Samaipata El Fuerte Giant Ferns
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Samaipata
El Fuerte Giant Ferns
Samaipata, located in Bolivia, is famous for its stunning archaeological site known as El Fuerte. This ancient site, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, features intricate carved rock formations believed to have served both ceremonial and defensive purposes.
Beyond the archaeological wonders, Samaipata is also known for its lush surroundings, including forests filled with giant ferns. These towering ferns, known as the giant ferns “helechos gigantes” in Spanish, add to the mystical and enchanting atmosphere of this unique destination, attracting visitors with a passion for history and natural beauty alike.
Samaipata El Fuerte Giant Ferns. Samaipata is a pleasant village Located 120 km from Santa Cruz city. Many prefer to visit this place for its mountains and its climate. Although the Amboro Park is quite distant from these town, there are many other places where tours are conducted from here. The main attraction of this place is “El Fuerte” and the forest of giant ferns that is approximately 1 hour by car.
It is on an altitude of 1600–1800 m it tempts foreigners to settle. The little village is kind of a Micromundo where now about 25 nationalities live together in harmony and peace. It lies to the southwest of the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra in the foothills of the Andes on the way to Sucre. It is a popular resort for inhabitants of Santa Cruz due to its much cooler climate. The town is small with numerous colonial buildings and narrow cobbled streets. There is a good range of hotels and restaurants to suit all budgets
History
The valley was originally populated by people of the Chane culture dedicated to agriculture, hunting and gathering. The Chanes are famous for their densely populated villages, their ceramics and graphic designs, and most importantly the construction of the temple at El Fuerte. They cultivated mainly corn and peanuts, and were rather peaceful. There are several Chane burial sites all through the valleys and pampas of Santa Cruz between the Siberia mountain ridge and the Guapay river.
The region was later conquered by Incas as they expanded to the southeast from their native Peru. The Incas reached a pact with the Chanes and built a city at El Fuerte de Samaipata.
The Guarani warrior tribes coming from the south invaded the valley and defeated both Incas and Chanes. The Guarani hordes kept raiding the valley and the nearby region well into the Spanish colonial times.
In 1618, Pedro de Escalante y Mendoza founded Samaipata, as point of contact between Santa Cruz and Vallegrande. The town moved from its original location in a place known as Castilla to its current location a few kilometers west.
Itineraries
Samaipata El Fuerte Giant Ferns
Tour Combination – Amboro National Park South Side with Samaipata
Visitors may combine Amboro park with Samaipata in Two Days or more. The first day you may visit Refugio Volcanes and next day after breakfast or after lunch you may continue to Samaipata to visit El Fuerte and/or The Giant Ferns
From the city of Santa Cruz
1st Day
At 7:30 we meet at your place, and then go to Samaipata on a paved road, a trip of approximately 3 hours. There are 75 miles or 120 km from Santa Cruz which is approximately at 1,200 feet or 370 meters above sea level. Samaipata is approximately at 1600 meter above sea level.
Please may sure you take with your original passport or your country´s I.D. if your country is a member of the MERCOSUR agreement.
Please take with you the small sheet of paper that the control people give you when you enter Bolivia
Once in the outskirts of Santa Cruz the contour of the highway to Samaipata begins to change from urban plains to a narrower highway that starts its way up bordering mountains on one side and the Pirai River on the other side, and the landscape changes to sandy rock and green mountains.
If we have nice weather and time we may stop at “Cuevas” in this place after a short walk of about 15 minutes we will encounter some waterfalls.
You may have 20 minutes if you want to jump into the water
The entire highway until the town of Samaipata is paved except for some parts where the pavement has disappeared due to landslides or because many parts are under maintenance. We will stop in any places where the visitor wishes to take some photographs.
Samaipata has tempered climate during the day and it is a little cold during the night.
Once in Samaipata we will visit first El Fuerte or the the museum.
In the museum we will be able to appreciate different objects and ceramics that remain as a testimony of the different cultures that settled in the surroundings or from others sites of Bolivia.
The museum also has different pictures that explain the pass of the different cultures that left their signs on the famous carved rock known as “El Fuerte” (The Fortress) which is said to be the largest carved rock of the planet Earth. The museum has a small model of this rock.
We have lunch in Samaipata.
In the afternoon, we go to El Fuerte, the entrance to the secondary road that leads to fort is located 2.5 miles or 4 kilometers away from the town of Samaipata by the paved road to Santa Cruz. From this point we go up on a secondary road in the vehicle to the top of the mountain where El Fuerte is located and from where the footpath begins.
Once we are there, a specialized guide will accompany us during the long walk around the big carved rock, providing us with the explanations of the possible reasons for the carving made there, the strategic location that this place had in those days and the clash of different cultures that happened in this location for this reason. (Take a sweater)
During the hike it is fascinating to wonder about the experiences lived by the different cultures that passed through this magnificent place.
When the tour of El Fuerte is over, we return on the same highway to the city of Santa Cruz.
Once in the city we will leave you in your place.
End of our services. Thank you.
