Torotoro - land of dinosaurs

 Our tour begins in the city of Cochabamba, where we will board a minibus that will take us to our destination. The stop is located on Republica Av and Vallegrande St where there are departures at all hours for Bs. 35 (5 USD). After three and a half hours, passing through beautiful landscapes with mountains of different colors, colorful towns and various rivers, we arrive at our destination where the adventure begins.

This town is located at 2700 meters above sea level, has different types of accommodation, restaurants, a central market, pharmacies, nightclubs, among others. In the main square is the church of Toro Toro, a building made of stone, with many ornaments and that is almost always open. Also from this place you can better see the traditional architecture of the place, picturesque houses, colonial balconies and a lot of vegetation. The restaurants mainly serve typical dishes of the region, many with lamb, cheese, artisanal chorizo, chicha valluna and other local delicacies, although there is also a pizzeria and fast food. In the market you can see some stalls with souvenirs, clothes and crafts for all tastes and pockets.

To make the excursions, you must go to the SERNAP (Protected Areas Service) office to buy tickets: Bs. 40 (5.75 USD) for Bolivians and Bs. 100 (14.30 USD) for foreigners that allow entry to all attractions and they are valid for 4 days. In the place you can schedule the time to visit the different activities and a guide is assigned to accompany us. The hours of operation are from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. from Monday to Sunday.

There are different circuits in which it is recommended to wear sunscreen, a cap, light clothing and due to the distances and narrow places not to carry heavy things or very bulky backpacks. Among the most important routes are:

El vergel (1/2 day) 4 km from Toro Toro. You can see a variety of dinosaur tracks during the tour and the place itself is located in the depth of the canyon at 500 m (1640 ft) deep. There you can see different waterfalls, a lot of vegetation and unique places as the tour progresses.

City of itas (1 day) at 21 km and 3500 meters above sea level (11500 ft) where nature sculpted a stone city with caves, labyrinths, portals, cave paintings and a unique variety of orographic features of different heights and colors.

The Umajalanta Caverns (1 day), 8 km west of Toro Toro, is the largest cavern in Bolivia. On the way you pass through different areas where you can see vaults, stalagmites and stalactites with many shapes and different colors, a lagoon with blind fish and some passages that connect these places.

Torotoro Canyon

The last two require a whole day to complete. In all of them it is mandatory that a guide accompany the tour. Due to the distance between the different attractions, there is the option of hiring vehicles that can take us to these points or take one that is available at that time.

Other points of interest are the Toro Toro canyon (impressive views and viewpoints to photograph yourself), Llama Chaki (pre-Hispanic fortress), Cruz Llusta (dinosaur footprints).