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Voykit pocket guide · Bolivia
Coroico
Go for 2 nights from La Paz: 2.5–3 h by minibus, Bs 20–30, 1,750 m lower and warm. Skip if you only want colonial sights.
Coroico sits at about 1,750 m in the Yungas, a 2.5–3 h minibus ride down from La Paz, and the drop in altitude is the point: warm days, green valleys, pools and a small plaza. Two nights covers the town, the Uchumachi ridge walk and a slow day by the water. Most travellers come for the downhill bike ride on the old Yungas Road and stay one or two nights after it.
- Country
- Bolivia
- Best months
- Apr–Oct (dry, clear valley views)
- Avoid
- Dec–Mar (rain, mud on trails and the old road)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- BOB
- Money
- Currency is the boliviano (BOB, Bs). Cash rules outside larger hotels and restaurants in La Paz and Santa Cruz.
- Daily spend
- Budget Bs 120–200 excl. bed · Mid Bs 200–350 excl. bed · High Bs 350+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Entel, Tigo and Viva sell SIMs with passport registration in their own shops.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Ambulance 118 · Fire 119
- Plugs
- Types A, C · 230 V · 50 Hz · Some La Paz buildings have 115 V — check.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: Round up; about 10% in tourist restaurants.; Uyuni driver and cook: Bs 50–100 per traveller for 3 days, shared.; Guides: Bs 30–70 a day.
- Water
- Not safe from the tap; bottled or filtered.
- Toilets
- Pay a boliviano or two; bring paper.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Set lunch at a comedor | Bs 6–20 |
| Pizza or pasta main | Bs 25–50 |
| Buffet lunch | Bs 32 |
| Cheese empanada from a plaza stall | Bs 2 |
| Beer, 660 ml | Bs 10–20 |
| Yoga class | Bs 30 |
| Massage, 75 min | Bs 120 |
| Private taxi to La Paz | Bs 300–350 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LPB · El Alto International, La Paz
- All arrivals go via La Paz; no airport at Coroico. Minibuses leave from the church area, roughly 03:00–17:30.All arrivals go via La Paz; no airport at Coroico. Minibuses leave from the church area, roughly 3:00 AM–5:30 PM.
Typical fares
- Minibus Coroico → La Paz
- Bs 20–30, 2.5–3 h
- Shared taxi Coroico → La Paz
- Bs 30–35, about 2 h
- Private taxi Coroico → La Paz
- Bs 300–350
Get around
The town is small and walkable; taxis cover the hills and the bus terminal. For anything outside town, agree the fare first. The old Yungas Road is a bike-tour route, not a walking route.
See and do
Known for
- Yungas (Death Road) downhill bike ride
- Warm Yungas climate below La Paz
- Chutokollo Uchumachi ridge walk
- Plaza, church and municipal pool
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| La Paz | Minibus from near the church, Bs 20–30, 2.5–3 h | About 3 h |
| Chulumani | Local bus or shared taxi along the Yungas road | 1–1.5 h |
| Sorata | Back via La Paz, then a separate bus north | 6 h+ |
| Quime | Long shared transport via the Yungas roads | 5 h+ |
Sleep
- Around the Plaza
- Walk to everything: church, market, comedores, minibus pickup. Cheapest beds, Bs 25–80.
- Uphill by the phone masts
- Hotels with pools and valley views; a steep 10–15 min walk up from the plaza, or a short taxi.
- Further up the hill
- Cabins and eco stays with gardens; take a taxi with bags, the climb is real.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-toh KWES-tah |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorlah KWEN-tah por fah-VOR |
| Where is the minibus to La Paz? | ¿Dónde sale el minibús a La Paz?DON-deh SAH-leh el mee-nee-BOOS ah lah PAHS |
| I need a room for two nights | Necesito una habitación por dos nochesneh-seh-SEE-toh OO-nah ah-bee-tah-SYON por dos NO-ches |
| Is it safe to walk there? | ¿Es seguro caminar por ahí?es seh-GOO-roh kah-mee-NAR por ah-EE |
| Help! | ¡Ayuda!ah-YOO-dah |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'buenos días'; avoid: Rushing into business
- Photos: Ask, and accept a no; avoid: Photographing rituals uninvited
- Sea question: Listen; avoid: Joking about Bolivia's lost coast
- Queues and blockades: Patience; avoid: Arguing with protesters
Scams and watch-outs
- Altitude drops fast on the way down: the road is winding, so take motion-sickness precautions.
- The old Yungas Road is used by downhill bike tours and local traffic; ride only with a licensed operator and a helmet.
- Trails are unmarked in places and slippery after rain; start the Uchumachi walk in the morning.
- Weekends bring Paceño crowds and beds fill; book ahead for Friday and Saturday.
- Road blockades can cut the La Paz road with little notice: keep a buffer day before flights.
Coroico is a small, low-crime town; the real risks are the winding road, unmarked trails after rain, and altitude change on the way down. Use a licensed bike operator and keep a buffer day before any flight.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Coroico yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Yungas (Death Road) downhill bike ride
- Warm Yungas climate below La Paz
- Chutokollo Uchumachi ridge walk
- Plaza, church and municipal pool
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Bolivia travel guide: www.bolivia.travel/
- Wikivoyage: Coroico, revision 5241426 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5241426
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Coroico
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Coroico; most are in La Paz. US, UK, Canadian and other missions: check the La Paz listings.
Cash is king in Coroico; carry small bolivianos and expect few card readers outside the bigger hotels.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/coroico). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.