Road Santa Cruz/Bolivia - to Corumba, Brasil
 

Hi guys,

anybody has an idea in which conditions is the road from Santa Cruz to Corumba??? When did you do it? I tried in 1996 - it was a desaster...finally we put the bikes on the train...

Thanks for your help!

See you at the HU Germany and Italy Meeting in July!!!

Jens, right now in San Pedro de Atacama

Really nobody has an idea???
 

Hi guys,

it looks like nobody did this road - is it possible???

Thanks - Jens

It is doable, the info i have is from a fellow who came that route a few years ago so it may be a little outdated.
It is all dirt and took to days from Santa Cruz to Corumba traveling in 4wd vehicle with an average speed of 45 km/h according to his GPS track data.
Looks like they stopped in San Jose for the night.

Not much to go on but hope it helps.

road conditions
 

We have just driven the Jesuit circuit from Santa Cruz to San Jose de Chiquitos. Mixed conditions of dirt and asphalt - no problems at all when dry.

The place we are staying is owned by French bikers - they say the direct road is good apshalt apart for 90 km's in the centre that are being upgraded but for bikes it is easier. From Santa Cruz for 1.5 hours it is good then you reach the rough section. To drive or ride from Santa Cruz to San Jose will take approx. 4 hours. From San Jose to Corumba the road is 400 km's of perfect asphalt road.
Good luck and be sure to stay here when you pass!

Villa Chiquitana
Calle 9 de Abril
San Jose de Chiquitos
Bolivia

Home :thumbup1:

will do that road soon... Thanks for the info Dave...


Adventurous greetings,
Coen

road has improved a bit since I drove it in 1986 on my good old XT500. Took me 3 weeks than!

About to drive it...
 

Just came back from the train station on the Bolivian side of Corumba to purchase train tickets on the Death Train, but the guy told me that will not accommodate motorcycles anymore! They used to, but now they don't.

So we'll have to drive the stretch. Information varies so far, 80-90 kms of unpaved in between San Jose and Santa Cruz according to some, some bus drivers said that it's only about 35 kms (but hell, the bus looked like their odometer might not be working!).
Regardless of the length, it's the (added) fact that it's the rainy season that kinda worries me.

Any info from someone who has done it more recently?

Seem doable, here is a link to a ride report dated Oct, 2010.

Bolivian dirt tastes just like other dirt - Santa Cruz, Bolivia Travel Blog

Great advice on the road from Santa Cruz to Corumba. How was the road on the Brazilian side, from Corumba to Campo Grande?

Thanks

Is good, is asphalt.
You can also choose for the much more scenic old Transpantaneira (via Porta da Manga) which is a good dirt road, although not this time of the year as it is flooded

hola chicos,
from Santa Cruz to Corumba is paved, just about 50 km in die middle is construction road. dusty when dry and muddy in rain.
nice ride though, did it 2 weeks ago

yep that´s right. Were there 3 weeks ago. 47 km west of San Jose de Chiquitos starts the detour, till Km 95. Rest perfect asphalt or concrete road now.
The french bikers place mentioned earlier is called Villa Chiquitana and has a big garden also for motorhomes. Jerome the owner is a very friendly guy.

We had some problems getting fuel in Bolivia and in San J de C where they díd have fuel they told us they are not allowed to fill up foreign vehicles! After telling them we would have to live there at the gasstation as we had no fuel left and making a cup of coffee they decided to make an exception... All of Bolivia (like Argentina at the moment) had a fuelshortage, but maybe that has improved as on the way to Arica we saw about a hundred bolivian fueltrucks.

Hi!
Just try to AVOID riding or stay on the road close to the sunset and through the night (VERY dangerous because THIEVES/AMBUSHES are constant there).

In june/july, the sunset begins about 17h30. The sunrise is nearly 06h00

A guy told me that he drove through the road one week ago and it is in "good" conditions, even in non asfalted stretches.

From november to march is rainny season.

And beware: while in sandy stretches of the road, the trucks do not usually keep the right side of the road.

