Bolivia has amazing archaeological, colonial and natural places, which in addition to being interesting are educational and fun to visit.
Keep reading so that you know the 30 best tourist places in Bolivia, a country of beautiful cities and a pre-Hispanic and Hispanic culture of exotic traditions.
1. Uyuni Salt Flat
Let’s start our list with a spectacular salt desert at 3650 meters above sea level: the Salar de Uyuni.
The Salar de Uyuni stands out among the tourist places of the 9 departments of Bolivia, due to its desert beauty that makes it the main attraction in the country.
With its 10,582 km2 , it is the largest salt flat on the planet and the highest salt desert in the world, with more than half of the world’s lithium reserves.
In addition to this alkaline metal used in the manufacture of electric batteries, the salt flat also has abundant reserves of potassium, magnesium and boron. Its salts are used in the treatment of bipolar disorder.
It is the habitat of cacti up to 10 meters high, the southern flamingo (Chilean flamingo), the parihuana (Andean flamingo) and the small parina (James flamingo), 3 species of beautiful colors whose metabolism adapted to an extreme saline environment .
The views of the desert are extraordinary, especially at sunset when the white surfaces reflect the twilight tones, creating a beautiful spectacle of light and color.
On the banks of the salt flat there are hotels built with blocks of salt.
Appreciate in the following video how precious this desert is:
2. Peace
Our Lady of Peace is at 3,625 meters above sea level, 144 km southeast of Lake Titicaca, with a metropolitan area that is the second most populous in the country with 1.9 million inhabitants. Its height makes it the highest city in the world.
La Paz is the capital of the department of the same name and the main political and financial center of Bolivia.
The city was founded in 1548 by the Spanish, Alonso de Mendoza. It is surrounded by mountains, one of them is Mount Illimani, a geographical icon of La Paz and the second highest peak in the country with 6460 meters above sea level.
It has a rugged topography and its network of cable cars, the longest in the world, in addition to facilitating transportation, allows you to enjoy splendid views.
The Bolivian capital was included in 2014 in the list of the New Seven Wonder Cities of the World, accompanied by Beirut (Lebanon), Doha (Qatar), Durban (South Africa), Havana (Cuba), Kuala Lampur (Malaysia) and Vigan ( Philippines).
Among the tourist places in Bolivia, La Paz is also distinguished by its nightlife with modern nightclubs and places to enjoy the country’s folkloric pictures.
National Geographic designated it in 2015 as the third city with the most intense nightlife in the world.
In its colonial and republican architecture, the Basilica of San Francisco, the Palacio Quemado and the Metropolitan Cathedral stand out.
Take a closer look at this interesting and beautiful city in the following video:
3. Museums of La Paz
La Paz has a system of museums that show the history, art and traditions of La Paz and Bolivia.
The Juan de Vargas Costumbrista Museum exhibits historical and typical pieces such as replicas of historical events (the execution of the caudillo Túpac Katari and the hanging of Pedro Domingo Murillo), old paintings from La Paz, typical costumes, colonial carriages and objects related to the customs and country traditions.
The Bolivian Coastal Museum houses objects from the Pacific War in which Bolivia lost its access to the sea, including weapons and photographs of the old Bolivian Pacific ports, currently belonging to Chile.
The San Francisco Cultural Center Museum operates in the Basilica and Convent of San Francisco and apart from the architectural interest of these buildings, it exhibits relics and other pieces related to the history of the buildings linked to the past of La Paz.
The Tambo Quirquincho Museum shows typical musical instruments that include a variety of charangos, one of the most representative instruments of the highlands with up to 10 strings.
The Museum of Ethnography and Folklore is housed in an old mansion from the 18th century that was the palace of the Marquises of Villaverde. Its exhibition is directed to the customs, arts and folkloric manifestations of the Bolivian ethnic groups.
4. Valley of the Moon
Another of the attractive tourist places in Bolivia La Paz is this desert valley of surreal beauty on the outskirts of the city, 10 km from the center.
The Valley of the Moon owes its name to Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on lunar soil in July 1969, when he visited the Bolivian capital the same year.
Its formations are not solid rock but clay, not sculpted by groundwater but by external erosion caused by winds and rain.
The mountains that surround La Paz are clayey, with the particularity that the percentages of the chemical elements present vary from one place to another, which means that the formations of the Valley of the Moon also change color between beige or pale brown, which is the most predominant, and reddish and violet. These colorations create attractive optical illusions when the valley’s formations are struck by the sun’s rays.
The valley is set on the night of San Juan with elements of space travel and astronomy. There are also night walks.
