East from Tarija
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A road runs east from Tarija to Entre Ríos and Villamontes where it meets the paved Santa Cruz-Yacuiba road. The first 30 km out of Tarija are paved, then it is a good all-weather surface, with a few bad patches due to landslides and rockfalls. In 2008, work was in progress to pave other sections and traffic was restricted to certain hours. There are long-term (to 2013) plans to complete paving on this route. It is a very scenic road, crossing several mountain ranges until it meets the plains of the Chaco. The
Entre Ríos
section between Entre Ríos and Villamontes is truly spectacular (sit on the left for the best views).The road is carved into the rock-face high above the El Angosto gorge of the Río Pilcomayo as it snakes its way down through densely forested slopes of the Serranía de Aguaragüe.
This charming, sub-tropical little town, with a pretty plaza full of roses that give off a heady scent in the midday heat, lies halfway between Tarija and Villamontes. A statue of Christ looks over the town from a hill on the outskirts. There are great views from the top of the steps leading up to it. Also there's good walking in the surrounding hills. Two rivers go by town, the Santa Ana and the Pajonal, where you can swim when there is enough water. You can also hike to a waterfall as well as hire horses.
To the southeast of Tarija, the Reserva Nacional Tariquía was created to protect 246,870 ha of subtropical Yungas or Selva Tucumana-Boliviana between 400 and 3500 m. The reserve is rich in fauna and flora and has a number of endangered species such as the jaguar, lowland tapir, spectacled bear, military macaw, cedar and podocarpus.
The beautiful Serranía de Aguaragüe is the last mountain range before the plains of El Chaco to the east. The park is a narrow strip, 10 km wide and 111 km long.
This is edited copy from Footprint Handbooks. For comprehensive details (incl address, tel no, directions, opening times and prices) please refer to book or individual chapter PDF