4 Best Hotels in Coroico, Side Trips from La Paz

This is the best budget place to stay not quite in town. It offers a few rooms with bare brick walls, simple wooden furniture, and the obligatory terrace with stunning views, but stands out for being well kept and having a warm, welcoming staff. Most rooms have shared bathrooms (which are impeccably maintained); there is only one en-suite. The restaurant sources some of its food from the garden and as much as possible locally. The menu, vegetarian only, changes daily, as does the breakfast (except for the great coffee), which keeps things interesting.

A couple of blocks down from the central plaza, Hotel Bella Vista, although a little bit stuffy, truly lives up to its name with what are probably some of the best views in town. The views are great from all the rooms, but the two spacious family suites have huge panoramic windows overlooking the valley and the mountains beyond. You can experience an unforgettable sunrise and sunset without ever leaving the comfort of your bed. Most rooms open onto a nice, glass-roofed central courtyard. Internet access is decent and is available throughout the hotel, a rarity in town.

From the sunny patio at this unpretentious hotel up the hill from Coroico's central plaza, you'll get astounding views of the valley below and, if you biked, the road you came down. Most rooms have balconies with private baths. Like so many hotels here, the views are amazing, but the rooms and the hotel in general are run down. The breakfast is decent though, and so is the restaurant—when it opens. They offer a free pickup at the town plaza.

This hard-working refuge for abused and mistreated animals is set in a subtropical jungle 7 km (4 miles) from the town of Coroico. There are four small cabins, two eco-cabins which are a bit newer and the best of all, a four person treehouse. You won't find any luxuries here (no Internet, no a/c, no cell reception), but most guests come to relax by the pool or take a dip in the river, enjoy a meal at the restaurant, and spend time with the rescued monkeys. The restaurant is buffet style with decent pastas and salads, they also have some pretty good beers, brewed by a neighbor. You're in the jungle now—be sure to bring repellent!