Samaipata, Bolivia
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Samaipata Samaypata |
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Samaipata
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 Samaipata
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| Coordinates: 18°10′44″S 63°52′30″W / 18.17889°S 63.87500°W | |||
| Country | Bolivia | ||
| Department | Santa Cruz Department | ||
| Province | Florida Province | ||
| Municipality | Samaipata Municipality | ||
| Population (2012) | |||
| • Total | 4,398 | ||
| Time zone | BST (UTC-4) | ||
Samaipata or Samaypata (Quechua samay to rest, pata elevated place / above, at the top / edge, bank (of a river), shore) is a small location in the Florida Province of the Santa Cruz Department in Bolivia. With its delightful subtropical climate and an altitude of 1600–1800 m it tempts foreigners to settle. The little village is a kind of Micromundo where now about 25 nationalities live together in harmony and peace. It lies about 120 kilometers 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. As such, there is regular bus and taxi service to Santa Cruz. 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. There are numerous tour agencies and guided tours operators. International as well as local tourism makes this into one of the few "boom" towns of the area. It is strategically located near several tourist attractions such as El Fuerte de Samaipata, the Amboro National Park, El Codo de los Andes, several waterfalls, vineyards, rapids and lagoons, as well as well-preserved colonial towns such as Vallegrande, Pampagrande, Postrervalle, Santiago del Valle, Pucara, and others. It is also the first stop in the several tourist trails to Sucre and Potosi, and the Che Guevara route.
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 de Samaipata. 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.
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