Check out incredible aerial shots of this desert below:
5. Lake Titicaca
The highest navigable lake in the world at 3,812 meters above sea level will always be on the list of tourist places to visit in Bolivia.
Its maximum depth is 283 meters and its surface is 8,562 km², 56% Peruvian and 44% Bolivian, all with an average water temperature of 13 °C.
The lake has both natural and artificial islands. The largest of the first of these is Isla del Sol, 14.3 km 2 , with pre-Inca and Inca archaeological remains.
Its artificial floating islands were built by the Uru people with rushes, the same plant used to make fishing boats called caballitos de totora.
The basic protein source of the Titicaca peoples is lake fish. Among the native species, several carachis stand out (white, black, yellow, dwarf) to which trout and pejerrey are added as introduced species.
Its main activities are rowing boat rides, trips to Isla del Sol and other islands, tours of the floating islands, hiking and sport fishing.
The most important Bolivian town on the lake is Copacabana, with 3,000 inhabitants.
Observe this majestic lake from above in the following video:
6. Illimani Mountain
The natural emblem of La Paz and the highest peak in the Cordillera Real. It is also the second national summit (6460 masl) only surpassed by the Nevado Sajama (6542 masl) in the Western Cordillera.
Illimani Mountain was formed between the Mesozoic and Tertiary periods, by pressure from tectonic plates.
Its 4 summits increase its majesty and in addition to La Paz you will be able to see the vast spaces of the Altiplano, the Nevado Sajama, Lake Titicaca, territories of Peru and Chile and the valleys that descend towards the Amazon.
The first record of ascent is from 1898 made by the Baron of Allington, William Martin Conway. In 2016, he was promoted by 15 Aymara women who wore their typical costumes.
The least complicated ascent route from La Paz is the Pinaya-Puente Roto, Nido de Cóndores-Cumbre route.
Pinaya is a town in the foothills of the mountain at 3,700 meters above sea level, accessible from La Paz by all-terrain vehicle. The base camp is in Puente Roto at 4400 meters above sea level.
The journey between Pinaya and Puente Roto can be done on the back of a mule. In Puente Roto begins the climb that leads to Nido de Cóndores (5400 masl) and then to the summit.
Take a look at this fantastic flyby over this mountain:
7. Snowy Sajama
Extinct stratovolcano in the department of Oruro that with its 6542 meters above sea level represents the highest Bolivian elevation. It is in the Western Cordillera, a Bolivian sector of the Andes Mountains that marks the natural border with Chile.
The first ascent of Nevado Sajama was made in 1939 by Austrian climbers, Josef Prem and Wilfrid Kühm.
It is characterized by its open forests of queñuas and isolated specimens at 5,200 meters above sea level, which form one of the highest groves in the world, forests at risk of extinction due to their use as firewood and forest fires.
The snow-capped mountain is part of the Sajama National Park, a protected Bolivian space created in 1939 with more than 100,000 hectares.
The fauna of the park is characteristic of the Puna and among the mammalian species are vicuña, quirquincho (armadillo), taruca (Andean deer), titi (Andean cat), puma and Andean fox.
The ascent of Nevado Sajama is considered demanding due to the strong winds that hit the slopes of the volcano.
The operator AltiplanoExtreme (Calle Viluyo 315, La Paz) organizes climbing tours of the main Bolivian mountains, including Illimani, Sajama, Huayna Potosí, Nevado Condoriri, Pequeno Alpamayo, Parinacota, Pomerape and Acotango.
Watch in the following video the maximum elevation of Bolivia:
8. Sucre
The city that bears the name of the Great Marshal, Antonio José de Sucre, winner of the Battle of Ayacucho that sealed South American independence from Spain.
Sucre is the historical and constitutional capital of Bolivia and seat of the Judicial Power. Before it was called Chuquisaca, a name that was adopted for the department of which it is the capital.
The city stands out among the tourist attractions of Bolivia for its impressive colonial architecture, beautiful squares and parks and for a cool climate of 16 ° C without extreme variations.
Also known as the “White City of America” was declared a World Heritage Site, especially for its colonial architecture.
Among its colonial religious buildings, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Church of San Lázaro, the oldest in the city (1544), stand out; the Convent of San Francisco Javier and the Convent of Recoleta.
In the civil architecture of Sucre, the old colonial hospital (1554) and the University of San Francisco Javier (1624) stand out.
