Pairumani and Villa Albina
Cochabamba Department · Culture and history
At the foot of the Tunari range, in Pairumani, Simón I. Patiño, the tin baron who became one of the richest men in the world, built a European-style villa in the 1920s and 1930s for his wife Albina. You can visit its furnished rooms, the large gardens with rare trees and the mausoleum where the couple rest. Just above, the Pairumani park is the start of a demanding climb to the Tunari by its south face.
2,650 maltitude
0 to 1 dayto spend there
Things to do
- Guided tour of Villa Albina and its gardens
- The mausoleum of Simón and Albina Patiño
- Hike from the Pairumani park up towards the Tunari heights
What to eat
- ChichaFermented corn beer, slightly sour, served in gourds (tutumas). Look for chicherías marked with a white flag.
- ChicharrónPork cooked slowly in its own fat until golden, served with mote (big corn kernels) and chuño. A Sunday dish.
Tip. Tours in small groups, in the morning from Tuesday to Saturday: book by phone before coming. Trufi from the Quillacollo main square, or taxi from Cochabamba (about 40 min). The Palacio Portales in the city goes well with this visit.
How to get to Villa Albina
Cochabamba Road (bus, car) · 40 min to 1 h
Trufi to Quillacollo, then a trufi to Pairumani (Villa Albina stop), or taxi.
Photos of Pairumani and Villa Albina
More places in this region
CochabambaThe “city of eternal spring” and the food capital of the country.
Laguna AlalayA large lagoon in the heart of Cochabamba, a bird refuge below the hills.
Tunari National ParkThe mountains right above the city: high lagoons and the Tunari summit (5,035 m).- Apote and its twin waterfallsA mountain valley above Tiquipaya, with two waterfalls side by side and trails towards the Tunari.
YungapampaA refuge above a sea of clouds, on the north side of the Tunari, Andean bear country.
Laguna CoraniA large reservoir among pine forests and mountains, known for its trout.
IncachacaA cloud forest at the edge of the Chapare, with an Inca bridge, waterfalls and an old power plant.
Valle Alto: Tarata and ClizaColonial valley villages, markets and chicha.
Quillacollo and Inca RakayInca ruins perched above Sipe Sipe, and Quillacollo, home of the Urkupiña festival.
Torotoro National ParkDinosaur footprints, a spectacular canyon and the Umajalanta cave.
IncallajtaThe largest Inca site in Bolivia, in a remote valley.
TotoraA small, well-preserved colonial village on the old road to Santa Cruz.
AiquileBolivia's national charango capital, halfway between Cochabamba and Sucre.
MizqueA colonial village in a warm valley, home of the red-fronted macaw.