PUNATA IS CALLED THE PEARL OF THE VALLEY

24 SEPTIEMBRE FESTIVAL: SEÑOR DE MILAGROS

It is festival time in the Valle Grande.

Punata is located 45 kilometers from the city of Cochabamba and is surrounded by seemingly never ending cultivated fields and orchards. The nearby town of San Benito is famous for its delicious peaches.

On the 24th of September Punata celebrates the festival “el Señor de los milagros (miracles)”. All the towns’ houses are decorated as an offering of delight. The day begins with a religious procession and then a folkloric dance festival through the streets of the town. The day’s events end with an outdoor concert in the main plaza with local groups playing.

On the 25th there is a procession with the Señor de los Milagros which kicks off the most important festival of the year in the Cochabamaba valley. The next day there is a band competition with the participation of local authorities, dance groups and special guests. That same day a special dance show in the streets ends this three day festival.

MIZQUE - THE CITY OF THE FIVE HUNDRED PARASOLS

13-15 SEPTIEMBRE
FESTIVAL: “SEÑOR DE BURGOS”

The province of Misque is situated 171 km. from the city of Cochabamba. On Sept. 13 to 15th they celebrate “Señor de Burgos”, the province’s most important festival also known as “Jatun Fiesta”, which means the great celebration. The nearby indigenous communities of Raqay Pampa as well as the residents of Mizque participate in the celebration.

On the 13 of September the festivities begins with an evening celebration where one can see fireworks, listen to hymns and see the residents of Raqay Pampas with their traditional clothes and musical instruments.

Over the next 3 or 4 days there are bullfights, a traditional activity that is conserved from past centuries. In the town’s main square surrounded by wood trenches, you can see local farmers dressed in sequins and cone shaped hats and brightly colored belts. Some are on horseback and others are on foot and playing drums.

The celebration ends with the “cacharpaya”, where the locals dance in front of the temple with white flags and wipalas, requesting blessings and the miracle of better days.

COCHABAMBA: “LOYAL AND VALIANT CITY “

Brilla el sol de Septiembre radiante,
Reflejando la gloria inmortal
Del gran pueblo que firme y constante
Fue el primero en la lucha marcial…



September 14th is a historic date due to the insurgent tarateño Esteban Arce, who is known as the organizer of the Cochabambina revolution. Arce, organized an army of patriots to march from the province of Cliza towards the city of Cochabamba on the 14 of September, 1810, sparking the fight for independence.

The name Cochabamba , is derived from quechua “kjcocha pampas ” and means muddy plain. The city conserves its colonial semblance and traditions inherited from their indigenous ancestors. The urban center is surrounded by fertile and productive fields which cultivate a wide variety of foods. There are approximately 1.524.724 inhabitants.

Cochabamba is also considered the Gastronomical capital of Bolivia , due to the great variety of delicious meals that a visitor to the area can sample. One can savour the famous Chicharrón (fried pork) accompanied by “chicha” known as the nectar of the Valley.

The city was founded the 15 of August of 1,571 by the Capitán Jerónimo de Osorio and was originally named “ Real Villa of Oropeza ”, by orders of the Virrey Francisco de Toledo as idea was to create a center of agricultural production to provide food to the mining cities of the region.