Another attraction in the city is the Cal Orcko paleontological site discovered by quarry workers in 1985. It has more than 5,000 dinosaur footprints of at least 15 species, making it by far the largest reserve of its kind in the world. There you can see the real footprints of the T-Rex and other giants of the time.
Appreciate in this video a flyover through this beautiful city:
9. The Road of Death
The Road of Death is among the tourist places in Bolivia a temple for extreme mountain bikers, because just to one side is the abyss and an assured death.
This is the old road between La Paz and Los Yungas, 80 km long, which rises from 3,600 to 4,650 meters above sea level at its highest point.
The challenging road without protection barriers, barely 3 meters wide, adds up to more than 200 accidents and more than 100 deaths per year, which earned it its rating as the most dangerous stretch in the world by the Inter-American Development Bank.
To its steep ascents and descents and lack of protective barriers, we must add the fog, the rain that muddies the track and the rockfalls.
The road was partially built in the 1930s by Paraguayan prisoners captured during the Chaco War and was used for adventure biking in the 1990s.
The road crosses the Cotapata National Park and along the route you can see beautiful landscapes, waterfalls and species of fauna and flora.
Watch this incredible but dangerous path in the following video:
10. Rurrenabaque
Rurrenabaque is a small city in the department of Beni called “Gateway to the Bolivian Amazon.” It is on the banks of the Beni River at the beginning of the Amazon plain and is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the country due to its strategic location to visit the Madidi National Park, La Encañada del Bala, the Pilón Lajas Biosphere Reserve, the Río Tuichi and Lake Chalalán.
Rurrenabaque has a tropical climate with an average annual temperature of 25 °C, with peaks of up to 33 °C. The coolest and least rainy months are June and July when the thermometer shows an average of 22.5 °C.
Tours depart from Rurrenabaque to the Amazon Jungle and the Pampas to admire the wildlife and natural beauty of these territories, in excursions of one to 5 days with complete packages of up to 3 weeks.
The film, La Vertiente (1958), the first feature film of Bolivian sound cinema, was shot there.
See below beautiful shots of this popular tourist destination:
11. Madidi National Park
Protected area of 1.9 million hectares in northern Bolivia shared by the provinces of Abel Iturralde and Franz Tamayo, in the Department of La Paz. It is one of the largest special protection areas in the country.
It is the headwater area of several Bolivian rivers with a climate that varies between the cold of the Andean mountains, the temperate of the middle lands and the warm of the northern Amazonian plains.
Due to its variation in altitude from 200 to 6000 meters above sea level, extension and number of ecosystems, it is the park with the greatest biodiversity of flora and fauna in the world with moors, dry, cloudy, humid, very humid, pluvial forests, swampy palm groves and flood savannahs. .
Its fauna is spectacular. Simply the largest planetary reserve of freshwater fish (491), amphibians (213) and reptiles (204) in number of species. It is home to 120,000 species of insects, more than 1,250 species of birds and 270 mammals, also ranking first in the world in these categories.
In the Madidi National Park, responsible tourism is practiced with lodges built with materials from the environment and with the participation of indigenous communities in its administration.
Observe this fantastic park from above:
12. Potosi
Cerro Rico, the legendary mountain at the foot of which is the Bolivian city of Potosí, housed the richest silver mines in the history of mankind, providing during its colonial period of splendor, between the 16th and 17th centuries, about 80% of the world production of this metal.
Cerro Rico was at the time the main source of financing for the Spanish Empire that won and lost wars, built cities and amassed huge fortunes. Now it is the geographical icon of the city of Potosí.
It became known as the “Mountain that Eats Men” because of the harsh working conditions in the mines. The Pailaviri mine is open to the public for tours.
Potosí was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987 for its history and architectural attractions, becoming the first town in the country to receive this recognition.
Its architectural heritage is headed by the Gothic-style Cathedral, the Casa de la Moneda, the Tomás Frías Autonomous University and the Torre de la Compañía, an 18th-century convent built like a Triumphal Arch with 5 openings and 3 domes, reflecting the splendor of the city in its time of wealth.
Potosí is called the “City of Museums” with at least 9 important museum institutions.
Take a look at a flyover of this attractive city below:
13. Oruro
Oruro comes from the Urus, a pre-Inca people. It is the capital of the Bolivian department of the same name at 3735 meters above sea level, being one of the highest cities in the world.
Oruro is famous for its Carnival declared in 2001 a Masterpiece of the Cultural Heritage of Humanity, parties that stand out for their dances and folkloric manifestations such as the Diablada, the Morenada, the Diablitos and the Caporales.
A rich facet of Oruro is its cuisine, which is based mainly on sheep, especially lamb.
