Central Bolivia Travel and Tourism Information
Cochabamba
Cochabamba is not just only Bolivia’s third-largest city with 410,000 inhabitants, but also one of the most prosperous and progressive. It is famous for its pleasant climate and green landscape with tiny hills and fertile fields. The city is Bolivia’s largest market town. Every day there are several markets in the city where you can find anything you are looking for; ranging from food, sweets, clothes to high quality handicraft.
The main attractions of the charming city are its historical and archaeological sights, including the huge statue of Jesus on the top of the hill (taller than the one in Rio de Janeiro), the interesting archaeological museum and the “Convento de Santa Teresa”, a beautiful 400-year-old cathedral.
Potosi
The cold and windy city Potosi is the highest city of the world at 4,690 meters (15,380 ft). During the colonization period it was one of the richest and most beautiful cities in the world filled with plenty of churches and colonial buildings. Today the wealth of the city has gone but still has left a fascinating spirit in the colonial, narrow winding streets.
In the city can be visited the interesting Money museum “Casa de Moneda”, which was partially constructed with material from the “Gran Chaco”, a region which is about 400 km (250 miles) away.
A close silver mine was responsible for its prosperity during the 16th – century. Until today cooperative-run mines work in the humid, muddy corridors filled with noxious gases. Tourist Agencies offer excursions in the mines which are highly recommended as you will understand personally the hard reality of the miners. This excursion is probably one of the most remarkable experience of your travels in Bolivia, you can get.
Sucre
Sucre, with a population of about 185,000 inhabitants, is located in a picturesque valley at an altitude of 2700 m (8,900 ft). It is one of the most peaceful and pleasurable cities in Bolivia with an European flavor architecture and a lovely warm climate in the region.
Offering the most beautiful setting in Bolivia as it is often described, the sleepy town is surrounded by the gigantic snowcapped peaks of “Illampú”(6362m/20,867ft) and “Ancohuma” (6427m/21,080ft)
There are a lot of interesting places to visit in the city like the Cathedral and “Chapel of Guadalupe”, the “Casa de la Libertad” with colonial artifacts related to Bolivian independence, the three universities with the university museum and “Immaculada Convent”, with a little shop for handicrafts. Another sight worth to see are the ruins of “Calle-Calle” in the “Zudanez” neighborhood.
Oruro
Oruro, with a population of 182,000 mostly poor people, is an old mining town which turns one time during carnival into the most lively and colorful festival of the country called “La Diablada”. It is famous for its imaginative folklore costumes including the celebrated wild devil costume. The devil represents the Spanish colonizers who explored the regions and its people and forced indigenous people to work under horrible circumstances in the mines. The city has some interesting sights like the cemetery “Virgin del Savon” and the Museum of Archaeology with an interesting carnival masks collection.
Oruro is a good starting point to visit one of the must-see attraction of Bolivia: the “Salar de Uyuni”.