Coroico

Coroico is a hilltop town in the Nor Yungas province of the La Paz department, Bolivia, perched at roughly 1,700–1,800 m on the eastern slope of the Andes where the high Altiplano drops away into the humid lowlands. After the thin, cold air of La Paz, Coroico feels like a different country: warm, green, and lush, with terraced coffee and coca fields, banana and citrus trees, and views down a deep, mist-filled valley. The town is small and unhurried, built around a central plaza and a church, and it has long served Paceños as a weekend escape — a place to swim, eat well, and slow down rather than to tick off monuments.

The town's character owes much to its Afro-Bolivian community, descendants of African labourers brought to the Yungas in the 19th century. Their culture and cuisine give Coroico a distinctive flavour within highland Bolivia, and the surrounding Yungas region remains the heart of the country's coffee and coca cultivation. Coroico itself is, by its own admission, not especially spectacular — the real draw is the setting and its role as a base. Most travellers arrive either to recover after cycling the famous "Death Road" or to break the journey before continuing down to Rurrenabaque and the Beni lowlands.

Thanks to its lower elevation, Coroico is considerably warmer and more humid than La Paz, with a resort-like feel year-round. The dry season (roughly May–September) brings the clearest skies and best valley views and is the most comfortable time to visit; the wet season (November–March) is greener but cloudier and prone to fog and rain, which can also affect the roads. Weekends are noticeably busier as visitors come up from the capital.

By Car / Road

Coroico is reached from La Paz via the modern highway opened in 2006, which bypasses the old, notorious cliff route. It is a very scenic drive and well worth appreciating on the way.

By bus: Buses from the Terminal Provincial Minasa Yungas in La Paz pass through and stop at Yolosita (Bs. 20). From Yolosita you can hike up to Coroico on a direct trail, or take a minibus for Bs. 5. A few buses run directly to Coroico from La Paz.

By bicycle: Many travellers arrive on "The Bike Ride" — the descent down the old Yungas Road, widely known as the "Death Road." Numerous tour companies in La Paz offer the trip, or you can organise it yourself by renting a bicycle in La Paz. If booking a tour, look for one that carries your backpack along for free. See the Yungas Road for full details.

On foot: Several hiking routes connect La Paz to Coroico; again, see the Yungas Road.

Coroico is a small town and essentially everything — the plaza, church, restaurants, pool, and most lodgings — is within walking distance. Note that some accommodations sit well up the hill; for places like Sol y Luna a taxi is strongly advised. Taxis are available in town for short hops and for the steeper climbs to outlying hotels.

• Main plaza and church — The heart of town. The church sits right beside the plaza; the square itself is the best place to soak up unhurried village life, watch local comings and goings, and find food stalls and juice sellers.

• Valley viewpoints — Coroico's defining sight is the view itself: the deep green Yungas valley falling away below the town, often framed by drifting cloud. Many restaurants and hotels are positioned specifically to take it in.

• Chill out by the pool. A large open-air municipal pool (20 m) sits above the bus terminal, with space for sunbathing — the classic Coroico way to spend a warm afternoon.

• Hike Cerro Uchumachi (Chutokollo Uchumachi, 2,533 m). An easy but long climb from town (about 2 hours, 800 m of ascent) to the highest point in the area. The valley views are superb, with wildflowers, the odd coca field, and dense cloud forest near the top. If you're quiet you can hear and spot hummingbirds (colibríes), recognisable by their loud flight; from the far end of the mountain you can see the snow-capped range back towards La Paz. (Updated May 2018.)

• Yoga. Offered daily at Sol y Luna for Bs. 30 (see the Sleep section).

• Eat out. In the evening, dining at one of Coroico's surprisingly good restaurants is itself one of the main things to do.

Coroico punches above its weight for food, with a notably international line-up of restaurants reflecting its expat owners and Afro-Bolivian roots. Options run from cheap set lunches to European-influenced cooking, and several spots cater well to vegetarians.

