Bolivia is the most unique country in South America. It is one of my favorite destinations, and for a good reason: it has some of the most surreal and breathtaking landscapes in the world. Unlike neighboring Peru, Bolivia is overlooked by travelers and is still off the beaten track. Even though it is one of the most underrated countries for traveling, it is really worth visiting. One of the highlights of our Bolivian trip was Sajama National Park.
Why you should visit Sajama National Park
Absolute tranquillity
By far the most popular place in Bolivia and one of the must-visit places in South America is Salar de Uyuni. While most people flock to Salar de Uyuni and Lake Titicaca, Sajama National Park is overlooked by tourists and is literally deserted. You hardly see any other tourists there. You have the whole place all to yourself.
Sajama National Park has a lot of alpacas, llamas and vicuñas
In Sajama National Park you will see more alpacas and llamas than people. There are so many of these cute fluffy animals, we ended up making tons of photos. Besides, you will have a chance to see wild camelids – vicuña. We spent three days in Sajama National Park, and we were lucky to see these graceful animals every day.
Breathtaking scenery
The park is heaven for photographers. It blows your mind with surreal landscapes of the rugged altiplano, snowcapped volcanoes and mountains, geysers, lagoons. And again, you have absolutely different experience compared to Salar de Uyuni tour, as there will be no other people around.
Top things to see in Sajama National Park
Sajama National Park Map
Volcanoes
Sajama Volcano (21,463 ft / 6,542 m) is an extinct stratovolcano and the highest peak in Bolivia. You can see it from any point in the park. Parinacota (20,930 ft / 6,380 m) and Pomerape (20,610 ft /6,282 m) are potentially active volcanos on the border of Bolivia and Chile. You can climb all three of them, but keep in mind that you cannot rent equipment in Sajama village.
Huayñacota Lagoon with flamingos
Huayñacota Lagoon is about 8 miles/ 13 km /3 hours walk from Sajama village along the main road in the northern direction. Most photos show it having a mirror surface reflecting the surrounding landscape. There were flamingos, but the lagoon didn’t look like this when we were there. The water was choppy because of the strong wind. It was so windy my face got frozen and sun burnt at the same time.
Geysers
The geysers are about 5 miles / 8km west of Sajama village. Take the path that takes you behind the church, cross the bridge over the river and go further. The geysers steam and boil. I was told they also explode sometimes, but it does not happen very often. In some ponds the water is not so hot, so you can soak in them.
Lagunas de Altura
From the geysers you can hike up further to the Lagunas de Altura, it’s another couple of hours hike. The Chilean border is close by, and two of the Lagunas are located on the Chilean side. According to the information we found on the internet, the hike is done in 2 days with overnight camping near Lagoon Sora Pata. After the third one – Lagoon Chiar Khota you can hike down to Aguas Thermales (hot springs), but note that there is no visible trail.
We could not find any information if it was okay to cross the Chilean border there and if any kind of border zone permit is required. Our plan was to get to the lagoons, and then turn back and return the same way to Sajama village for the night. We were very close to the lagoons, but in the end I started panicking about crossing the border and we decided to turn back.
Aguas Termales
The hot springs are about 1.5 hours walk from Sajama village. Walk along the main road for 2-2.5 miles / 3-4 km in the northern direction and then turn left. Choose a pool you like and enjoy an amazing view of the Sajama volcano.
Fee: 30 bolivianos
Sajama Village
Sajama village a small village of 250 inhabitants. The village itself does not have much to see, but don’t miss a beautiful altiplano church.
When to go
It is recommended to visit during the dry season from April to November which is also a colder time of the year. The rainy season is from December to March when roads and trails become muddy and slippery. Be aware that nights are quite cold with temperatures dropping to below 0 degrees C.
How to get to Sajama National Park by public transport
From La Paz take any bus going to Oruro and ask the driver to drop you at the town of Patacamaya. The bus drops you at the main road, you need to walk to the town and look for “Restaraunt Capitol”. A collectivo (minivan) with the sign “Parque Nacional Sajama” leaves from there around 12pm or earlier once it is full. It takes about 3 hours from Patacamaya to the park. We easily found the place, the minivan was already there. You can also ask around, and people will direct you. Note that on Sundays it leaves earlier.
When you go back, take minivan at the main plaza in Sajama village, it leaves at 5.30 am, but try to get earlier, as it may leave early. On Sundays, it leaves earlier, at 4 am. When we arrived at Patacamaya, there were minivans leaving for El Alto, so we took one of them.
Accommodation in Sajama National Park
Most of the people stay in Sajama village. There are a few basic hostels / guesthouses. We did not book anything in advance. After the minivan dropped us at the main plaza, we were wandering around checking the map and figuring out which way to go, a local lady approached us and asked if we would like to stay in her guesthouse. The place was a lot better than I expected after reading reviews about accommodation. We had our own bathroom in the room with an electric heater on the shower. They provide you with extra blankets, as it’s quite cold at night.
If you prefer something more comfortable, there is a community-run Tomarapi Ecolodge located in the northern part of the park. But the location is not convenient if you don’t have a car.
Camping is allowed inside the park.
Some more useful information
The entire park rests above 13,780 ft / 4,200 m, so be aware of altitude sickness.
The entrance fee is 100 bolivianos. It includes a small park map.
Cold nights: temperature can drop to below zero. In winter from June to August it plunges well below zero. Bring a warm jacket and a suitable sleeping bag if you plan to camp.
UV radiation is extremely high even though it is cold (my face got sunburnt and frozen at the same time).
There is no ATM in Sajama village, so make sure you bring enough cash.
There are a couple of small basic shops in Sajama village.
For more inspiration on what to do in Bolivia check my posts Top Things to Do in Bolivia and Salar de Uyuni: Independently or with a Tour.
Hola!! Your blog is very useful!! Thanks a lot!! Just one question, if I don’t want to camp in the park, can I do day trips from the village every day? Do I need to pay the park entrance every day? Thanks again!!
Hi Ruby, thank you 🙂 Yes, you can stay in the village. We only camped at the Sajama base camp, but we could do do it as one day trip. If you want to go to Lagunas de Altura, this hike is usually done in 2 days. We did not make it to the end, as the lagoons are on the Chilean side, and we were not sure if it was okay to cross the border. Otherwise, other places mentioned here – Huaynacota Lagoon, geysers, Aguas Termales can be done as day trips. Can’t tell you for sure about the entrance fee, I believe you pay only once, and the fee includes a map of the park. But we could not find where to pay, there was noone collecting the fees, and no park rangers. Good luck with trip! I am sure you will enjoy it 🙂
Hello, did you take tours around the area or do it yourself?
Hi Immy, no, we didn’t take any tours. You can get to Sajama by public transport, and all places described in the post are accessible by walking. The tour agencies in La Paz sell tours to Sajama, but I think once you arrive in Sajama village, you can ask at your guesthouse if they can arrange anything for you.
Hello ! Thank you very much for all your advices it’s very valuable ! How long did you stay in Sajama ?
Hi Clemence, we stayed for 5 days, we were not in a rush, and it was more than enough to do everything described in the post. If you are short of time, I would day 3 days would be fine.
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Great pictures and superb scenery. I can’t remember hearing of any Ozzies trekking in Bolivia before
Thank you, Greg. Maybe because Bolivia is very far away from Oz, and yes, the views there are stunning!