Everything You Need to Know Before Hiking the El Choro Trek in Bolivia
If you’re familiar with the Inca trail, what probably comes to mind is the infamous trek in Peru to Machu Picchu. However, the Incas built over 25,000 miles of trail all over South America through Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, and Argentina. The El Choro Trek is found in Bolivia and covers 30.6 miles of these Incan trails. It offers a drastic change in scenery and climate – snowy mountain peaks of the Andes to intense heat and humidity of the tropical Yungas region. The trail is so diverse that you feel like you’re moving through different parts of the world every day. It’s untouched, diverse, and so beautiful.
Bolivia is a locals destination, so although this trek is one of the most popular treks in all of Bolivia, it rarely sees any people. We only saw two other people (besides locals who live in the villages along the way) on the entire trek. It’s an ideal “off the beaten path” adventure.
About El Choro Trek
The El Choro Trek is located in Cotopata National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area located just outside of La Paz, Bolivia. It’s a challenging 30.6 mile trek with a total elevation gain of 4,239 ft. It typically takes 3 to 4 days to complete.
In pre-Colombian times, the trail was an Incan trade route so you will pass by Incan ruins throughout the trek. In the present day, the trail provides walking access to many remote villages between the town of La Cumbre and the small town of Chairo. We met many locals along our journey who live off the land out there. It’s important to respect the privacy of these people as you walk through their homes.
Day 1: La Cumbre to Challapampa (Red); Day 2: Challapampa to San Francisco II (Blue); Day 3: San Francisco II to Chairo (Green)
Best Time to Go
The best time to go is between April and October.
April to May (summer) – most popular time but it’s monsoon season, so prepare for rain. If you go too early, you may also encounter snow which adds another challenge.
June to October (winter) – less popular time but it’s dry season so expect colder conditions.
Permits
Depending on the time of year, a permit is not always necessary.
During peak months, a local in the town of Samana Pampa will meet you out on the trail. They will help you get a permit. In the shoulder seasons, this is less likely to happen. We waited in the village for a while but no one came out so we continued on.
Weather
Be prepared for anything! You will be in the high alpine Andes, as well as, the humid Yungas jungle. We experienced snow, rain, and extreme heat all within 3 days.
Transportation
Before
The start of El Choro Trek is located at ‘La Cumbre’, right outside of the city of La Paz. On the morning of our hike, we took a taxi from our accommodation to the local minibus station, Terminal Minasa. This taxi ride should cost about 10-20 bs, depending on how far away you are staying.
The minibus station is chaos at all times of day, but when we arrived, a local approached us immediately to ask us where we were going. After telling them ‘La Cumbre’, we were assigned a bus and ready to go within minutes. The bus should cost 20 bs per person (don’t let them charge you more!). We threw our bags on the roof rack and snagged a seat.
The bus ride from Terminal Minasa to La Cumbre is about a 45 minute drive. You will get dropped off at Laguna Estrellani, where the El Choro Trek begins.
After
The trek ends in the very small town of Chairo. We immediately met an older woman who didn’t speak any English and couldn’t read. I knew basic Spanish but it was hard to communicate without Google Translate. She called us a taxi and within minutes a young local boy in a minivan pulled up. He offered to give us a ride to the town of Coroico (one hour away) for 140 bs total. It was way more expensive than we imagined but the only way out. The ride was bumpy and windy on mostly unpaved roads. We arrived in the town of Coroico and immediately got a minibus (20 bs per person) back to La Paz. The bus ride was 2.5 hours along sketchy roads but we made it back to La Paz safely!
Itinerary
The trek is 30.6 miles and is typically hiked in 3 to 4 days. I chose to hike in 3 days and it was the perfect amount of time. This is a breakdown of each day of the trek:
Day One:
La Cumbre to Challapampa - 13.3 miles
We arrived at Laguna Estrellani mid-morning to fog, snow, and freezing temperatures. We layered up and started our trek up to La Cumbre Pass (the highest point of the trek at 4600m/15,091 ft.). It was a challenging start with the high elevation but once we reached the top, it was all downhill from there. Over the pass, we quickly saw an entirely different landscape – greenery with Incan Ruins and wild horses. It was incredible, even in bad weather.
We stopped for lunch in the small town of Ilampu, where there was a shelter/mini store for hikers. It was the perfect place to hide from the weather and warm up with a cup of coffee.
The trail continued on into the rainforest and through another little town. We constantly saw horses, llamas, sheep, and cows throughout the trail – remember that we’re a visitor in their home and to respect their space.
The final stretch to camp was difficult in the rain – rocks were slippery and ground was muddy. We finally arrive to camp at Challapampa around 5:00pm. We crossed the river on the hanging bridge then scrambled up some boulders to camp. There was a small hut where we set up our tent and hung our wet clothes. It was ideal to have shelter in the rain.
