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Cañones del Chaco Serrano boliviano — zona de transición entre los Andes y el Gran Chaco, roca roja y bosque espinoso
— Gran Chaco · Transition zone400–1.500m

El Chaco
Serrano
of Bolivia.

Where the Andes dissolve into the Chaco. Red sandstone canyons, deep ravines and thorny forest. Wildlife from three ecosystems. The stage of Che's last guerrilla campaign. Bolivia's least-known landscape.

Che trail ↓Wildlife ↓Gallery ↓
Altitude
400–1,500m
Temperature
20–38°C
Best season
May–Sep
Departments
SCZ · CHQ · TJA
Wildlife
3 ecosystems
Access
Camiri · Monteagudo
— The frontier between two worlds

Where the Andes yield to the Chaco.

The Chaco Serrano is the zone where Bolivia gets complicated. It is neither the altiplano, nor the valleys, nor the flat Chaco. It is the tectonic wrinkle between the Andes and the plains — a system of ridges at 400–1,500m altitude covered in thorny forest, cut by red rock canyons and inhabited by centuries-old Guaraní communities.

The Chaco Serrano's biodiversity is exceptional precisely because it is a transition zone. Species from the deep Chaco — jaguar, giant anteater, giant armadillo — mix here with those from the Andean valleys and ridges. The result is a wildlife inventory richer than any of the neighbouring ecosystems individually.

And then there is the history. The Nancahuazú canyons hold the memory of Che Guevara's last guerrilla. The Chaco War (1932–35) — the bloodiest war in 20th century South American history — was fought in these ridges and the plains to the east. The Chaco Serrano is history deposited in red rock.

🪨
Red sandstone geology
The Chaco Serrano is formed by sandstone and limestone ridges folded during the Andean orogeny. The canyons and ravines cutting through these ridges create landscapes of red, ochre and orange rock unique in Bolivia.
🌵
Transitional thorny forest
The vegetation is a hybrid between valley dry forest, Chaco quebracho and Andean scrub: century-old algarrobo trees, columnar cacti, jarilla scrub and the thorny forest that defines the pre-Chaco.
🏘️
Piedmont Guaraní communities
Chiriguano-Guaraní communities (also called Chané-Guaraní or Ava) have inhabited the Chaco piedmont for centuries. Their towns — Gutiérrez, Macharetí, Charagua — are centres of Bolivian Guaraní culture with distinctive crafts and food.
📜
History in the canyons
The Chaco Serrano was the stage of Che's last guerrilla campaign (1966–67), the Chaco War (1932–35) and colonial expeditions. Its canyons hold more history per square kilometre than almost anywhere else in Bolivia.
— History · The last guerrilla

1966–1967. Nancahuazú.

The Chaco Serrano canyons are the stage of one of the most studied episodes in Latin American history. Che Guevara's Bolivian guerrilla — 11 months, 47 men at peak, 500km of walking — ended here on October 8, 1967.

Nov 1966
Arrival at Nancahuazú
Guevara crosses from Argentina to Bolivia and establishes his base camp in the Nancahuazú canyons, ~100km south of Camiri. The objective: launch a revolution that would spread across the continent.
Mar 1967
First armed contact
The first skirmishes with the Bolivian army in the Nancahuazú canyons. The guerrilla, at its peak 47 men, fails to gain local peasant support or connect with the cities.
Aug–Sep 1967
The net closes
The guerrilla, decimated by disease and terrain, loses men and supplies. The Bolivian army, advised by US Army Rangers and the CIA, closes the cordon in the Churo zone.
8 Oct 1967
Capture at La Higuera
Guevara is captured wounded in the Quebrada del Churo. He is taken to the village of La Higuera (north, in the Chaco Serrano zone). The following day, October 9, he is executed.
📍
Che sites: La Higuera (execution + mausoleum) and Vallegrande (memorial hospital) are 130–150km north, in the Santa Cruz Chaco Serrano. See full guide →
— Wildlife from three ecosystems

Chaco, Andes and valleys in one landscape.

The Chaco Serrano's wildlife richness comes from its frontier position. Three groups of species coexist in the same ravines and canyons.

OriginChaco
🐆Jaguar
🦔Giant anteater
🐗White-lipped peccary
🦒Guanaco
OriginAndes
🦅Andean condor
🐆Puma
🦌Taruca deer
🦅Mountain hawk-eagle
OriginValley
🦜Orange-fronted parakeet
🐦Mountain tanager
🦜Chaco monjita
🦉Canyon owl species
🔭
Key for sightings: The best wildlife sightings in the Chaco Serrano are at ravines with permanent water at dawn (5:30–8am) and dusk. A local guide who knows the active water points multiplies probability. Transition zone birds are especially rich — 250+ recorded species.
— Zone towns

Three entry points.

