Why this ride
A volcanic-landscape approach with exceptional geology and mountain views. It links naturally to Sajama National Park.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
La Paz Sajama and Tambo Quemado
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 298 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 5 h 23
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
The recorded total and the leg detail need reconciliation. Inspect the leg notes before using this record for timing or navigation. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Editorial context
Coordinates are curated start-via-end route seeds. They are not a surveyed centreline or navigation geometry. Run road snapping, topology checks, access checks and a live-status review before publication.
Access context
Do not auto-publish. Snap to a routable road network, verify current closures, legal motorcycle access, surface, permits, border controls and local safety information.
Seasonal context
May-Oct
Scenic road chapters
Bolivia Sajama Route
Expect company on a summer weekend. Early is better than fast. For 26 km this is Bolivia Sajama Route, a road with a name of its own and a reason for it.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 26 km
- Named road
- Bolivia Sajama Route
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. La Paz
La Paz sits in a canyon, and that is the first strange thing about it. The city is the seat of Bolivia's government, and it lies at around three thousand six hundred metres, with the poorer and larger city of El Alto perched on the rim above at over four thousand. From the rim you look down into a bowl of red-brown buildings spilling down the slopes, with the great snowy peak of Illimani, over six thousand four hundred metres, standing over the southern edge like a guardian. The air is thin, so arrive early, rest a day and drink coca tea, which locals swear by and which really does help a little.
Read the complete La Paz write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
La Paz sits at 0 km, early in the day. Next is Sajama.
2. Sajama
Sajama rises alone from the Altiplano, a perfect volcanic cone of 6,542 metres, the highest peak in Bolivia, and the national park that surrounds it, created in 1939, was the first in the country. The mountain stands in the west, near the border with Chile, in a flat, high, windswept country of yellow grass, with twin snowy peaks of Parinacota and Pomerape, on the Chilean side, standing as neighbours. Seen from the road in the clear, thin light, it seems close enough to touch and takes hours to reach.
Read the complete Sajama write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Sajama comes up 112 km in. Next is Tambo Quemado.
3. Tambo Quemado
Tambo Quemado is not a town so much as a border and a very long queue of trucks. It marks the crossing from Bolivia into Chile on the high road between La Paz and the Pacific coast at Arica, and the altitude, around 4,600 metres, is what everyone remembers, not the paperwork. The name means burnt inn, which tells you it has been a stopping point for travellers for a long time, though the modern place is a cluster of customs buildings, canteens and parked lorries on the open altiplano.
Read the complete Tambo Quemado write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
298 km in you reach Tambo Quemado.