Rostro Rostro is a baked sheep’s head that is eaten with bread and llajua, a spicy sauce of Quechua origin.
The Charquekan is an ancient dish from the Uru civilization based on dehydrated llama meat fried in plenty of hot oil, so that it has a crispy texture.
The city is the cradle of Orureña Pizza, popular throughout the country. It is stuffed with charque (salted and dried meat) and rocoto, the typical hot pepper of the region.
Another nice and mysterious face of Oruro are its legends, the most popular: The Ants, The Viper, The Toad, The Condor and the Legend of the Plagues.
Watch this video that documents the surroundings of this lively city:
14. Tarija
If you want to enjoy good Bolivian wines and one of the main national drinks, the singani, you must go to Tarija, capital of the department of Tarija in southern Bolivia on the border with Argentina.
The city is at 1,957 meters above sea level with an average temperature of 18 °C, frost-free winters and 28 °C summers, a climate that favors the cultivation of noble grapes.
Tarija is one of the main centers of production of singani, a distillate of wine from the Muscat of Alexandria grape similar to brandy.
Two popular Bolivian cocktails are based on the singani; the singani chuflay with ginger ale and ice plus a slice of lemon and the yungueñito that has singani, syrup, orange juice and ice.
Taste Tarijeño wines and these cocktails in the midst of a pleasant Mediterranean climate on a tour of the vineyards.
In Tarijeña architecture, places such as the Main Square, the Sucre Square, the Moisés Navajas Blue Castle and the Golden House stand out, the latter a national monument where the city’s House of Culture operates.
The Blue Castle, a building built in the first decade of the 20th century by Moisés Navajas, is a beautiful building surrounded by mysteries.
Take a look at this bright and lively city below:
15. Samaipata
Cozy town in the department of Santa Cruz with more than 25 foreign nationalities, in the first foothills of the Bolivian Andes at 1,670 meters above sea level. Its spring-like climate prevails almost all year round with scarce 565 mm/m 2 of rain.
Samaipata is a picturesque rural town 123 km southwest of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, with attractions such as the fort, whose origin is a mystery, and the Amboró National Park.
The Samaipata Fortress is an archaeological site 9 km from the town and a World Heritage Site believed to have been built by the Guarani culture as a ceremonial center.
The Amboró National Park in the so-called “Elbow of the Andes” is one of the most beautiful in Bolivia with a wealth of fern forests, waterfalls, birds, frogs and butterflies.
In the Central Plaza of Samaipata there is a sundial that marks the passage of time and in the Archaeological Museum you can see interesting pieces that include pre-Inca and Inca elongated skulls, which ancient Peruvian cultures believed were deformations produced by demigods that were connected with the god Sun.
Observe in the following video how monumental each corner of this town is:
16. Torotoro National Park
Protected area of 16,570 hectares in the north of the department of Potosí in the province of Charcas, which is distinguished by its paleontological wealth with a reserve of fossils and dinosaur footprints, archaeological and geological.
The park is home to the deep cave of karstic origin, Umajalanta, which when explored reveals cave paintings, stalactites, stalagmites and dinosaur footprints. In the underground waters of the cavernous depths live blind fish.
Discovered in 1968, it is the longest and deepest cave in Bolivia with a journey of between 2 and 4 hours, in which it is necessary to crawl to cross narrow areas and make demanding climbs.
The ancient dripping of water with minerals in suspension has produced curious calcareous structures, with names such as the Weeping Willow, the Virgin Mary and the Concert Hall.
Dinosaur tracks are visible with amazing sharpness. It is believed that this was a swampy area that tyrannosaurs, brontosaurs, and other large reptiles used to drink water during the Mesozoic.
At the site of Llama Chaqui there are Inca ruins.
See below this majestic park in Bolivia:
17. Tupiza
City in the south of Bolivia characterized by its arid landscape in which the Puerta del Diablo, the Valle de los Machos and the Ica Canyon stand out, desert landscapes with gorges, petroglyphs and curious rock structures.
Near Tupiza there is an area of geysers at more than 5000 meters above sea level in the middle of a lunar landscape, where you can see bubbling emanations while it snows.
Among its architectural attractions are the Old House of Aramayo, the Main Church of Tupiza in front of Plaza Independencia and the Mirador Corazón de Jesús.
Hostal Butch Cassidy de Tapiza has a shared kitchen, free Wi-Fi and a terrace. Its rooms have a flat screen TV with cable channels and some have a private bathroom, while for others the service is shared.
