Vallegrande

Vallegrande is a tranquil colonial town set in the Andean valleys of western Santa Cruz department, roughly 240 km southwest of Santa Cruz de la Sierra at around 2,000 m altitude. Founded in 1612 as Jesús y Montes Claros de los Caballeros, it is a place of cobbled streets, whitewashed adobe houses with red-tiled roofs, and a handsome, well-kept main plaza ringed by colonial buildings — a marked change in mood from the hot lowlands to the east. Its temperate mountain climate and surrounding green hills make it a pleasant base, but for most travellers Vallegrande's fame rests on one chapter of 20th-century history.

In October 1967, after Ernesto "Che" Guevara was captured and executed in the nearby hamlet of La Higuera, his body was flown by helicopter to Vallegrande and put on public display in the laundry of the Nuestra Señora de Malta hospital, where the famous photographs of his corpse were taken. His body was then buried secretly; only in 1997 were his remains (and those of several comrades) located and exhumed from beneath the town's airstrip and repatriated to Cuba. These sites — the laundry, the mausoleo at the airstrip, and the museums — anchor the "Ruta del Che" pilgrimage that draws visitors from around the world.

The best months to visit are the cooler, drier season from roughly May to September, when the valleys are clear and the dirt roads onward to La Higuera are most passable; the wet season (December to March) can make those mountain tracks difficult. The town itself is small and easily walked, centred on the Plaza 26 de Enero.

By Plane

There is no scheduled passenger air service to Vallegrande's airstrip — the field is historically significant (Che's remains were buried there) rather than a working commercial airport. The nearest air gateway is Viru Viru International Airport (IATA: VVI) in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, about 250-260 km away; from there you continue overland.

By Car / Road

The usual approach is by road from Santa Cruz de la Sierra, a journey of about 240 km taking roughly 5.5-7 hours depending on conditions, on a route that climbs from the lowlands into the valleys (the final stretches can be winding and partly unpaved). Buses (flotas) run daily from Santa Cruz's bimodal terminal to Vallegrande, costing on the order of Bs 80-130; shared cars are faster. Vallegrande can also be reached from Sucre via Cochabamba/Aiquile-area roads. Onward to La Higuera (~50 km south, ~2.5-3.5 hours) the road is rough dirt via Pucará, normally tackled by hired 4x4 or taxi (expect roughly Bs 700-900 round trip, often arranged as part of a tour).

Vallegrande's centre is compact and best explored on foot — the plaza, churches, museums and the hospital laundry are all within walking distance. Street taxis and mototaxis handle longer errands for a few Bolivianos. There is no city bus system. For the out-of-town Che sites (the airstrip mausoleum, and especially La Higuera and Pucará), you will need a hired vehicle, a taxi, or a guided tour, as public transport on those mountain tracks is minimal. Most visitors arrange the Ruta del Che as an organised 2-day/1-night trip with the overnight in Vallegrande.

Che Guevara sites

• Lavandería del Hospital Nuestra Señora de Malta — the open-air hospital laundry where Che's body was laid out and photographed in October 1967; the original concrete wash-sinks remain, now a place of pilgrimage covered in messages from visitors. Centrally located within the still-functioning hospital.
• Mausoleo / Memorial at the airstrip — the site on the edge of town where Che and his comrades were buried in secret and exhumed in 1997; a memorial marks the spot.
• Museo Municipal de Vallegrande — the municipal museum just off the plaza, with rooms devoted to Che's Bolivian campaign (maps, photographs, accounts of his death) alongside regional archaeology and history. Modest entry fee, daytime hours.
• Centro Cultural / Museo del Che exhibits — additional exhibits and photographs documenting the 1967 events and the Ñancahuazú guerrilla.

Town and surroundings

• Plaza 26 de Enero and the colonial centre — the well-preserved main square framed by colonial architecture and the parish church, the pleasant heart of the town.
• La Higuera (~50 km south) — the tiny hamlet where Che was executed on 9 October 1967; the schoolhouse where he was held is now a memorial, and a bust and monuments stand in the village.

The reason most people come is to walk the Ruta del Che — the trail of monuments and sites linked to Guevara's 1966-67 guerrilla campaign, stitching together Vallegrande, the airstrip mausoleum, Pucará and La Higuera, usually as a guided two-day circuit. Beyond the history, Vallegrande rewards slow exploration: stroll the colonial streets, sit on the plaza, and hike in the green valleys and hills around the town. The surrounding countryside is good for walking and for sampling rural Andean valley life and produce. Time your visit to early October and you may catch the annual commemorations marking the anniversary of Che's death, when the town fills with visitors and events.

Food in Vallegrande is hearty Bolivian valley cooking — soups, grilled and roast meats, corn, potatoes and rice. Regional and national dishes to look for include sopa de maní (peanut soup), picante de pollo, chicharrón, and the lowland-influenced majadito and masaco found across Santa Cruz department. Eating is centred on the market and a handful of simple restaurants around the plaza.

• Mercado Central food stalls — the cheapest and most reliable meals: set lunches (almuerzo), soups and grilled plates for a few Bolivianos.
• Restaurants around Plaza 26 de Enero — simple sit-down eateries serving Bolivian standards and set lunches at modest prices.
• Hostal/hotel comedores — some guesthouses serve breakfast and home-style meals to guests and walk-ins.

Vegetarians can manage with soups, eggs, rice and salteñas, though dedicated meat-free menus are uncommon in this rural town.

The usual Bolivian drinks prevail: national beers (Paceña, Huari), singani (the Bolivian grape brandy) and, in this valley country, locally made chicha and fruit refrescos. Cafés and small bars around the plaza serve coffee, mate and soft drinks. Do not drink the tap water — stick to bottled or properly treated water, sold inexpensively around town.

• Budget: Hostal Juanita (Calle Manuel María Caballero) is a long-running, simple, friendly option with private parking, Wi-Fi, a terrace and breakfast, from roughly Bs 80-150 per night; other basic alojamientos near the plaza fall in a similar range.
• Mid-range: a handful of small hotels and guesthouses around the centre offer en-suite rooms with breakfast from roughly Bs 200-350; availability is limited, so book ahead around the October anniversary.
• Upscale / heritage: Vallegrande has little in the way of upscale lodging — expectations should be set to clean, simple small-town hotels. Travellers wanting higher standards typically stay in Santa Cruz de la Sierra before or after the Ruta del Che.

Vallegrande's shops and the area around the plaza sell the inevitable Che Guevara memorabilia — T-shirts, prints, postcards and books tied to the Ruta del Che. Beyond that, the local market is the place for Andean valley produce, cheeses, and simple regional crafts. Bargaining is gentle and mostly reserved for crafts and market goods; carry cash in small Boliviano notes, as card payment is rare in this small town.

• La Higuera (~50 km / 2.5-3.5 hours south) — the hamlet where Che was executed; the essential second half of the Ruta del Che.
• Pucará (en route to La Higuera) — a small valley village on the Che trail with related monuments.
• Samaipata (toward Santa Cruz) — colonial village and the El Fuerte pre-Columbian UNESCO site, a popular valley stop.
• Santa Cruz de la Sierra (~5.5-7 hours northeast) — Bolivia's largest city and the regional transport hub.
• Sucre (to the west) — Bolivia's elegant white colonial capital, reachable overland from the valleys.