Trips to Bolivia

TRIPS TO BOLIVIA: TARIJA

The department of Tarija is located to the south of the Republic of Bolivia; it limits the north with the department of Chuquisaca, the south with the Argentine Republic, the east with the Republic of Paraguay and the west with Chuquisaca and Potosí. It has an extension of 37,623 km2s and one population of 291407 inhabitants (census 1992).

The capital is the city of Tarija (1866m); it counts on 6 provinces and 157 corners.

Its land is mountainous and the totality of their rivers is affluent of the river basin of the Silver, being the most important Pilcomayo and Bermejo.

Agriculture:
The department of Tarija produces Pope, quinoa, oca, maize, wheat, barley and a great variety of fruits; the culture of the see is particularly important. In the warm regions of the department tobacco takes place, cane of sugar, wheat, cotton and garlic, among others.

Cattle ranch:
It offers fields apt for bovine, pig, ovine, horse and goat the cattle ranch.

Mining:
Tarija has deposits of petroleum and natural gas; also deposits of radioactive substances exist in the department.
Fishing: The fishing is source of important income, mainly in the Pilcomayo river. The appraised fish more are sábalo, the surubí, gilded and the catfish.
Tarija has more attractive in the environs that in the own city; but it is worth the pain to make a visit to the Place Luis de Fuentes, the Cathedral, the Library of the Franciscan ones, the House Sea bream, the Castle of Beatriz and, by all means, to the museums Archaeological, Paleontológico and Mineralógico de Tarija. The hill of San Juan is a beautiful park with pines that a wonderful view of the city offers.

University museum
Account with the sections of Paleontology, Archeology and Mineralogy; in the section of Paleontology there is a total of 700 pieces in exhibition.

San Lorenzo
To 16 km of the city. Cradle of the national hero, the guerilla Manuel Eustaquio Méndez, call the “Motorcycle”, can be appreciated an authentic Spanish colonial style with paved with stones streets, ceilings of roofing tile, and buildings with balconies and grates, between which is the house of the “Motorcycle” Méndez, considered a museum.

Franciscan convent
Account with an appreciable colonial painting set. Between the images that are in the altars, she is worthy to see the one of San Francisco, that dates from year 1680 and comes from the school arequipeña.

Metropolitan cathedral
On 1680, one was based the church and school of the Jesuits. The convent occupied the site in which now is the National School San Luis. The 11 of March of 1925 the first church was elevated to the category of Church Cathedral.

Church of San Roque
It emphasizes in his architecture a balcony viewpoint that served as sentry post. In this church one surrenders cultured to San Roque, whom the most popular celebration of Tarija carries out.


NATURAL SITES

Corner of the Victory
To 18 km of the city. Paradisiac zone with much vegetation, the Corner of the Victory constitutes one of the places of greater tourist attraction of Tarija. It is the ideal frame for the week ends with a panorama where the green one is pronounced in all tonalities.

Spurts of Jurina
To 21 km of the city. The fall or “spurt”, as commonly the flame, is not considerable and it only has attractive by the natural enchantment that gives the vision of a water volume that hurries from a height of more of 40m and falls, resembling water dust and acquiring different tonalities in agreement with the intensity from solar rays and the position of the sun.

Tomatas
To 5 km of the city. Natural spa with sunny beaches, bathed by the confluence of the Guadalquivir river with the Erkes river. It has a beautiful suspension bridge; in both borders a small wooded park exists, preparation for the visits. Neighbor to this spa is the town of Tomatitas, to a distance of 100m.

The Tablada
To 4 km of the city, is the historical field of the Tablada, where in April of 1817 the brave “montoneros”, to the control of the glorious “motorcycle” Méndez, carried out a epic day and routed categorical to the realistic forces, contributing decisively to the cause of the freedom.

Dam of San Jacinto
It is to 7 km of the city of Tarija. The surface of the water mirror constitutes one of attractive tourist the most interesting ones. A great tourist project to his exists around.