Tarija

Overview

This is the most Argentine city of Bolivia in two ways: it´s habitants are descended from Argentine gauchos, and more importantly, it is a great wine region. The city has the same feel as towns like Jujuy and Salta in Argentina. There is the exotic Bolivian reality, but it has some metropolitan edges. In a place like El Gattopardo on the central plaza, you can really feel like being in an excellent European or Argentine restaurant, while sipping on an excellent local Concepciòn wine, and all that for Bolivian prices.

There is also something Mediterranean about this place, in climate, vegetation, language (they sound like Spanish people) and agriculture.

If you don´t want to do what everyone else does, you can take the excellent road to Argentina, which first goes through the mountains, then into a deep forested canyon. You can cross the border to Bermejo/Aguas Blancas, from where you can go deeper into Argentina, to the Parque Nacional Calilegua and further to Salta or Jujuy . The gringo trail leads from Tupiza to Salta via La Quiaca, so there are hardly any tourists here.

History