Enjoy in the following video a brief walk through this beautiful city:
18. Santa Cruz de la Sierra
A metropolitan area with more than 2 million inhabitants makes Santa Cruz de la Sierra the largest urban conglomerate in Bolivia. It is the capital of the department of Santa Cruz, the main economic engine of the country, limited in more than half of its perimeter by Brazil and Paraguay.
The city was first founded in 1561 by the Spanish conquistador, Ñuflo de Chaves, who named it after his hometown in Extremadura. It was later relocated several times.
Among the tourist places in Bolivia, Santa Cruz stands out for its museums. There are at least 10 with different themes, such as the Cathedral Museum of Sacred Art, with a valuable collection of silver objects made during the 17th and 18th centuries; the Museum of Art and Archeology and the Guarani Museum.
Santa Cruz de la Sierra is the Bolivian city with the most modern shopping centers, 4 of them are Ventura Mall, Las Brisas, Beauty Plaza and Patio Design Center.
The main architectural gem of Santa Cruz is the Basilica Cathedral of San Lorenzo, built in an eclectic style in 1838. It stands out for its imposing wooden vaults.
Appreciate this flight over this beautiful metropolitan area:
19. Lomas de Arena Regional Park
Protected area of 14,076 hectares with forests, savannahs, dunes, lagoons and one of the most visited tourist places in Santa Cruz. It is 12 km from the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra and was decreed in 1991 at the initiative of conservation organizations.
The park has a 5 km ecological trail where you can take horseback rides and carriage rides.
Ceramic remains were found at the Los Chivatos archaeological site in an ancient Chané cemetery, this being the only archaeological site of the ancient Chanés, a fraction of the Ava Guarani people found in Bolivia.
The Lomas de Arena Regional Park houses representative samples of the humid forests of the Chaco, a region shared by Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina, which in 1932-1935 confronted Bolivians and Paraguayans in the Chaco War, the most important in South America during the 20th century. .
The main animal species present in the park are opossum, anteaters, sloths, foxes, badgers, urines (horzuelo), jochis (lapa) and 12 varieties of bats.
The park is also a rich avian reserve with 286 species that represent 21% of the national bird registry, such as red macaws, bell-bellied guans, and the bato, the largest waterfowl in South America.
Enjoy these views from above through this fabulous park:
20. Santa Cruz la Vieja National Historical Park
Historical park where Ñuflo de Chaves founded the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra for the first time in 1561. It is 3 km from San José de Chiquitos, capital of the province of Chiquitos (department of Santa Cruz) and 265 km from present-day Santa Sierra Cross.
It is one of the most historically and archaeologically important tourist places in Bolivia, among other things, because it conserves vestiges of the perimeter and defense walls built by the Spanish founders, against the attacks of the Chiriguano people.
Utensils from the conquerors and indigenous objects such as pottery pieces, necklaces and weaving tools were also found.
The city of San José de Chiquitos was founded in 1697, 136 years after its archaeological neighbor. It has a splendid colonial temple built by Jesuit missionaries with stone and lime, declared a National Monument and Cultural Heritage of Humanity by Bolivia and UNESCO, respectively.
The patron saint festivities of San José are a religious and cultural manifestation expressed through Christian rites and ceremonies of the Llanos de Chiquitos culture, which include dances, processions and Chiquitano baroque music.
21. Cochabamba
City in the fertile Valley of Cochabamba, in central Bolivia, with the highest Human Development Index in the country, according to UN statistics.
It is the capital of the department of Cochabamba and is at 2,558 meters above sea level with colonial and modern monuments, surrounded by pre-Inca and Inca testimonies.
Of the tourist places in Bolivia, Cochabamba stands out for the contrasts between its colonial and republican architecture and its modern constructions.
The Plaza 14 de Septiembre is the heart of the historic center with gardens and a Romanesque fountain, the scene of the main civic acts of the city.
In front of the square is the Cathedral of San Sebastián, built during the first third of the 18th century in a mestizo baroque style and with a beautiful clock tower.
Other equally important religious buildings are the temple and Convent of San Francisco, the temple of Santo Domingo, the temple of the Society of Jesus and the temple and Convent of Santa Clara.
A modern icon is the Cristo de la Concordia, a 40.4-meter-high statue accessible by cable car, which is among the largest in the world. The Christ has an internal staircase that goes up to the arms where there are panoramic windows.
See below various shots of this lively city:
22. Hot Springs of Polques (Potosí) and Viscachani (La Paz)
The Andean territory of Bolivia has an intense geological and volcanic activity that manifests itself through the emanation of thermal waters and that, due to their temperature and high mineral content, are used to relieve the symptoms of rheumatism, arthritis and to treat conditions. of the skin.
