Bolivia Guide
Lago Titicaca, the Cordillera Real and the Yungas
Sorata
Some 55km north of Achacachi, enclosed in a deep, fertile valley, patchworked with green fields at the foot of the mighty 6400-metre Illampu massif, SORATA has without a doubt the most beautiful setting of any town in Bolivia. Hemmed in on all sides by steep mountain slopes and often shrouded in cloud, it has a real Shangri-la feel – the contrast with the harsh Altiplano is so striking that early Spanish explorers compared the valley to the Garden of Eden. Set at an altitude of 2695m, it also enjoys a significantly warmer climate than La Paz, but is still cool and fresh at night compared to the Yungas.
Activities
1 Asociación Guías Turísticas Sorata Opposite the Residencial Sorata, just off the plaza on Calle Sucre
02/71594612guiasorata@hotmail.com Can arrange for guides for all the main trekking routes around Sorata and organize mule hire as well.
2 Unión de Guías Eco IIIampu Calle Murillo 212
02/71232816p_torrezcoronel@hotmail.com An organization for guides, porters and mule handlers, arranging local outdoor treks and mule trips.
3 Andean Biking Co-Op www.andeanbiking.com From April to November, American expat and Team Bolivia veteran Travis Yossarian Grey runs mountain bike adventure trips on the area's high-altitude scree and Inca trails, as well as a combined bike and raft expedition to Rurrenabaque and an annual downhill jamboree called the Jach`a Avalanche. Price: Bike adventure trips $50–75 a day