Horseback riding in Tupiza, Bolivia. Tupiza, Bolivia is one of the best places in South America for horseback riding and one of the least expensive places to arrange a multi-day, overnight guided trip.
I’m not saying they are the highest quality of animal or perfectly trained… but if you have some basic skills and are in good shape and can handle extended time in a saddle, go for it.
If you are an inexperienced rider and just want to take a casual jaunt into the Cordillero de los Chichas from Tupiza – say a few hours or so – then let them know you want a ‘tranquilo’ (calm in English) horse. The guides are experienced and used to working with all varieties of tourists 🙂
The Cordillero de los Chichas is a beautiful desert brush area minutes away from the small town, dented with expansive canyons and craggy rock formations. You ride into one open area and your mouth drops open. You look all around at the peaceful earth and its shapes and colors then move on through a bristly path to another expansive vista.
The longer you can ride the more beauty you will see. Many brave tourists hire the guides for overnight adventures and camp and cook under the stars at night, trotting through the brush during daylight.
In the photograph at the top of this page are some dear Bolivian friends we (well, the awesome teen mostly) made during our two-month stay in Tupiza. They had a ranch and my son not only went out on numerous rides, they let him play tour guide and help take other tourists out on day trips.
Blake also helped care for the horses, remove the saddles, etc. The other photo is of him showing off on the back of his favorite horse whom he became very attached to. Sadly, the horse fell ill during our stay and on my trip out to the ranch witnessed her lying on a bed of hay, barely able to move.
A virus or something had affected their herd and a few of the animals passed away to horse heaven.
The photo above is of some of his friends riding in the anniversary parade – which he was invited to be a part of. I should have said ‘yes’ but at the time was stressed-out about money and trying to save for our trip to the Salar de Uyuni.