While driving a motorcycle, KEEP THE RUBBER SIDE DOWN!!!! :))

Hugs!

no problems
 

Did it a few days ago
Boring straight road, except for the 50km or so in the middle where they are fixing the road.
Took me two easy days, I stayed in San Joes in a cheap hotel 30B for night, Got petrol there as well no problems, Just had to give the police my rego no.
Suerte Maciek

Looking to go from Corumba to Santa Cruz and possibly the jesuit route in the next few weeks and was wondering if the info above was still accurate or if the 50km of unpaved has now improved? :mchappy:

Trained it.
 

I trained it in 2007 because they were working on it. What I could see from the train it looked like they were doing a good job.

Let me know about the Missions route! I hope to be leading a group of 12 thru there in 2014.

Toby :mchappy::mchappy::mchappy:

If you want to ride Mission Circuit, you can’t take the direct route from San José de Chiquitos to Santa Cruz.

From San José (the first mission you’ll find coming from Brazil) you have to take the northern route to San Rafael - Santa Ana or San Miguel - San Ignacio - Concepción - San Javier - San Ramón - Santa Cruz.

I made it on March, 2009. There were 460 km of good red dirt from San José to few kilometers before San Javier, 700 km total to Santa Cruz. The road was just a little wet. I only had a hard time on three sections of about 500 m long each, 40 km before Concepción. It had been a heavy down pour last night, and those lengths were slippery as soap, and I hadn’t knobby tires. A nice dance. This time of the year should be dry.

Another problem that seems persistent is gasoline. Riding on “alcoholed” gas on Brazil, you will feel your bike flying with Bolivian gas, when you find it. I had no problems in Puerto Suarez, other than service-time as usual in many parts (put gas before nap-time or you will have to wait up to 3 pm and a long line). In Concepción it was a 100-m long line to gas up, so I continued to San Javier, no problems. What I want to say is go always with enough reserve to go further.

Good luck, Santiago

Hola,

Thinking about doing the missionarie route aswell. But first I have to get from Sucre to Santa Cruz in a few days. Anybody got some pointers on wich route is preferable. There´s no real short road, not that I want it :cool4: , but wich is niver to ride the north aproach, or the south one. South seems longer. But if it has less traffic and some nice dirt sections i´ll go for that way.

I don´t know the northern route (Aiquile) but I do southern route (Villa Serrano-Vallegrande)

The info I have is:

NORTH to Mataral: 416 km, 12 hours, regular traffic:
· Sucre - Aiquile: gravel, 200 km, 5-6 hours
· Aiquile - Mataral: gravel, 216 km, 7 hours

SOUTH to Mataral: 450 km, 10 hours, less traffic:
· Sucre - Tarabuco: paved, 70 km, 1.5 hours
· Tarabuco - Tomina: under paving, 80 km, 2 hours
· Tomina - Villa Serrano: gravel and cobbles, 30, 1 hour
· Villa Serrano - La Higuera: gravel/dirt, 130 km, 3 hours. This is the toughest section, recently open, fording many streams (the biggest is El Bañadito, 18.927°S 64.284°W), solitary. If dry weather, not problem, is an astonish ride preferred by Sucre/Santa Cruz motoqueros. La Higuera is Ché Guevara´s death place.
· La Higuera - Vallegrande: gravel, 80 km, 1.5 hours
· Vallegrande-Mataral: under paving, 60 km, 1 hour

Mataral - Santa Cruz: paved, 200 km, 3 hours

Please enjoy,

Santiago

South it will be :) although it will at least be a 2 day project for me

Sucre to Samaipata via Padilla/Villa Serrano/Vallegrande
 

We are about to do this route here in the next few days. How did you like it? Any advice?

Cheers

Anyone have info on the Missions Circuit?
 

We have not done our homework, but we were hoping someone would chime in on the Missions Circuit so we can plan accordingly. If you have some info, advice, or are willing to share your experience, that would be most excellent.

Cheers