Biking from La Paz to Arica
Omar Zarzar Casis - Aventurarse Expert

My niece was getting married. What joy. When my sister gave me the news, I was glad for the family, but also because I was being given a chance to go back to Arica, in the North of Chile, along a route that was new to me. I'd also be able to see my son, who lives in Lima, whom I hadn't seen in three months.

Why should I use traditional transport when I have my bike? I decided to take a bus from Cuzco, where I live, to La Paz, for I had already pedaled down to La Paz from Copacabana. I would then pedal, on my own, across the Bolivian-Chilean plateau, arriving at Arica a few days later. A new adventure was near.

The first day, everything went well. I left La Paz, and after leaving the urban sector behind, I pedaled in the Northeast direction for five hours, non-stop. I was circulating a very busy route, which unites La Paz and Oruro, also known as the "Church Route" because of the 16th century churches that line the road. I was well prepared for the road; I had power bars, bread and cheese, dried bananas and a lot of water. Not to mention some liquor for the cold.

This is one of the most important roads in Bolivia, so it is all made of cement. Small towns stood in the way, approximately 30 kilometers apart. As the La Paz peaks were left behind, the land ahead of me developed smoothly, 3800 meters above the sea.

After 85 kilometers, I passed by the town of Viscachani, famous for its thermal springs and the production of mineral water. A little later, I arrived at Patacamaya, an important stop for everyone who wishes to join La Paz, Oruro and Arica. I was very tired, so I found a hostel, had dinner and went to sleep.

From Patacamaya to Curahuara

I started out very early, I was planning to travel 100 kilometers. They would be harder, because I had to abandon the main road and carry on into higher territories. As I traveled, I realized that the rain and hail in the region can fall at any given moment. Temperature was very unstable. It would go as high as 20°C and then drop down to 0° when hail fell.

I passed close by to the population of Puerto Japonés, and soon after, I abandoned the state of La Paz and made my entry into Oruro. After six hours and a hundred kilometers, I made it to Curahuara de Carangas, a small, picturesque town, 400 meters above the sea. The town's pride is an antique church, built in the 16th century, which exhibits murals in baroque, popular and renaissance style, painted between the 16th and 19th centuries. I spent my second night there.

The Sajama Volcano

On the third day, the lack of time forced me to accept the offer of a trucker I met in Curahuara, and travel with him to Tambo Quemado, the last Bolivian town before crossing the border. That was a very special day, we passed by the Sajama National Park, Bolivia's first protected area and one of its main tourist attractions. The park carries its name because of the impressive Mount Sajama; its 6542 meters makes it Bolivia's tallest mountain and one of the highest volcanoes in South America.

El parque ocupa unas 200 mil hectáreas de la Cordillera Occidental volcánica, y corresponde a la región ecológica de la Puna. El majestuoso Sajama, reflejándose en las lagunas del parque, constituye su carta de presentación, ya que forma una imagen de una belleza difícil de olvidar. Además, el parque se caracteriza por sus bosques de queñua a 5200 metros, la formación leñosa más alta del mundo. En la región vive abundante fauna andina, como vicuñas, quirquinchos, pumas y una gran variedad de aves.

The Park stretches over 200 000 hectares of the Western volcanic mountain range. The majestic Sajama is the park's greeting card, its image reflected on the park's lagoons is hard to forget. The park is also known for its "queñua" woods, the highest forests in the world (5200 meters).

Back in Chile

After Tambo Quemado, I pedaled a bit further, towards the highest point of the trip, in "no man's land", amid the Andes mountain range. The frontier pass is at a height of 4670 meters, and can be felt in the body. After crossing, I reached Lake Chungara, the first Chilean post, and pedaled for another eight hours. I traveled across 170 kilometers, meeting many truckers and no cyclists. The first region I crossed in Chile is part of the Lauca National Park. The plateau ecosystem is still predominant, with its llamas crossing the road here and there. After Chungara, the smaller lakes of Cotacotani, and then the beautiful Payachatas landscape, with the Pomerape and Parinacota twins, over 6000 meters high. As I descended, the road became dangerous and winding. The slope is very strong, for only 200 kilometers away from the frontier mountain pass, stood Arica, a sea port town, my final destination.

That night, exhausted, I stopped and slept in the town of Lecherías. The ups and downs had been tiresome and repetitive, but I had crossed beautiful territory and was very happy.

The next day, I woke up as good as new. I was very close to my destination. I pedaled fro a long time, with no other company but the cacti that stood by the side of the road. I was traveling along international highway 11. I finally arrived at the end of the Lluta Valley and faced the last kilometers of my journey. Arica is a beautiful city with beaches and palm trees, so different to the plateau landscape. After pedaling 50 kilometers in two hours, I rode into Arica´s busy avenues. Mission accomplished!