Puerto Quijarro

For most people (unless doing the trip in reverse), Puerto Quijarro is the end of the line - the railway line, that is - on the wonderful journey through the Sureste Cruceño and Pantanal. It won't seem so wonderful when your train lurches to a halt in front of a ramshackle collection of cinder block and concrete bunkers on a sweltering morning (almost all trains arrive in the early morning hours), but you won't be spending much time at the railway depôt anyway, unless depressing urban landscapes appeal to you.

Interestingly, the town was established in 1900 by a British explorer, Captain Henry Bolland, who had been commissioned by the Bolivian government to explore the feasibility of navigating the Río Paraguay. The expedition started off from Buenos Aires and sailed upstream. One of its primary benefactors, Antonio Quijarro, passed away during the trip and the area was named by Bolland in his honour. (Some Bolivian textbooks erroneously give the honour of the town's founding to Quijarro himself.) Until 1940, Quijarro (the "Puerto" before it is almost always omitted) was a humid, insect-infested outpost of negligible value. All that changed when it became the eastern terminus of the railway, although it is still humid and insect-infested. Quijarro now has about 12,000 inhabitants and was formally incorporated in 1991.

There are huge plans afoot to make Quijarro (and by extension, its neighbours Puerto Suárez and Arroyo Concepción) the centre for regional agribusiness, energy, mineral extraction, and river transport, but the only thing that seems likely to come of this ambitious scheme is a paving of the road between it and Puerto Busch, Bolivia's final outpost on the Río Paraguay. Puerto Suárez already is the regional center for the rest of these endeavours, and it isn't likely to surrender the revenue that comes with being this anytime soon.

Almost everyone arriving in town is immediately heading out, either to Puerto Suárez to take in the Pantanal or engage in some illicit economic activity, or to Arroyo Concepción if heading to Brazil. It's worth remembering that although the railway ends here, you'll need to go back to Arroyo Concepción (backtracking a mile or so) to cross into Brazil. This can be confusing, as locals do not draw a distinction between the two municipalities. It's best simply to ask for directions to la frontera and go by cab.

The advantage to this is that Bolivian taxis have permits that allow them to enter the Brazilian city of Corumbá, which can save you much time in formalities at the crossing. The same holds for train passengers: debark here (you have to, anyway), taxi to Arroyo and straight across the border. Once in Corumbá, fill out the paperwork there and catch the train again. If you're objective is Corumbá and not onward travel, it's still the same procedure except that you don't head to the railway station in Corumbá. Want more details? Check the Getting There page for the Pantanal.

Enormous and in the middle of nowhere: the Puerto Aguirre Free Trade Zone

Where to Go
Puerto Quijarro has, well...a zona franca and not much else to its name. If you want to stock up on some imported electronics, black label - that's "label", not "market" - liquor, and the like, head to the Puerto Aguirre Free Trade Zone. Founded by a successful Bolivian businessman (who made his money in Colombia and Ecuador) and senator, the zone is rather non-descript, but it does have something everyone appreciates in this climate - air conditioned shops.

Puerto Quijarro also has two balnearios, which are equally good at combating the heat. Oasis and Tamarinero are both located just outside of town. Entrance is free to both.

As it sits on the border with Brazil, it also has direct access to the lovely Río Paraguay (the entire country's lowest point in elevation), Bolivia's sole link to the Atlantic Ocean, via a long trip through Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. A primary reason for the Chaco War was Bolivia's desire to obtain permanent access to this waterway (a demand that was granted although Bolivia was defeated). Although it is one of the continent's truly epic journeys, very few travellers indeed have ever made the trip from Puerto Quijarro to Buenos Aires via the Río Paraguay. (One of the few who did was the late Tristan Jones, who devotes portions of his book The Incredible Voyage to this odyssey.)

Río Paraguay: Puerto Quijarro

Places to Eat in Puerto Quijarro
The following establishments are listed alphabetically, and are not in any other particular order. Most hotels and other accommodations have their own restaurants. Room service is generally not offered, except in luxury-class establishments.

Only those restaurants that have either a street address and/or telephone number are included here. All towns in the Chiquitania invariably have additional eateries, especially in or near the market (ideal for travellers with cast-iron stomachs), but this list incorporates only those that one reasonably can expect to locate without trouble.

Places to Stay in Puerto Quijarro

When to Visit Puerto Quijarro

But Does Puerto Quijarro Have A...?