The thermal waters produced by the activity of the Polques volcano are in the mornings at a convenient temperature of 29 ° C, despite being more than 4000 meters above sea level.
The Polques Hot Springs are near the town of Chalviri (Potosí) where the beautiful Salar de Chalviri is also located, in the territory of the Eduardo Abaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve.
Excursions to the reserve depart from La Paz and other Bolivian cities, including the Polques hot springs.
The Viscachani Hot Springs are located 96 km from La Paz and the route is covered by minibuses that depart from the El Alto terminal, in the Bolivian capital, in the direction of Patacamaya. The spa with pools, a pool and cabins, is located on private property.
23. Eduardo Abaroa National Reserve
Reserve of 7145 km 2 in the most southwestern corner of Bolivia, in the Cordillera de los Andes, with snow-capped peaks, active volcanoes, steaming geysers and hot springs. It is the most visited protected area in the country.
Among its main peaks are the Sairecabur (5,981 masl), the Licancabur Volcano (5,916 masl), the Juriques stratovolcano (5,626 masl) and the Poderosa summit (5,614 masl).
It has beautiful bodies of water such as Laguna Verde, Laguna Colorada, Laguna Salada and Laguna Hedionda. The first of these is emerald in color due to its content of magnesium, calcium, lead and arsenic. Laguna Colorada is the habitat of the Andean flamingo.
The Salvador Dalí Desert is a surrealist place, as well as the work of the Spanish painter.
The fauna of the reserve has unique representatives, some at risk of extinction such as 3 species of flamingos (Andean, Chilean and James), the small rhea and the Andean condor.
Its name is a tribute to Eduardo Abaroa Hidalgo, leader of the civil combatants during the War of the Pacific who fell in the Battle of Topáter, where he pronounced the famous phrase: “Do I surrender? Give up your grandmother, damn it!”
Observe in the following video the incredible geysers of this place:
24. Kalasasaya Temple
The Kalasasaya Temple is in the archaeological site of Tiahuanaco, ancient capital of the Tiahuanacota culture in the department of La Paz, 15 km from Lake Titicaca, where the seasonal changes in the southern hemisphere and the solar year of 365 were accurately verified. days.
At the fall and spring equinoxes (March 21 and September 21) the sun rises through the front door and at the winter and summer solstices (June 21 and December 21) it occurs respectively at the northeast and southeast angles, from a wall called chunchukala.
The so-called “Temple of the Standing Stones” has an area of 2 hectares and inside you can see the remains of small rooms. The enclosure has a wall of sandstone ashlars that closes the north, south and east sectors.
In one of the blocks there is a hole that looks like a human hearing device that allows you to hear sounds emitted in remote places, so it follows that the pre-Inca world already applied acoustics.
There are 3 notable sculptures: Puerta del Sol, El Fraile monolith and Stela 8.
See below in more detail this majestic temple:
25. Inca Trail
The Inca Trail was a long pre-Hispanic route built by the Incas in the current territories of Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina, Chile and Bolivia.
Although most of this monumental route was associated with Peru, in Bolivia there are still sectors that you can still travel.
There are two main options. The first is the road between Yanacachi, on the outskirts of La Paz, and the town of Palca (Pedro Domingo Murillo province of La Paz).
The walk is 40 km and there is no need to pay for the route or for camping. Depending on physical condition and acclimatization, it usually takes between 2 and 3 days.
Another self-guided option of the Inca Trail is located on the outskirts of Tarija, in the territory of the Cordillera de Sama Biological Reserve, a protected area of 108,500 hectares characterized by its steep topography of slopes and plateaus dotted with high Andean lagoons.
The main places of interest in the reserve, apart from the Inca Trail on the 20 km route between Pujzara and Pinos Sud, are Laguna Tajzara, a beautiful bird sanctuary; Laguna Grande, with 4 km 2 of white sand dunes; and the natural spas of San Pedro de Sola.
Take a closer look at this incredible path here:
26. Jesuit Missions of Santa Cruz
The Jesuit order built in the eastern mountains of the Bolivian department of Santa Cruz, a set of splendid missions in indigenous baroque style that form one of the most interesting tourist areas in Bolivia. They are 6 hours by car from Santa Cruz de la Sierra.
The Mission of Concepción was founded in 1708, moved 14 years later to its current location. Concepción is the capital of the province of Ñuflo de Chávez and its imposing religious complex called the “mission jewel” was declared a World Heritage Site.
