Maragua Crater Kenya

"We hiked Inca Trail and visited the Maragua Crater with Confort Tours from Sucre. It was glorious!"

Tamara Wagner

"Maragua Crater Hike (Chataquila to Potolo) - stunning views of the crater, surrounding mountains and valleys, and pass by some dinosaur footprints too. Among the more scenic hikes we've done in Bolivia.
Fairly easy navigation (with the exception of a short section between the dinosaur prints and Potolo where the track is quite faint). It initially follows the "Inca trail" and large portions of the trail follow dirt/gravel car roads.
Not much shade along this track - so bring sun protection and plenty of water! Can fill up from the river crossing (at Socapampa) and buy water at Maragua, but after that there was nothing until Potolo!
Chataquila and Potolo have minibus access from Sucre (locations marked on Google maps)."

Mert Korkusuz

"Maragua Crater

We recently returned from a self guided trek through Maragua Crater and found it to be one of the most interesting places we visited in Bolivia. It doesn’t have the photographic appeal of Uyuni or the huge mountains of the Andes, but does have some of the most geologically unique and interesting landscapes we have found. It passes through rainbowed mountains similar to the famous one in Peru, the very unusual Maragua Crater along with perfectly preserved dinosaur prints.

When researching the trip, we had a very hard time finding anything detailed to explain the conditions, costs, amenity availability or route. So for anyone else looking to do this trek without a tour, here is what we found out.

To get to Maragua on foot, you need to take a bus towards Potolo and get out at the Virgin de Chautaquila one hour into the trip. You can take a bus from the Pareda Ravelo stop in Sucre, or one from the traffic circle just north of the Estadio Olimpico Patria. Both depart around 9:30am daily and cost 11-13 bob.

At the trail head, the path heads down for a while to the entry booth where there is a 10 bob fee. From there, the path splits and you can choose to follow the dirt road to the east which follows the river or the dirt road on the west of the river. The east side requires a transfer to a very confusing trail that slings sharply to the crater while the west road climbs gradually and goes directly there. Both roads are sparsely used.

We chose to take a chance and follow the partially unmapped route in the east, which ended up being a bad idea. Finding the trail was next to impossible and the hills, valleys and giant thorn bushes make many parts impassable. We took many more hours than the expected 5. The western route is no less scenic but much easier to follow, and has the benefit of views from higher vantage points.
We stayed at Rumi Wasi in the crater. It cost 50 bob per bed and included uninspiring dinner and breakfasts. There was a shower as well.

The second day was more scenic, passing through the rainbow mountains and past the dinosaur prints. We followed the dirt road this time out of the crater which turned out to be a good idea. We met other hikers who had a really hard time with the trail.
Once out of the crater, we took the detour path to go through Niñu Mayu for the prints. They were easy to find surrounded by a rock wall. They asked 20 bob entry but we negotiated 10.

Afterwards, we met back up with the Dort road and found our way to Potolo. We got there at 1:00 and managed to catch a bus to Sucre a few minutes later. It also cost 13 bob.

Options for purchasing snacks or water are slim although there are a couple small stands in Maragua and Potolo. Plan to bring most of what you will need. We carry a filter and managed to find a few good water sources the first day but nothing really the second.

Overall, we spent only $14 USD for the two day trip per person with all transport, two meals and accommodations. Well worth a visit.
If you are looking for more detail to help plan your trek, just search Career Break Adventures and Maragua Crater or something similar. You’ll find a full walkthrough of the trip with access info, etc. Have fun!"

Grant