About 100 kilometres northwest of Santa Cruz, in east Bolivia, lies the quaint little town of Buena Vista. The town is a popular weekend retreat for residents of Santa Cruz and Cochabamba, but more and more gringos – foreigners – find their way to Buena Vista as well. And not without reason. One of the attractions is a stay at Hacienda El Cafetal, a hotel fabulously located on a coffee plantation, which can be visited with a guide.
Cabin lodgings at Hacienda El Cafetal in Buena Vista
Four spacious family cabins originally functioned as weekend retreats for the first owners of this coffee plantation. Six years ago the cabañas were transformed into a hotel and four more cabañas were added, each equipped for two persons.
The family cabins each have a double bed and two or three single beds, a living room rustically equipped with bamboo furniture and eye-catching drawings of the coffee production process on the walls. Each cabaña has a private bathroom with a hot shower and a bath, and there is a fridge. The cabins are located around the swimming pool surrounded by a large garden – a perfect playground for children. With any luck, visitors will be visited by one of the sloths that enjoy spending the night on the veranda of the cabin.
The two-person's cabañas are basic, without a living room. These cabins have a bedroom with a double bed and private bathroom with hot shower. Their main attraction is the astounding view of Amboró National Park; sunrises are a reason in themselves to rise early and walk onto the balcony for a spectacular start of the day.
A family cabin costs 530 bolivianos per night for five persons [about 80 US dollars]; the two-person's cabañas 310 bolivianos for two persons. The prices include breakfast. Hacienda El Cafetal serves lunch and dinner in their restaurant, according to a menu.
Activities at the Hacienda El Cafetal in Buena Vista
The foremost reason to stay at Hacienda El Cafeta in Buena Vista is to relax and absorb the superb surroundings and views. This quietly located ranch with a large garden, swimming pool and views of Amboró National Park, which can also be admired from a look-out tower, is attractive to nature lovers and also offers several outdoor activities.
The hotel has a walking trail through an untouched stretch of jungle. The jungle can also be explored on horseback. Another option is to walk or drive down to the Rio Surutú and enjoy a swim in the river or go fishing.
The coffee plantation, which is the largest exporter of coffee in Bolivia, can be visited on a tour at El Cafetal's coffee production site. The tour takes about one hour, costs 35 bolivianos and is given by one of the workers of the hacienda. The hacienda has chosen workers to be guides since they are personally involved in the production process of coffee and have a passion for it; as the manager Juan Carlos states, "The guides know how to explain the aroma of the coffee making process".
Other outdoor activities in Buena Vista
Adjacent to Buena Vista lies Amboró National Park, which can be visited on a trip lasting from one to several days. Guides and/or 4WD rental cars can be found downtown Buena Vista in the plaza. Note that a guide is not mandatory for a visit to Amboró Park.
In Buena Vista are several tour operators that organise tours to one of Bolivia's important cheese factories, "Quesería Suiza", as well as to local communities where honey is produced. Both products are for sale in the small shops downtown, where they are displayed next to locally produced handicrafts.
After having visited Bolivia's major sights in La Paz, volunteered in Sucre or taken a jeep tour to Salar de Uyuni, tropical Buena Vista may be the right place to relax for a couple of days to recharge your batteries. Buena Vista can be reached from Cochabamba and Santa Cruz by bus, from where a trufi [taxi] can be taken to reach the Hacienda El Cafetal, which lies only five kilometres down the road.
Karin-Marijke Vis - Karin-Marijke Vis is a bilingual writer (Dutch-English) who has been traveling in Asia and South America since 2003.
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