Sample Itinerary
At Copacabana Ranch, we offer a variety of activities, though many depend on the season. We encourage our guests to pick activities that interest them and we are happy to accommodate special requests. Here's an example of what we can put together for a 3-day, 2-night tour:
Day 1
We leave from Lipiko's Rurrenabaque office by 9:00 in a private 4x4; the road from town to the ranch is unpaved and can be an adventure in its own right--especially after it rains. In about an hour, we arrive at Los Santos Reyes, a small town about 25km from Rurre. Here we visit the Museo Arqueológico y Etnográfico, an archeological and ethnographic museum that explores the early settlers of this region, from the little-known civilizations of pre-Incan AmerIndians to the Spanish colonization and waves of immigration from Europe and Asia in the modern era.
We arrive at the ranch by noon. You'll meet your guide and he'll give you a brief tour of the homestead-- the kitchen, dining area, and guesthouse. You can practice a little lasso while the senoras finish cooking lunch for you and the workers. After you eat, saddle up your horse and head out with your guide for a ride around the ranch. The landscape changes abruptly as you cross the property; broad, green fields give way to marshlands, bordered by dense, jungly forest. In about an hour, we arrive at Los Racharos, a patch of forest with tall, straight trees but little underbrush-- most of the low vegetation has been cleared by grazing cattle. The shade of the tall canopy and lack of underbrush make this a great spot to leave the horses and head out for a hike. Keep your eyes open for troops of squirrel monkeys passing through the branches high above or sloths lumbering along at their leisurely pace. Take picture in front of a 300-year-old mapajo tree, one of the largest species in the world.
We return to the homestead in time for dinner, a perfect time to get to know some of the workers living with you at the ranch. After we eat, we can head out for a short nighttime walk in search of caimans. These gators are more active during the night, when they hunt along the ranch's lakes and lagoons. Oddly, caimans are easier to spot in the nighttime-- their eyes glow red in the beam of your flashlight!
We arrive at the ranch by noon. You'll meet your guide and he'll give you a brief tour of the homestead-- the kitchen, dining area, and guesthouse. You can practice a little lasso while the senoras finish cooking lunch for you and the workers. After you eat, saddle up your horse and head out with your guide for a ride around the ranch. The landscape changes abruptly as you cross the property; broad, green fields give way to marshlands, bordered by dense, jungly forest. In about an hour, we arrive at Los Racharos, a patch of forest with tall, straight trees but little underbrush-- most of the low vegetation has been cleared by grazing cattle. The shade of the tall canopy and lack of underbrush make this a great spot to leave the horses and head out for a hike. Keep your eyes open for troops of squirrel monkeys passing through the branches high above or sloths lumbering along at their leisurely pace. Take picture in front of a 300-year-old mapajo tree, one of the largest species in the world.
We return to the homestead in time for dinner, a perfect time to get to know some of the workers living with you at the ranch. After we eat, we can head out for a short nighttime walk in search of caimans. These gators are more active during the night, when they hunt along the ranch's lakes and lagoons. Oddly, caimans are easier to spot in the nighttime-- their eyes glow red in the beam of your flashlight!
Day 2
Wake up early and head out on horseback with your guide and a thermos of fresh coffee. There's a field not far from the homestead where you can dismount and watch the sun come up over the pampas. Dawn at the ranch is always a spectacular sight.
Return to the homestead for a hearty cowboy breakfast. After we eat, we head out with the guide to a large lake about an hour's ride from the homestead. Here, we leave our horses again and hike along the edge of lake. Your guide can point out plants used in traditional medicine and share stories about life on the estancia.
We arrive at a dugout canoe on the shore of the of lake, which we then paddle out in search of anaconda, caimans, and capybara. The tall grasses at the edge of the water are home to many bird species that fish in the shallow water. Your guide knows a great spot to drop a hook--the lake is full of piranha. Whatever you catch, you can bring back for the senoras to fry up with dinner!
We arrive back at the homestead by dusk--just in time for dinner. After we eat, we can move outside and start a campfire. At the end of a long day, it's great to relax with a glass of wine and watch the stars begin to appear.
Return to the homestead for a hearty cowboy breakfast. After we eat, we head out with the guide to a large lake about an hour's ride from the homestead. Here, we leave our horses again and hike along the edge of lake. Your guide can point out plants used in traditional medicine and share stories about life on the estancia.
We arrive at a dugout canoe on the shore of the of lake, which we then paddle out in search of anaconda, caimans, and capybara. The tall grasses at the edge of the water are home to many bird species that fish in the shallow water. Your guide knows a great spot to drop a hook--the lake is full of piranha. Whatever you catch, you can bring back for the senoras to fry up with dinner!
We arrive back at the homestead by dusk--just in time for dinner. After we eat, we can move outside and start a campfire. At the end of a long day, it's great to relax with a glass of wine and watch the stars begin to appear.
Day 3
We ride out after breakfast for Portugal, a swath of the estancia that once belonged to a Portugese rancher. Today, you guide lives here with his wife and children. Portugal is several kilometers from the homestead; the ride will challenge your new horse riding skills--there are a couple rivers and deep lagoons to ford.
On the ride, we pass the old cemetery, where generations of vaqueros were buried. Time has worn down the wooden crosses marking more than a century of graves, but you can clearly make out the date on the newest marker: 1968.
We arrive at Portugal in time for lunch, prepared by your guide's wife in her outdoor kitchen. Eat at the outdoor table and take a short siesta in the shade. Before you head out, your guide can show you his yucca garden or bring you to a nearby community where about 40 indigenous families live off the land.
On the ride, we pass the old cemetery, where generations of vaqueros were buried. Time has worn down the wooden crosses marking more than a century of graves, but you can clearly make out the date on the newest marker: 1968.
We arrive at Portugal in time for lunch, prepared by your guide's wife in her outdoor kitchen. Eat at the outdoor table and take a short siesta in the shade. Before you head out, your guide can show you his yucca garden or bring you to a nearby community where about 40 indigenous families live off the land.
We arrive back at the homestead in the early afternoon, where a car and driver are waiting for you. We offer two options on the ride back... We can stop off at La Laguna de Copaiba, a beautiful lake outside Reyes. This is a great spot to relax after three days on horseback--or jump in the water to escape the heat of the afternoon. If you'd prefer a bit of adventure, we can skip the lake and take a trip to la Estación Biologica Jaguarete, a nature preserve and wildlife refuge in the primary rainforest outside Rurrenabaque. Jaguarete features kilometers of marked trails where you can take a guided hike or explore the preserve's organic orchards with dozens of species of fruit trees. The wildlife refuge offers a rare opportunity to get up close with exotic animals in a safe and sustainable manner. At any time, Jaguarete may have various monkey species, coati, even its namesake--jaguars!