Getting to Tupiza was an immense relief. Not just because the journey itself had been so arduous, but because we were coming from Rurrenabaque—a town sweaty and mosquito-filled enough to drown us in misery, if we hadn't already been drowning in the extreme touristiness. After all, this was weird & wild Bolivia...we wanted to feel we were somewhere special.

Tupiza is a draw for two reasons. First, the surrounding landscape is a gorgeous mix of desert and eroded hills, true Wild West country. Second, a couple of the most famous Wild West outlaws died here—Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. After countless robberies and with detectives on their trails, Butch and Sundance fled to Argentina in 1901. In 1908, they fell prey to the usual temptation—one last heist. They headed to Tupiza and robbed a local mining company manager of his payroll. Soon, they were cornered in nearby San Vincente, where Butch shot his partner and then himself.

Tours following their trail are available in Tupiza. But those with only a passing interest in cowboy lore may be more intrigued by the numerous hiking, biking, and horse-riding options to simply take in the amazing vistas.

Tupiza is also an excellent departure point for the Salar de Uyuni tour. Not only are there fewer tourists and thus fewer crazed tour operators angling for tourist dollars, but the tour from the Tupiza side takes in the stunning surrounding terrain that trips from the Uyuni side miss.

At just under 3000 meters, Tupiza was a breath of fresh air. I greatly prefer the crisp feel of the mountains to the jungle any day, and compared to La Paz the altitude was still quite bearable. Tupiza is a pretty little town and a great place to relax for a couple days.

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