The San Javier Mission was the first founded in 1691, although the beautiful baroque church was completed in 1752 and restored in the period 1987-1993. It is distinguished by its decorative carvings on columns and other wooden structures. It is also a World Heritage Site.
San Ignacio de Velasco, capital of the province of Velasco, was founded by the Jesuits in 1748. The church, rebuilt between 1998 and 2001 after a long period of neglect, stands out for its impressive wooden columns and an altarpiece made with mica and gold leaf.
Other Jesuit missions in Santa Cruz are San Miguel, San Rafael, Santa Ana de Velasco and San José de Chiquitos.
27. Tunari National Park
It covers 5 provinces of the department of Cochabamba and was decreed in 1962, with an area expanded to 309,000 hectares in 1991. It houses natural spaces between 2,200 meters above sea level and 5,035 meters above sea level at the summit of Cerro Tunari, which is its maximum elevation and the highest peak in the department of Cochabamba.
The park has recreational areas such as a wooded area north of the city of Cochabamba, where there are forests of queñuas, pines, eucalyptus, waterfalls, ecological trails and cabins.
The Cruzan area, 15 km from Cochabamba, has hiking trails and cabins. It is possible to know the indigenous crops made with ancestral methods.
In Liriuni, municipality of Quillacollo, 20 km from Cochabamba, there are thermal spas.
The peasant communities settled in the Tunari National Park are predominantly Quechua and Aymara, who are dedicated to herding sheep and growing potatoes, quinoa, wheat, barley, peas and beans.
The wild flora of the park is varied due to its differences in altitude, with molle, chirimolle, carob, lloke, chacotea, alder, queñua, kewiña, pine and eucalyptus standing out.
The fauna species are headed by endemic birds such as the Cochabamba hummingbird, the black hummingbird with a green back and the Cochabamba monterita, the latter threatened by man.
Take a closer look at this beautiful forest below:
28. Noel Kempff Mercado National Park
National park of 1.52 million hectares to the north of the department of Santa Cruz, which leads the best tourist places in Bolivia to observe and enjoy waterfalls and cascades.
One of the most beautiful waterfalls is the 88 meter high Rainbow waterfall, formed by the Paucerna River on the Caparú plateau.
Another impressive waterfall is the Federico Ahlfeld waterfall, 45 meters high, formed by the same river current, on the same plateau shared by Bolivia and Brazil.
The seasonal waterfall Salvatierra forms during the rainy season, from October to May.
The park has forests of various types, savannahs and wetlands, where a wide variety of species of flora and fauna live.
In the flora, orchids, bromeliads, coves, rings and palm trees stand out, while the fauna is represented by caiman, tortoise, anaconda, rattlesnakes, toucan, paraba, bato, heron, harpy, deer, puma and jaguar.
Noel Kempff Mercado was a Bolivian scientist, professor, beekeeper and conservationist, murdered in 1986 by drug traffickers in the Serranía de Caparuch, in the territory of the Huanchaca National Park, which was renamed after him 2 years after his death.
Appreciate this beautiful national park:
29. Coroico
It is a town and municipality in the department of La Paz, 103 km northeast of the Bolivian capital. It is in the region of Los Yungas and is the capital of the province of Nor Yungas, being also one of the favorite tourist escapes of the people of La Paz.
Coroico has a good hotel endowment that includes 5-star establishments, restaurants and other tourist services. It is surrounded by mountains and beautiful natural spaces that allow you to spend a splendid weekend.
The municipal vegetable symbol is the coca leaf and it is possible to see the plantations and the peasants chewing it, as they have been doing for millennia to combat hunger and fatigue.
The place is at 1740 meters above sea level, so its pleasant climate contrasts with the cold of La Paz in the middle of fertile valleys with plantations of lemons, orange trees, grapefruit, tangerines, coca and coffee, and exuberant vegetation typical of warm climates.
The town is on the Uchumachi hill on a small plateau surrounded by the Coroico, Vagantes and Santa Bárbara rivers, which form beautiful waterfalls.
The area has a beautiful biodiversity of animals such as pigeons, parrots, partridges, monkeys, mountain pigs and deer. From the hill there are spectacular views of the Los Yungas region.
Observe in the following cloudy Coroico video:
30. Witches Market
You will hardly find a more peculiar market than this one on Calle Linares, in the center of La Paz, near the Basilica of San Francisco.
It is a shopping site where some of its vendors are local witches, whom you will identify by their black hat and natural fiber bag, full of talismans, amulets and powders, supposedly to ward off and bring in bad and good luck, respectively. and to achieve beauty and happiness.