Northern gateway800m · Oil capital
Camiri
Access to Kaa-Iya and northern Chaco Serrano
Bolivia's petroleum capital — 5h from Santa Cruz. Main access point for Kaa-Iya Park. Mechanical workshops, fuel, supplies.
Full guide →
Cultural circuit2,000m · Che trail
Vallegrande & La Higuera
The definitive Che Guevara historic sites
130km north of Camiri. Hospital Señor de Malta (body display) + La Higuera mausoleum (site of execution). 4×4 for La Higuera.
Full guide →
Southern gateway1,150m · Serranía Iñao
Monteagudo (Chuquisaca)
Access from Sucre to the Chaco Serrano
185km from Sucre via Serranía Iñao Natural Reserve. The most scenic road into the pre-Chaco — red canyon landscapes from km 80 onward.
Full guide →
— When to visit

The canyons are reddest in July.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
🪨Jun–Aug
Dry season — canyons in full splendour
Thorny vegetation loses foliage, exposing red rock in its full magnificence. Canyon tracks are accessible. Wildlife concentrates at permanent-water rivers and ravines. Clear skies.
🌿May and Sep
Transition — green landscape and active wildlife
May with still-green vegetation from last rains and very active wildlife. September with rising temperatures but good access conditions. Fewer visitors in both months.
⚠️Oct–Nov
Rising heat — plan carefully
Temperatures rapidly rise toward 35–40°C. The Chaco Serrano is still visitable but heat limits long walks. Prioritise dawn departures and rest during midday.
🔥Dec–Feb
Chaco summer — extreme conditions
Temperatures of 38–42°C with high humidity. Rain can flood canyons and tracks become cut. Only for experienced expeditioners with specific equipment.
— FAQ

Frequently asked questions.

Still wondering? Write to us — we answer every question personally.

Get in touch →

The Chaco Serrano (also called pre-Chaco or subandean Chaco) is the transition zone between the last Andean foothills and the Gran Chaco plain in southeastern Bolivia, at 400–1,500m altitude. Red sandstone canyons, deep ravines and thorny forest concentrate wildlife from three ecosystems — Andean, Chaco and valley. It is also the historical stage of Che Guevara's last guerrilla campaign (1966–1967) in the Nancahuazú canyon.

The flat Gran Chaco is the lowland forest below 400m — hyper-hot (up to 45°C), flat, and with the world's most extreme climate in the Americas. The Chaco Serrano is the 400–1,500m transitional hilly zone where the Andes end — topographically more complex with canyons and ridges, climatically less extreme, and ecologically much richer because it accumulates species from three different biomes.

The Nancahuazú is a canyon and river ~100km south of Camiri in Bolivia's Santa Cruz department. Che Guevara established his guerrilla base camp here in November 1966. His column of 47 men at its peak operated in the surrounding Chaco Serrano for 11 months. The campaign ended on October 8, 1967 with his capture in the Quebrada del Churo and execution the following day at La Higuera. The canyon is a pilgrimage site for history enthusiasts.

The Chaco Serrano holds species from three ecosystems in the same landscape: Chaco species (jaguar, giant anteater, giant armadillo, guanaco, peccaries, puma); Andean species (condor, taruca deer, mountain hawks); and valley/transition species (various parrots, tanagers, cliff-dwelling birds). Over 250 bird species have been documented. Dawn walks at permanent water sources with a local guide offer the best wildlife encounters.

Three main routes: (1) Camiri (Santa Cruz) — 5–6h from Santa Cruz by bus. Northern gateway, access to Nancahuazú canyon and Kaa-Iya Park; (2) Monteagudo (Chuquisaca) — 185km from Sucre via the scenic Serranía Iñao road; (3) Gutiérrez (Santa Cruz) — 320km from Santa Cruz via Vallegrande. Canyon exploration requires a 4×4 — main roads are paved.

The Chiriguano-Guaraní people (also called Chané-Guaraní, Ava or Izoceno-Guaraní in different areas) have inhabited the Chaco Serrano foothills for centuries. Their towns — Gutiérrez, Macharetí, Charagua — preserve Guaraní language, crafts (especially woven goods and carved wood) and gastronomy (locro, sango, chicha). The Izoceno-Guaraní community co-manages Kaa-Iya National Park — one of the most successful models of indigenous protected area management in the Americas.

May to August (dry season) is optimal: canyon trails are passable by 4×4, temperatures are 20–30°C (comfortable), birdwatching peaks, and red sandstone geology is most photogenic in dry season light. September–October is still good but temperatures begin to rise. Avoid December–March: 38–42°C and flash floods in canyons.

— Plan your Chaco Serrano trip

The canyons are waiting.
So is the history.

45 minutes. We design your Chaco Serrano itinerary with wildlife, history and complete logistics.

$90 · €85 · Bs. 623

Book a consultation → $90 · €85 · Bs. 623Gran Chaco ecosystem →