Coroico is a great place to spend a night before heading up to La Paz city, or further into the Jungle. Because of the lower elevation, the weather is quite nice by comparison to La Paz, and has a resort-like feel to it.
How to get there
Coroico new highway is open to public use, It's a very scenic road. The views in Coroico are breathtaking and weather is semitropical.
From La Paz to Coroico you can also take the Most Dangerous Road in the World, the former main road, which is an excellent day trip on a bicycle. You can find agencies in the famous Sagarnaga street in La Paz or contact the Coroico agency.
There are also several two day walks which lead you to Coroico.
Do
There is some good hiking in the surrounding areas. There are several one day hikes, which include going for a swim in wild and clear rivers, seeing local agriculture (coca, banana, coffee, citrus fruits), old Casas de Hacienda (the houses of the former landowners), virgin forests and Afro-Bolivian communities. Two interesting two or three day hikes go from La Cumbre (the highest point between La Paz and Coroico, 4700m) to Coroico (1700m). The most famous is the old Inca Road "El Choro", which was the most important connection between the Yungas and La Paz until the 1930s. The other one is commonly called "Eco-via". It is a road carved in the mountains, with the idea of having a train connection. It never did function, but as a train needs relatively flat terrain, it's a much more accessible option for people not used to walking. It can be done in two or three days, but come well prepared: the first two days you will not encounter any villages.
Most people just come to chill out at the pool, and at night go eat in one of the excellent restaurants.
You can find guides in the Tourist Information Office on the Plaza, or you can ask your hotel to recommend one.
Get out
There are minibuses to La Paz from 3am to 5.30pm. These take the safe new road, but are a bit cramped.
There are daily buses all the way to Rurrenabaque (at least 15 hours), leaving around noon.
