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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.
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.
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.
Cochabamba is known for great weather, amazing food, friendly people and most of all for their chichi. This traditional fermented corn drink is part of any gathering be it a baptism, a ch’alla (traditional blessing) or a university party. Even the fabrication of chichi is a 48 hour communal celebration, and the focal point of the preparations for any major fiesta in what is known as the “la llajta”.
Cochabamba is situated in a fertile bowl between the mountains at an elevation of 2,558 mts in what is known as the central highlands of Bolivia. The name means khocha (swampy) and pampa (plain) in Quechua and the valley has been inhabited for 1,000 of years serving as a major agricultural area for a number of cultures (such as the Cotas, Cavis and Sipe-Sipes). Cochabamba houses an excellent archaeology museum run by the Universidad San Simon where you can learn about the pre-colonial cultures that populated the area.
The Spaniards, attracted to the lush fertile valley, first settles here in 1542 and on August 2, 1571 the area was officially “founded”. The Cochabamba valley was an agricultural production center that provided food for the mining towns of the relatively nearby Altiplanoregion, particularly the city of Potosíwhich became one of the largest and richest cities in the world during the 17th century - funding the vast wealth that ultimately made Spain a world power at the time. Originally named Villa de Oropesa the valley was renamed Villa of Cochabamba in 1786.
City of Cochabamba serves as a jumping off spot for visiting a number of Bolivia’s major attractions: Chapare, a tropical paradise; Toro Toro National Park; Incallajta, the ruins of an immense Incan fort; and Tunari National Park, the highest peak in the central highlands. These attractions combined with the city’s central location make Cochabamba an ideal place to spend some time exploring local culture.
On September 14, Cochabamba will celebrate their Independence Day. Stay turned for more information on the celebrations.
This Sunday, May 4th there will be a Chicha Festival in Tiquipaya - city of the valley of flowers - where you can taste a wide variety of chichas (corn beer) and feast on a bountiful spread of delicious Bolivian cuisine. The town of Tiquipaya is located just 13 kilometers northwest of the city of Cochabamba and is easy to get to by public transport from the city on buslines Z-12, taxi trufi 120 & 106. Read more about chicha and bolivian cuisine on our website.
One day hike up to the summit of the highest mountain in Cochabamba. TunariNational Parkis a protected area full of lakes, flowers, and rare species found in the valley region and the Andean highlands of Bolivia.
