The people in the town of Torotoro are incredibly sweet and sometimes shy because they are not very used to tourists. Dutch-born long legs still stare these people wide open.

Hostels are spot on here, you can already spend three nights here if you want. A fine hostel with a nice shower is Hostal Wilma. A wonderfully quiet place so make happy trips and pay attention to your budget. A good idea is to buy fresh sandwiches for the day you go out with your guide at the bakery which you can not miss in the middle of the small center.

To Bolivia’s Jurassic Park

From Cochabamba [Bolivian Thoughts clarification: Toro Toro is in the department of Potosi, access is better from Cochabamba though], you drive for five euros per person with a minivan (Trufi) in four hours to Torotoro. The views are fantastic here and the villages are still authentic. Be prepared for lifters, as these buses allow the locals to travel from A to B.

It is useful to book your day trips in advance, and only one desk. First of all, you must get a stamp that gives you approval to enter the national park, after which you can go to the executive office. Here you can choose your trips and schedule a time schedule. The next day you know who gets your guide, this is the one who first signs up at the desk. The prices are very convenient and the more excursions you book, the more discount you can arrange on this package price. You can also choose not to book an excursion, and just like locals to drive to Torotoro with one of the mini-cars. You can always arrange a sleeping place on site.

Caving in Torotoro

A big must do: visit Umajalanta, Bolivia’s deepest cave (caverne), to which seven kilometers have been discovered. With a huge charming white helmet and a main lamp you explore the cave with a guide. Tip: Draw easy clothes and sturdy shoes, because you have the choice to wrap through all kinds of curves through the limestone corridors that are formed deep in the cave. Climbing and climbing the rocks makes things fun and easier with good footwear. As a true Indiana Jones lead player, you pave a way through the cave into a loop in a way that is just an adventurer that can. This is so cool and time flies!

On dino hunting

Our guide Victor, who is doing his best in English, tries to talk to us and so we learn some Spanish words. He tells hundreds about the emergence of rocks, caves and dinosaur tracks that we encounter. You can see that he is very fascinated by this and he is good at us. How nice is it to see true traces of different types of dinosaurs after all those years ?!

Canyon hiking

If you want, you can go to another enchanting spot on the same day, descending through a stairway into a gulf of waterfalls. You can also cool in crisp and ice-cold pools formed under the waterfalls. Beautiful! This place is so fairy-minded that I had to squeeze myself occasionally. This is one of those places with an atmosphere that makes me so happy. To cross the flowing river you jump from stone to stone, dive through caves of huge rock and see how the vibrant green gap is different every second. After a visit of about three hours you will be at the edge of the gap: tired but very satisfied.

A tip for the chauff [driver] and guide is therefore earned more than fat. After a delicious shower, you have different options for eating local dishes while enjoying a local beer. These are the days you’ll never forget. You can still choose a number of other excursions like Ciudad de Itas, where you can watch even more breathtaking rock formations and if you’re lucky to enjoy a condor! There are also viewpoints where you can see the extremely rare and endemic redwangara.

Once you’re back in Cochabamba, you can travel by bus or by plane to Potosi, Sucre or La Paz where you’ll have more adventure. The difference is that there will be more tourists in the row than in Torotoro. It’s up to you!

http://www.reishonger.nl/reisverslagen/parque-nacional-torotoro-bolivias-best-kept-secret/

Bolivian Thoughts opinion: Rodolfo Becerra de la Roca, and I have to say, a good friend of mine, is the person who fought over decades, relentlessly to put Toro Toro in the map, to make it known to the world, and to be protected … kudos to him as this Dutch traveller had the opportunity to enjoy one of the wonders of my beautiful Potosi!