• Comedor municipal — Cheap, no-frills local food from Bs. 6. Budget.
• Empanadas, Main Plaza — Cheese empanadas appear in the main square daily from 16:00; no tiendas sell them, so come to the plaza. Bs. 2. Budget.
• Villa Bonita (vegetarian) — Best value for money in town, also famous for its ice cream; vegetarian food in a pretty garden with a great view. Budget–mid.
• Pizzeria Erika — Fairly cheap pizzas and pastas, plus set meals. Budget–mid.
• Hotel Esmeralda — A huge all-you-can-eat buffet with fresh salads, meat, chicken, vegetables, soups, and vegetarian dishes; food is fresh, not frozen or microwaved. Buffet Bs. 32. Service can be patchy. Mid.
• El Cafetal — A French-owned, open-air restaurant under a jatata-thatch roof with an excellent daytime valley view. Expect dishes like lamb curry, llama goulash, trout lasagna, and crepes. From Bs. 40. Mid–upper.
• La Casa (one block uphill from the plaza) — Alpine fare including fondue and raclette.
• Bamboo (one block from the plaza) — Mexican food favoured by local expats; the English-speaking owner is a good source of information.
• Cafe Arte (on the plaza) — Great cakes, average coffee.

The local soft drink of choice is fresh jugo — juice ladies set up around the plaza selling fresh fruit and carrot juices. For a proper night out:

• Carlas Garden Pub, Calle Adalid Linares (take the steps down from the plaza), ☏ +591 72075620, open 19:00–00:00, closed Sundays. A Dutch-owned, chef-run terrace bar, restaurant, and bakery with live music at weekends — reputedly the coldest beer, best cocktails, and finest made-from-scratch food in Coroico. English spoken; spotlessly clean.
• Hotel Esmeralda — Happy hour 17:30–19:00 with 660 ml beers at Bs. 10.

Water safety: As elsewhere in Bolivia, avoid tap water — stick to bottled, boiled, or purified water, especially given Coroico's lowland, humid setting.

Accommodation in Coroico runs a little pricey for Bolivia, with many places asking around Bs. 80 against a more typical Bs. 30–60. Many of the best-positioned lodgings are up the hill above town.

Budget

• Hostal L. de la Torre (close to the plaza) — Basic but clean, sunny, and cheap, set around a courtyard full of flowers. Bs. 25.
• Residencial Coroico (near the plaza) — Plain but cheap; cold shower only, hot shower for an extra Bs. 5.
• Hostal Para Ti (a few steps from the terminal) — Beautiful panorama, with areas for recreation and relaxing.

Mid-range

• Hotel Esmeralda (at the top of the hill by the phone masts), ☏ +591 10-2213-6017, check-out 11:00 — Stunning views, a clean-ish pool, scalding hot showers, sauna, book/DVD collection, cable TV, satellite internet (the fastest in town), pool tables, foosball, and a buffet restaurant. Dorm Bs. 75 (Bs. 90 with breakfast); shared bath Bs. 90; private Bs. 120–140 incl. breakfast.
• Villa Bonita (about 600 m from the plaza), ☏ +591 71918298 — A tiny, charming place run by a Swiss-Bolivian couple, with two cabins (for 2 and 4 people) and a few rooms, set in a pretty garden with a great view, plus high-quality ice cream and vegetarian food. Often full at weekends — call ahead.
• Hostal Kory — Reckoned to have the best view in Coroico; a little pricier but worth it.

Upscale / eco

• Sol y Luna (eco resort, high up the hill — take a taxi or regret it) — Independent cabins with kitchen and private bathroom in a paradisiacal garden, plus cheaper rooms in the main house and camping on the grounds. Two pools in a woodland setting, daily yoga, and massages (Bs. 120 for 75 min). Reservations essential, especially at weekends.

Coroico is a place to enjoy rather than to shop, but the surrounding Yungas is prime coffee and coca country, and locally grown coffee is the natural regional buy. Around the plaza you'll find tiendas, fresh-fruit and juice vendors, and cheap street empanadas in the late afternoon. There is no significant craft-market scene; pick up provisions and snacks in town before heading onward to the lowlands.

• La Paz (~2.5 hours by minibus, Bs. 20; small micros 2 hr, Bs. 25–30; shared taxi Bs. 30–35; private taxi Bs. 300–350) — Back up the scenic new road to Bolivia's de facto capital. Minibuses run 03:00–17:30 from southwest of the church.
• Yungas Road ("Death Road") (immediately surrounding region) — The famous old cliff route and the wider Yungas, best explored by bike or on foot from Coroico as a base.
• Yolosita (short minibus ride, Bs. 5) — The highway junction below town and transit point for onward lowland buses.
• Rurrenabaque (long onward journey via the lowland road) — Gateway to the Amazon basin and pampas/jungle tours in the Beni department.
• Beni department / Bolivian lowlands — Continue down from the Yungas into the tropical lowlands for jungle and river travel.