Summary
Bolivia is in many ways South America’s sleeping giant, lacking the kudos of Chile or Peru. However, those who make the effort to travel to this high-altitude region are rarely disappointed. Chief among Bolivia’s attractions is the Uyuni Salt Flats, whose otherworldly landscapes provide a vital habitat for flamingos in their thousands. Elsewhere, the island communities of Lake Titicaca offer up cultural insight into indigenous ways which largely (and rarely for the continent) survived colonisation by Spain. The capital, La Paz, is similarly rich in culture, while Sucre has a UNESCO-enshrined city centre which Bolivians across the country will insist you must visit.
Explore Bolivia
Bolivia
Description
Opting for a guided tour to Bolivia is less about seeing grand monuments, although there are plenty in La Paz and Sucre, and more about delving into the heart and soul of the culture of the nation. No single Bolivian destination highlights this fact better than Lake Titicaca.
Although its startlingly blue waters are a magnet for amateur and professional photographers alike, the lake is also a powerhouse of traditional regional culture. As the highest navigable lake in the world, Titicaca is the only outlet for the activities of the Bolivian Navy. It is also held sacred by the Aymara and Quechua peoples, who live and work on the islands of the lake and often travel between them on unique reed boats.
Sun Island (Isla del Sol) is one of the largest. Regularly-departing modern boats connect it with the lake’s shoreline at Copacabana. To travel there is to reach a land dominated by fishing, farming, and nearly 200 ruins. Dating to the period of the Incas, these ruins include the Chinkana, or labyrinth, while offerings made and cast into the surrounding waters can now be explored in the museum at Challapampa.
Just a short distance east lies La Paz, which has the distinction of being the world’s highest capital. Records aside, La Paz is the crucible of Bolivian culture, and taking to the streets will soon have visitors enveloped in welcoming crowds unselfconsciously wearing traditional dress such as the bulbous skirts and bowler hats of its women. Its market stalls are a delight of handicrafts, but also unknown concoctions should you step into the Witches Market.
Rivalling La Paz for the position of Bolivia’s first city is Sucre. Here visitors will find one of the most well-preserved Spanish colonial and independence city centres anywhere in Latin America, resulting in its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991. The largely whitewashed Spanish-era centre is easy to fall in love with thanks to structures including the Church of San Francisco and Gran Marisal Theatre. Those of a crafty bent will also want to explore the exhibits of the city’s Ethnographic Textile Museum.
For landscapes, no guided tour to Bolivia is complete without a trip to Uyuni Salt Flats, spanning almost 7,000 square miles. It may appear barren, but the landscapes are simply magical, and at certain times of year provide the opportunity to witness the mating of thousands of flamingos.
There’s no better way to discover Bolivia than on a two-centre trip combining it with Peru. Join our Wonders of Peru and Bolivia tour and you too will be singing the praises of South America’s sleeping giant.
