spacious seats and nice views due to the altitude of the bus ! Getting in Samaipata, you can ask the taxi to drop you at Andoriña, as well as the microbuses. Others pay to get you into their place, we don´t !

From / To Sucre,

Cochabamba & Vallegrande

Buses with these destinations all pass by at Samaipata, and tickets are for sale in town (we sell tickets to Sucre). Coming from Sucre, you´ll get here between 5-7 am (take the last possible bus from Sucre) (ring our bell, getting here).

The night trip to Sucre takes 11 hours from here, to Vallegrande 3 hours. From Vallegrande you can take a taxi to Pucará and La Higuera, where Che Guevara was killed in 1967. In La Higuera are two places to sleep, what we recommend, because it takes at least five hours from S’pata to get there.

To continue your trip to Cochabamba, you can take a bus from Mairana (25 minutes from here) by the old mountain road, Tuesday, Friday and Sunday afternoon. More information is available here.