Sorata

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Introducing Sorata

Sorata wins many travelers’ votes as the most relaxing spot in Bolivia. This laid-back place preserves a crumbling colonial atmosphere in a spectacular natural setting, perched on a hillside in a valley beneath the towering snowcapped peaks of Illampu and Ancohuma. It’s a great spot to chill for a few days, and also a popular base camp for hikers and mountaineers.

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In colonial days Sorata provided a link to the Alto Beni’s goldfields and rubber plan­tations, and a gateway to the Amazon Basin. In 1791 it was the site of a distinctly unortho­dox siege by indigenous leader Andrés Tupac Amaru and his 16, 000 soldiers. They constructed dikes above the town, and when these had filled with runoff from the slopes of Illampu, they opened the floodgates and the town was washed away.

In September 2003, Sorata hit the national headlines. A blockade further up the La Paz road, expression of an overwhelming wave of campesino dissatisfaction that eventually led to the downfall of the government, trapped hundreds of Bolivian and foreign tourists in Sorata (hardly a nightmare). In a misplaced show of force, the army busted them out, killing a campesino and inducing a riot. The town suffered in the wake of this, as tourism abandoned it, but it is now picking up again.

The main town fiesta, a great time to visit, is held on September 14.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009

Thorn Tree forum discussion

Recent posts

  1. Boleslav avatar
    RE: Cost of the donkey driver and 2 donkeys for the trek in Sorata?

    by Boleslav 08 September 2011

    are there any independent guides that still charge normal fees? We wanted to do some treks from Sorata last year and this year again,…
  2. tunabagel avatar
    RE: Cost of the donkey driver and 2 donkeys for the trek in Sorata?

    by tunabagel 07 September 2011

    yep moshu , unfortunately you are correct - the sorata guides charge the same as the full english speaking professional guides from La…
  3. hullroundtheworld avatar
    RE: Private minibus, car, bus, vehicle w/driver for group day trips in BOLIVIA

    by hullroundtheworld 30 August 2011

    Hi, We (4 people) got a recommendation of an Argentinian family when we were in Buenos Aires and hired this Toyota 4 X 4 for 20 days…

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