Travel Guide La Higuera

Vallegrande, count 2 hours of winding track to reach this hamlet of about fifteen houses. When you arrive in the village, the first thing that strikes you is the enormous bust of the guerrilla that dominates the square. It was here that, on October 9, 1967, Che Guevara was executed in the small building used as a school. His body now rests in Cuba, but it is in La Higuera that his memory is buried. Most of the inhabitants over 50 years old will tell you that they met Che in person, even though, according to his Diary of Bolivia, the village was almost deserted when he arrived.The route from Vallegrande to La Higuera is magnificent: sumptuous views of the ramifications of the Andes and the possibility of seeing condors. Shortly before the arrival, you will cross the small colonial village of Pucara where almost all the facades of the main square are covered with effigies of Che. In this small town, the bodies of the guerrillas who fell in the Quebrada del Churo and were considered less important by the army arrived by mule. Che was sent directly by helicopter to Vallegrande.The city and its inhabitants live in slow motion here. Few inhabitants receive income from tourism. Nevertheless, several monuments, phrases and other allusions to Che adorn the town. Enter the courtyard of the new school to discover other paintings as well as a small photo exhibition where you will discover all the personalities who have already come to this place. A place full of history but which deserves a boost from the State to be at the height of the revolutionary myth that is Che. If you are in the area on October 9, the date of the execution of the mythical guerrilla, do not miss the festival commemorating these events. The whole village gets out its musical instruments, the alcohol flows freely.