Valle Central

The Valle Central, which surrounds Tarija, offers many opportunities for excursions in very pleasant countryside at about 1800 m. There are fossil deposits, vineyards and bodegas(wineries), riverside beaches, waterfalls and colonial towns.

Wineries

A visit to Tarija would not be complete without an excursion to one or more of its vineyards and bodegas. Tarija produces the best wine and singani(brandy) in Bolivia and winemaking is a proud local tradition, since grapes were introduced in 1584. The old traditions of pressing wine by foot, known as vino patero, or 'foot wine', still persist and can be seen in a bodega artesanal and there are also modern large-scale wineries that have made the region's wine much more widely available. The region prides itself on its vinoand singani de altura, high-altitude wine and brandy, the latter brewed from muscatel grapes. Tarijas vineyards lie between 1600 and 2850 m. To visit a winery contact their shop in town or call the bodega beforehand to make arrangements, or you can take a tour, which provides transport and allows you to visit several different bodegas on the same day or combine wineries with other attractions. All bodegas are closed Saturday afternoon and Sunday.

Fossils

The Valle Central and especially the banks of the river by the city, is home to numerous fossils of mammals, mastodons and dinosaur bones, several of which are on display in the university museum. Bones, teeth and even parts of spines are found here each year after the rains when they come to the surface. Amateur paleontologists can roam around to their hearts' content, but any findings should be left there and reported to the university. To the south of town is Morros Blancos, here you can see lovely structures of sand looking like a small canyon. Tour operators offer trips to see fossils .

South of town 

Southwest of town, across the Río Guadalquivir, is the Parque de la Tablada, the site of Méndez's victory over the Spanish in 1817. During Tarija's Independence Week celebrations , you can see an increasingly rare gaucho rodeo (rodeo chapaco) here.

Southeast of Tarija, is the Observatorio Astronómico Santa Ana, Bolivia's first astronomical observatory. It has two Russian telescopes and is a good place to observe the stars. It also has an atomic clock, which keeps official time for Bolivia.

At San Jacinto there is a tourist complex beside the lake formed by a dam. There is nice walking by the lake and also a cycle path to Tolomosa (about a 30-minute ride).

Valle de la Concepciónis a colonial town 25 km south of Tarija, its plaza filled with bitter orange and ceibo trees. It is surrounded by vineyards.

North of town

5 km from Tarija is Tomatitas, a popular swimming (river and pools) and picnic area. At lunchtime on Sunday, many courtyards serve very cheap meals.

A worthwhile trip is to the colonial town of San Lorenzo( population 23,600), 15 km from Tarija. The plaza is very pleasant, with palms, oranges and flowers, and the church, dating to1709, is huge and unadorned. Just off the plaza is the Museo Méndez, the house of the independence hero Eustaquio Méndez, 'El Moto'. The small museum exhibits his bed, weapons, and various other bits.

Beyond San Lorenzo, 26 km from Tarija, are Los Chorros de Jurina with a 400-m-high waterfall and natural rock pools.