In its corridors you will find dried frogs, armadillos for rituals and the famous sullus, stuffed fetuses of animals that are buried in the foundations of houses, to obtain the protection of Pachamama or Mama Pacha, goddess in Inca mythology who represents the Mother Land.
You can also get less “strange” things such as potions, ointments and Kallawaya medicine plants, a pre-Inca ethnic group settled in the municipality of Charazani, department of La Paz.
The Basilica of San Francisco is an Andean baroque temple with a beautiful interior and a neatly decorated façade, facing the Plaza Mayor.
What are the tourist places in Bolivia?
Bolivia has wonderful tourist places such as its salt flats and spectral landscapes, headed by the Salar de Uyuni, the Valley of the Moon and the Salvador Dalí desert; archaeological sites of pre-Inca cultures and the Inca civilization, some in the imposing Lake Titicaca; also of snow-capped mountains, national parks, wildlife reserves of amazing biodiversity and thermal spas.
Its main cities such as La Paz and Santa Cruz de la Sierra have a good network of museums and an active nightlife. All this together with its ancient traditions and exotic gastronomy, which makes Bolivia a wonderful tourist destination.
Historical places of Bolivia
La historia colonial y republicana de Bolivia está marcada por sitios emblemáticos como los centros históricos de La Paz, Sucre, Cochabamba y Potosí.
La mina de Potosí fue el mayor centro de riqueza del imperio español en América y en varios sitios hay testimonios de la Guerra del Pacífico, el doloroso conflicto en el que Bolivia perdió su salida al mar.
Incluso una ciudad boliviana, Tupiza, está relacionada con el “salvaje” oeste por haber sido el lugar de muerte de los pistoleros Butch Cassidy y Sundance Kid.
Lugares turísticos e imágenes de Bolivia
Lugares turísticos de Bolivia por departamento:
Departamento de La Paz: ciudad de La Paz, Lago Titicaca, Parque Nacional Madidi, Templo de Kalasasaya, Montaña Illimani, Coroico, Aguas Termales de Viscachani, Mercado de las Brujas.
Departamento de Santa Cruz: ciudad de Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Parque Nacional Histórico Santa Cruz la Vieja, Misiones Jesuitas de Santa Cruz, Parque Nacional Noel Kempff Mercado, Parque Nacional Amboró, Samaipata, Parque Regional Lomas de Arena.
Departamento de Potosí: ciudad y mina de Potosí, Salar de Uyuni, Parque Nacional Torotoro, Refugio Nacional de Fauna Andina Eduardo Abaroa, Aguas Termales de Polques.
Departamento de Cochabamba: ciudad de Cochabamba, Parque Nacional Tunari, Sitio Arqueológico de Incallajta, Laguna La Angostura, Parque Machía, Laguna Corani, Laguna Alalay.
Departamento de Oruro: ciudad de Oruro, Parque Nacional Sajama, Volcán Tunupa, Volcán Parinacota, Lago Uru Uru, Laguna Alalay, Paso Chungará – Tambo Quemado.
Departamento de Chuquisaca: ciudad de Sucre, Parque Cretácico, Castillo de La Glorieta, Siete Cascadas, Carretera Sucre – Potosí, Maragua, Cerro Mizkha Orkho, Laguna La Laguna.
Departamento del Beni: ciudad de Trinidad, ciudad de Rurrenabaque, Laguna Suárez, Estación Biosférica del Beni, Laguna Guachuna, Lago Yusala, Laguna Mancornadas, Laguna Victoria.
Departamento de Tarija: ciudad de Tarija, Reserva Nacional de Flora y Fauna de Tariquía, Laguna de Tajzara, Chorros de Jurina, Río Guadalquivir, Represa San Jacinto.
Departamento de Pando: ciudad de Cobija, Reserva de Vida Silvestre Manuripi, Chive, Sena Bolívar, Cachuela Esperanza, Puerto Rico, Laguna Murillo, Laguna Mentiroso.
Imágenes de lugares turísticos de Bolivia:
Te invitamos a compartir este artículo con tus amigos en las redes sociales para que también conozcan los 30 mejores lugares turísticos de Bolivia.
Ver también:
- Lee también nuestra guía sobre los 12 lugares turísticos del Perú más visitados por los extranjeros
- Te dejamos nuestra guía con los 30 mejores lugares turísticos de Perú que tienes que conocer alguna vez en la vida
- Estos son los 65 mejores lugares turisticos de Colombia que debes conocer
