Tourism in Potosi city, Bolivia
Visit Potosi, the mineral capital of Bolivia. And enjoy the hotels and lodgings
service, besides the varied gastronomy of the place.
The department of Potosí has 16 provinces and 301 cantons.
Under a blue sky, pure air and a height of 4.070 a.s.l. Potosí is a colonial
city that in 1650, it was the most populated city all over the world with 160,000
inhabitants, more than London, Paris and Madrid and compared with them for their
importance as urban centers.
At the discovery of the greatest silver resources in that epoch, it became the
main provider of silver in the pre-industrial European world and it became the
center of an ostentatious, cult and economically flourishing society.
Tourist attractiveness
We invite you to come to Potosí and walk through to the city is the first thing that
one must do,to know their history, their people and streets and after stay longer
in the following tourist spots:
. The important and generous Cerro Rico de Potosi (The Magnifent Mountain)
or Sumaj Orcko, located at 4.100 a.s.l, the vital core of the existence of
Potosi, rich spot that in its most longed for silver veins in the world, with its
output, it would have been possible to build a bridge connecting Potosi and Madrid.
· In the Sumaj Orcko, one can visit in it the biggest mine in its interior, the
Pailaviri mine, besides the secular wealth in the deposits of minerals of great
value in all epochs of history, whose veins impress for their greatness and natural
beauty of its gorges and caves.
. Casa de la Moneda, built in 1753. Its construction lasted 20 years. It
is at present one of the most important repositories of history of the colonial
mining extractions.
In the Casa de la Moneda, have been opened halls with reconstructed sceneries of
the typical environment of that epoch. Other halls have colonial and republican paint
exhibits, indigenous textiles, typical costumes of the communities and testimonies
of Guerra del Chaco (Chaco war) against Paraguay. But the main thing in this
museum is to see intact what was its own past as the center of the Empire mint
of coins, besides a mumismatic exhibit of the colony.
Churches and convents
In Potosí, in fact we can find them everywhere. All of them contain a great
colonial architectural value and they have recently been restored. Among the
Churches and Convents we can mention:
· La Torre de la Compañía, this Convent is, together with the Cerro Rico and the
Casa de la Moneda, a symbol of the most splendorous of Potosi. It constitutes the
main religious monument of the XVIII century in Bolivia. Its construction was figured
out as an arch of triumph with 5 openings, 32 columns and 3 domes of half an orange.
It is an ostensible expression of the epoch as to catholic religion refers.
· Santa Teresa Museum, built in 1.761. It keeps a beautiful collection of pictures
and religious objects. Its women dwellers know how to make delicious marzipan sweets.
· San Francisco Church, it was the first church that was built in Potosi. In its
interior one can find an exhibit of pictures of the colony.
· San Benito Church, it is a beautiful expression of the morisc art covered with
nine stones domes.
· San Lorenzo Church, This church presents a sculpted gate with the most representative
images of the half-caste art and it is the most significant example of the
American Architecture.
Other churches like: The Cathedral, San Augustin, Santa Barbara, Santo Domingo,
they are open to the public.
Ecotourist attractiveness.-
One of the main natural attractiveness in Potosí, is the Salar de Uyuni (Salt
deposits of Uyuni). This sea of salt, the largest all over the world, a spot
of immemorial epochs in which the sea would cover the land over, it presents an
unequalled natural attraction for its beauty and geological wealth with manifestations
such us the hot water springs, geysers and volcanic fumaroles.
We can also find the spectacular region of Southern Lípez in Potosi, with salts pits,
geysers, volcanic fumaroles at ground level, thermal baths, active volcanoes, deserts,
mountains of varied ocher shades.
In this region, declared a National Park, we find the Colorada Lagoon, a
dwelling spot of thousands of pink flamingoes and the Verde Lagoon of an
emerald green near the Licancabur Volcano.
In the surroundings of Potosi, we can visit the artificial lagoons made built by the
Viceroy of Toledo in approximately 1575. It ponders a great technical interest for
its epoch, representing excellent works of hydraulic engineering.
Another natural attractions are the thermal sources of Tarapaya, Miraflores, Don
Diego and Chaqui.
Ethnics groups
The department of Potosí in their origins it was populated for Charcas, Chullpas,
quechuas and aymaras.
Handicraft
The handicraft, the knitting and the exceptional textile richness with a variety
of designs, colors, shades and combinations that distinguish the Potosin-Knittings,
where ponchos, llijllas, chuspas, chumpis, nukkañas shows its colorings knitting
of high quality.
They offer the best examples in the Yura, Urmiri, Potolo, Caisa, Colcha'ka,
Pocoata and Chayanta zones.
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