Tourism in the City of Potosí, Bolivia

Potosí is, by excellence, the mineral capital of Bolivia. Here, you will enjoy good hotel and lodging services and, also, you will taste the gastronomy of the place.

The department of Potosí has 16 provinces and 301 cantons.

Below a blue sky, Potosí is situated 4.070 meters above the sea level. This is a precious and legendary colonial city that, in 1650, was the most populated city in the world; it had 160,000 inhabitants, in fact, more residents than London, Paris, Madrid and other important European cities in that time.

Due to the discovery of the greatest silver deposits of the planet (in that time), Potosí became the main silver provider of the pre-industrial European world and, in consequence, it became the center of an ostentatious, cult and diverse flourishing society.

Tourist Attractions

Potosí, its people, streets and constructions keep the history and brilliant past of the city. Potosí presents different, interesting and marvelous tourist spots: The historical and generous Cerro Rico de Potosí (a magnificent silver deposit mountain), or Sumaj Orqo in Quechua (Great Mountain), is situated 4.100 meters above the sea level. This legendary mountain was the vital nucleus of Potosí; this mountain possessed the richest silver veins in the world. During the Spanish conquest, the quantity of exploited silver was tremendous and practically countless; it is said that such silver would have constructed an entire bridge that would connect Potosí and Madrid (where the Potosí silver arrived).
· Inside the Sumaj Orqo, it is possible to visit a big mine, the Pailaviri, where you can appreciate different mineral deposits of great value. The impressive veins are an astonished view because of its greatness and natural beauty.
. Casa de la Moneda. This famous building was built in 1753. Its construction took 20 years. It is a fantastic museum that keeps one of the most important repositories of the colonial mining extractions.

In the Casa de la Moneda (The Currency House), you will find rebuilt sceneries that show typical colonial environments. Other halls present valuable colonial and republican paintings. There are also indigenous textiles, typical costumes exhibitions, and impressive testimonies from La Guerra del Chaco (The Chaco War 1932 - 1935) against the Republic of Paraguay. One of the principal exhibitions consists in the Center of the Empire mint of coins whose structure remains practically intact; there, you will be able to observe an incredible collection of coins from different times.

Churches and Convents

In Potosí, the churches and convents preserve a great colonial architecture and most of them have been recently restored. Among the principal Churches and Convents, it is possible to mention:
· La Torre de la Compañía. This Convent is located next to the Cerro Rico and Casa de la Moneda. It is a symbol of the brilliance of Potosi. It is the main religious monument from the XVIII century in Bolivia. Its construction was figured out as an Arch of Triumph composed by 5 openings, 32 columns and 3 domes. It is an ostensible religious structure.
· Santa Teresa Museum was built in 1761. It keeps a beautiful collection of pictures and religious objects. Its women owners make delicious marzipan sweets which are very popular among visitors.
· San Francisco Church was the first church to be built in Potosí. In its internal part, you can find an excellent exhibition of colonial paintings.
· San Benito Church is a beautiful expression of the Moor art. The structure is covered by nine big stones that form nice domes.
· San Lorenzo Church. This church presents a sculpted gate that preserves the most representative images and forms of the American Architecture.

Other important churches are: The Cathedral, San Augustín, Santa Bárbara and Santo Domingo.

Ecotourism

One of the main natural attractions of Potosí is the natural wonder El Salar de Uyuni (the salt deposit of Uyuni). This amazing sea of salt, the largest of the world, is a truly ancient spot. This natural attraction has no comparison in the planet thanks to its landscapes, geological formations, hot water springs, geysers and volcanic fumaroles.

The spectacular region of Southern Lípez possesses salt pits, geysers, volcanic fumaroles, thermal baths, active volcanoes, deserts and mountains.

This region was declared a National Park. Here, it is possible to admire the Colorada Lagoon, a dwelling spot of thousands of pink flamingoes, and the Verde Lagoon, with incredible emerald green waters, placed near the Licancabur Volcano.

In the surroundings of Potosí, you can visit the beautiful artificial lagoons built by the Viceroy of Toledo in 1575. They represented a great technical work in that time in terms of hydraulic engineering.

Other nice natural attractions are the thermal sources of Tarapaya, Miraflores, Don Diego and Chaqui.

Ethnic Groups

The department of Potosí was populated by the Charcas, Chullpas, Quechuas and Aymaras communities.

Handicraft
In Potosí, you will find special handicraft, knitting and exceptional textile richness with a variety of designs, colors, shades and combinations; the most popular products are ponchos, llijllas, chuspas, chumpis, and nukkañas of recognized high quality.
The zones of Yura, Urmiri, Potolo, Caisa, Colchak'a, Pocoata and Chayanta are the principal handicraft producers.

Hotels in the city of Potosí