Ruta del Che — Samaipata to Vallegrande & LaHiguera.
Distance
340 km
Duration
2 days
Climb
2,400 m
Ruta del Che — Samaipata to Vallegrande & La Higuera.
A 340km two-day pilgrimage through Bolivia's Andean foothills retracing Che Guevara's final journey. From the UNESCO pre-Inca rock fort of Samaipata, ride west into the remote Vallegrande mountains where Che's body was displayed in October 1967, then south on rough gravel to La Higuera — the schoolhouse-turned-museum where he was executed. One of South America's most historically charged motorcycle routes.
Quick facts
SurfaceMixed
Distance340 km
Days2
Total climb2,400 m
Fuel stops2 along route
DifficultyChallenging
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2 days, 2 moods.
A suggested split across 2 days with 10 waypoints to discover along the way.
SamaipataStart · Start in Samaipata — foothill village 120km southwest of Santa Cruz. The pre-Inca rock fort El Fuerte (UNESCO) is worth a 30-minute detour before riding.
MairanaFuel Stop · First gas station heading west — top up. The road traverses the Andean foothills with subtropical valleys giving way to dry mountain country.
Mataral JunctionScenic Point · Junction village where the road climbs into the Vallegrande mountains. The gravel section starts here. Slow, broken pavement followed by 70km of dirt.
VallegrandeOvernight · Overnight in Vallegrande — sleepy colonial town where Che's body was publicly displayed in October 1967. Visit the Che Mausoleum (former hospital laundry) at dusk.
Vallegrande PlazaFuel Stop · Fuel up before the rough mountain run to La Higuera. The 100km round trip is gravel and broken pavement — no services in between.
PucaráScenic Point · Tiny village halfway to La Higuera. Older inhabitants here saw Che's column pass through and still tell stories. Dirt road from here.
Quebrada del ChuroPhoto Spot · The ravine where Che Guevara was captured by Bolivian Rangers on 8 October 1967. A small monument marks the site. Sobering quiet spot.
La Higuera SchoolhouseScenic Point · The mountain village where Che was executed the day after capture. The schoolhouse is now a small museum. Population today is around 100.
Pucará ReturnRestaurant · Lunch on the return — try locro (Andean stew) at the village comedor. The road back retraces the morning's mountain path.
VallegrandeEnd · End back in Vallegrande. ~340km of mountain riding over two days through one of Bolivia's most remote and historically charged corners.
More routes in Bolivia
South Yungas Road — La Paz to ChulumaniBO L · 120 kmSorata Descent — La Paz to the Foot of IllampuBO L · 150 kmChapare Cloud Forest — Cochabamba to Villa TunariBO C · 160 kmTarija Wine Route — Valle de la Concepción & San LorenzoBO T · 90 kmSur Lípez Circuit — Uyuni to San Pedro de Atacama via Laguna ColoradaBO P · 600 kmSucre to Potosí — Silver Mountain HighwayBO H · 165 km
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