Please Read The Terms and Conditions of our Services
Amboró Tours is the only original source of this Itinerary
Amboró Tours also offers shorter or longer tours to this destination.
Adverse climatologic conditions or social unrest can change the original itinerary.
Be prepared to protect yourself against cold (sweater) the sun (sun lotion, sunglasses, hat or cap, long-sleeved shirt, long trousers and others) and rain (impermeable clothes)
“Take only photographs and leave only footprints”
From the city of Santa Cruz – Samaipata El Fuerte Giant Ferns
1st Day
At 8:00 we meet at your place, and then go to Samaipata on a paved road, a trip of approximately 3 hours. There are 75 miles or 120 km from Santa Cruz which is approximately at 1,200 feet or 370 meters above sea level. Samaipata is approximately at 1600 meter above sea level.Once in the outskirts of Santa Cruz the contour of the highway to Samaipata begins to change from urban plains to a narrower highway that starts its way up bordering mountains on one side and the Pirai River on the other side, and the landscape changes to sandy rock and green mountains.
Please make sure you take with your original passport or any original identification document valid in Bolivia.
If we have nice weather and time we may stop at “Cuevas” in this place after a short walk of about 15 minutes we will encounter some waterfalls.
The entire highway until the town of Samaipata is paved except for some parts where the pavement has disappeared due to landslides or because many parts are under maintenance. We will stop in any places where the visitor wishes to take some photographs.
Samaipata has tempered climate during the day and it is a little cold during the night.
Once in Samaipata we will first visit the museum or El Fuerte.
In the museum we will be able to appreciate different objects and ceramics that remain as a testimony of the different cultures that settled in the surroundings or from others sites of Bolivia.
The museum also has different pictures that explain the pass of the different cultures that left their signs on the famous carved rock known as “El Fuerte” (The Fortress) which is said to be the largest carved rock of the planet Earth. The museum has a small model of this rock.
We have lunch in Samaipata.
In the afternoon, we go to El Fuerte, the entrance to the secondary road that leads to fort is located 2.5 miles or 4 kilometres away from the town of Samaipata by the paved road to Santa Cruz. From this point we go up on a secondary unpaved road in the vehicle to the top of the mountain where El Fuerte is located and from where the footpath begins.
Once we are there, a specialised guide will accompany us during the long walk around the big carved rock, providing us with the explanations of the possible reasons for the carving made there, the strategic location that this place had in those days and the clash of different cultures that happened in this location for this reason. (Take a sweater)
During the hike it is fascinating to wonder about the experiences lived by the different cultures that passed through this magnificent place.
When the tour of El Fuerte is over, we return to the town of Samaipata.
The driver will take you to your hosting place and he and you coordinate the time to pick you up for dinner.
2nd Day
After breakfast we pick you up to drive you towards “Cerro la Mina” .
This place is about 50 minutes from the town of Samaipata. If it raiining we may have to change the plan.
Once in Cerro La Mina. we start trekking a bit uphill to enter the forest of the Giant Ferns
This forest is about 1900 meters on sea level.
Here you can find hundreds or thousand year old giant ferns and higher than 15 meters tall.
The trekking ove here is a bit hard amd dificult.
Because it is up and down small hils.
All the circuit may take about 3 1/2 hours.
But if you fell that is too much for you after about one hour of walking we may return to the vehicle.
The long trails pass by some small streams. If you fell like doing the long trekking you need to be in an average to good physical condition.
The highest part is about 2000 meters on sea level with a great view of the valleys of Samaipata
When the tour of the Giant Ferns is over, we return in the same highway to samaipata and then to the city of Santa Cruz.
Once in the city we will leave you in your place.
End of our services. Thank you.
Samaipata El Fuerte Giant Ferns
Please Read The Terms and Conditions of our Services
Amboró Tours is the only original source of this Itinerary
Amboró Tours also offers shorter or longer tours to this destination.
Adverse climatologic conditions or social unrest can change the original itinerary.
Be prepared to protect yourself against cold (sweater) the sun (sun lotion, sunglasses, hat or cap, long-sleeved shirt, long trousers and others) and rain (impermeable clothes)
“Take only photographs and leave only footprints”
What to Bring ?
Samaipata El Fuerte Giant Ferns
(DO NOT BRINGS THINGS YOU MAY DO NOT NEED)
- Sunscreen
- A Cap or a Hat ( No to be used under the trees or branches)
- Sun Glasses
- A Warm Sweater
- Raincoat
- Swimsuit ( You may not have time to use it in one day tours)
- Insect Repellents
- Long-sleeved shirt- Pants
- Passport (Original) Or identifications documents valid in Bolivia
- Plastic bags to protect whatever you do not want to get wet
- Trekking Shoes or others proper Shoes.
- Bring your own medication for your personal needs
- Personal items you may need
- Extra food, cookies or sweets of your choice
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Buenavista main entrance to Amboro Park
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Samaipata El Fuerte Giant Ferns
SIARB, Sociedad de investigacion de arte rupestre boliviano
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