{"id":2236,"date":"2025-12-26T17:06:09","date_gmt":"2025-12-26T16:06:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/transfer-from-uyuni-to-tupiza-it-could-always-be-worse\/"},"modified":"2026-03-22T19:53:53","modified_gmt":"2026-03-22T18:53:53","slug":"transfer-from-uyuni-to-tupiza-it-could-always-be-worse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/transfer-from-uyuni-to-tupiza-it-could-always-be-worse\/","title":{"rendered":"From Uyuni to Tupiza: It Can Always Be Worse"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

After two intense weeks on the Altiplano, we\u2019ve had our fill of cold, wind, and thin air. The plan is simple: drop to a lower elevation where it\u2019s warmer, greener, and hopefully a touch more comfortable. Sounds perfect, right? With that optimism, we roll out of Uyuni and head southeast on Route 21 toward Tupiza.<\/p>\n\n

The Altiplano\u2019s endless flats slowly fall away behind us; deep valleys take over and the earth turns red. On the horizon looms the hulking, extinct volcano Cerro Chorolque, around 5,550 m, both a landmark and a reminder that this is still a tough region.<\/p>\n\n

The road mostly cuts through dry, unforgiving country\u2014not exactly ideal for walking a dog. On the upside, it\u2019s a wide, safe route, and you can pull off the road almost anywhere without risk if you need a break. Be sure to check the forecast in advance.<\/p>\n\n

We reach Tupiza after about a two-hour drive, ready for a breather. We\u2019d read about a western-style oasis ringed by dramatic rock formations. The reality? During our visit, dust and wind called the shots. Streets were packed with people and traffic, sidewalks were narrow, and parking was close to impossible. Not the best setup when you\u2019re traveling with a dog\u2014walking in the very center feels more like an adrenaline sport. If you\u2019re traveling with a dog, we definitely recommend staying outside the center.<\/p>\n\n

We try to find a way to the iconic rocks in Valle de los Machos. The maps show several options, yet none of them exist on the ground. After half an hour of wandering, we give up. Only later do we learn that recent flash floods wiped out the paths and access tracks. A real pity\u2014photos and reviews suggest the Tupiza area is full of great hiking and dog-walking spots. Based on our experience, it\u2019s worth checking that routes are actually passable before you set out.<\/p>\n

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Toward evening I give it one more shot and set off on foot with Ibo into one of the canyons, but the wind and broken trails quickly put a stop to it. In the end we come away with just a single photo from Tupiza\u2014a small reminder that in better weather this place would have far more to offer.<\/p>\n\n

Around town we did notice a few small parks, and for once there weren\u2019t many stray dogs, unlike elsewhere in Bolivia\u2014a small plus when you\u2019re traveling with a dog. Finding dog-friendly accommodation wasn\u2019t an issue either\u2014we even found a place with a small garden, much to Ibo\u2019s delight.<\/p>\n\n

Not every travel day is postcard-perfect. Sometimes we expect comfort and reality serves up the opposite. But these moments are part of the journey\u2014they remind us it\u2019s an adventure, warts and all. With a touch of disappointment but plenty of hope, we move on. Lower. To Tarija. Because Bolivia has taught us one thing: appreciate what you\u2019ve got\u2014it can always be worse.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After two intense weeks on the Altiplano, we\u2019ve had our fill of cold, wind, and thin air. The plan is simple: drop to a lower elevation where it\u2019s warmer, greener, and hopefully a touch more comfortable. Sounds perfect, right? With … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2237,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"Uyuni to Tupiza Road Trip: Route 21, 2-hour drive & dog-friendly tips \u2022 IBO GUIDE","_seopress_titles_desc":"A candid Uyuni\u2013Tupiza drive: Route 21 is wide and safe, but wind, dust and washed\u2011out trails can derail plans. Dog-friendly tips and what to expect.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[92,94,136,87,132],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2236","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-americas","category-bolivia","category-by-car","category-road-trips","category-with-a-dog","latest_post"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2236","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2236"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2236\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3128,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2236\/revisions\/3128"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2237"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2236"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2236"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2236"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}