An old lady and her son who lived in a small hut down the trail, came out to greet us. We each paid 25 bs to stay there. The son even came back out to dig us a trench for the rain! They were so sweet.
We ate dinner and got a good night of sleep before our next big day!
Day Two:
Challapampa to San Francisco II – 10.6 miles
We woke up to sunshine (finally!) and headed out around 8:30am. The trail slowly descended deeper and deeper into the jungle, then wrapped around a river. We arrived at Buena Vista, a small village, where we stopped to enjoy lunch. The views were incredible.
After lunch, we made it to our first crazy river crossing. It was basically a bunch of branches tied together to form a small bridge over raging rapids. We took turns slowly crossing and trying not to look down. It was terrifying!
The trail was overgrown and ground covered with rocks, so once the afternoon rain started, the trail was slippery and we were soaked. We kept pushing on and made it to another sketchy river crossing. It was challenging but we made it across and scrambled up a waterfall to get back on the trail. It was a fun adventure deep in the jungle.
The day felt very long as San Francisco II campground was a lot farther than we imagined. We arrived to camp to an abandoned camp site that was falling apart and without water. Thank goodness we decided to carry extra water! We set up our tent and relaxed the rest of the night. Sunset views were incredible from this spot, but there were millions of bees so we had to be careful hanging out outside.
Day Three:
San Francisco II to Chairo – 6.7 miles
We left camp around 6:30am and thankfully the weather was great! The trail was pretty easy compared to the other days but still had many water crossings. We were happy to have sandals to change into for the crossings so that we weren’t constantly hiking in swampy shoes.
We came across Bella Vista which was way more abandoned than we’d imagined. There is normally a store and nice camping but it was completely abandoned. We ate breakfast in the camping area until bees started attacking us and we were forced to move on. Haha. As we continued along the trail, we passed by a small village with two men working. We had only seen a few people along the trail so we were surprised to see anyone out there.
The last few miles of the trail went by slowly. We passed another campsite, Sandillani, which was beautiful and well- maintained. It’s definitely a good option to camp if you are staying an extra night. We descended the steep path down into the riverside village of Chairo. The village store was open so we enjoyed icecream while we logistically figured out how to get back to La Paz (reference Transportation section above).
Gear
Weather is very unpredictable along the El Choro Trek, so it’s important to prepare for anything. We experienced snow, rain, wind, sun, and extreme heat, all within three days.
For a full breakdown of everything I bring on a backpacking trip, check out my gear list. Some additional things to note:
I packed my Hyperlite backpack and all of my gear in a Patagonia black hole duffel to trail to South America. I then stored that bag at a hostel in La Paz with everything I didn’t need for the trek.
Trekking poles are a must.
A sturdy tent with a footprint is key. The trail is wet and muddy!
The nights varied with temperatures – bring a warm sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and puffy jacket. I unzipped my sleeping bag on warmer nights.
I wore trail runners and was confident in my choice to have lightweight, quick-drying shoes. However, sandals were incredible to have for the water crossings.
Don’t forget GORTEX rain gear – jacket, pants, and backpack cover (if your bag isn’t waterproof).
Bring a power bank for your electronics.
A water filter is a must. We also had to dry camp one night, so it’s also important to have extra water carrying capacity.
Always bring a Garmin InReach as an emergency device & satellite phone! It was also SO helpful to get the daily weather reports in the unpredictable environment.
Food
We went shopping for our food at a grocery store in La Paz. We were able to find most of what we needed, but were happy to have brought a few things from home. If you can bring food from home, I’d highly recommend it!
Breakfast: instant coffee and oats
Bolivian instant coffee isn’t great so I’d recommend bringing some from home.
Lunch: Tortillas with peanut butter and jelly/nutella
We carried an entire jar of peanut butter since that’s all we could find.
Jelly/Nutella packets were brought from home.
Dinner: Ramen or Instant Rice meal
If you want something more exciting, bring dehydrated backpacking meals from home.
Snacks: nuts, protein bars (from home), assortment of street snacks from La Paz, Coca candy/tea, electrolytes (from home)
Additional Tips
Download AllTrails+ and the El Choro Trek trail so that you have the map offline.
Stay in La Paz for a few days prior to the trek so that you can acclimate to the altitude. It’s important to stay hydrated, well-fed, and well-rested – altitude sickness is not fun.
Make sure to bring cash for entrance fee, campgrounds, and any purchases from the little stores.
There are many local communities along the trek. Make sure to be respectful of their privacy.
The trail is very isolated so make sure to come prepared with everything you may need.
The El Choro Trek is a once in a lifetime experience. It’s a challenging trail that takes a lot of physical and mental strength, but a beautiful journey along the way. I hope this helps you plan an incredible Bolivian adventure.
Happy Trekking! Leave me a comment with any questions and as always, please Leave No Trace.