Bolivia attractions

Sometimes considered one of the world’s most doable high-altitude summits, Huayna Potosí is easily accessible from La Paz and is popular among climbers and bikers alike. Even beginners can scale the glaciers in the company of expert guides to enjoy views over the city below from the apex of one of the Cordillera Real’s highest peaks.

La Paz Cathedral stands side by side with the Presidential Palace on Plaza Murillo, a historic space that draws everyone from strolling families to political protesters. While it’s less frequented than the nearby Church of San Francisco, the La Paz Cathedral’s lofty ceilings and brilliant stained glass are well worth a detour.

At Bolivia’s National Museum of Archaeology (Museo Nacional de Arqueología), visitors can view artifacts dating back as far as 1500 BC and trace the history of the landlocked country’s indigenous tribes and cultures. Located in central La Paz, the archaeology museum offers an insightful look into the mystifying relics of Bolivia’s past.

Displaying Bolivian art from the colonial era through the present day, the National Museum of Art (Museo Nacional de Arte) is one of the country’s premier art collections. The 18th-century palace where the artwork is housed is just as remarkable, with intricate baroque detailing in the building’s soaring courtyard, alabaster fountain, and galleries.

The privately owned Museum of Musical Instruments (Museo de Instrumentos Musicales) houses the most extensive collection of its kind in Bolivia. You’ll see native Bolivian volcanic rock flutes; thousands of percussion, string, and wind instruments; and much more.

Often simply referred to as the Dinosaur Tracks, Cretaceous Park (Cal Orck’o) boasts quite the distinction when it comes to paleontology—it’s home to the largest collection of dinosaur footprints in the world. Here, you can marvel at the 65 million-year-old tracks of eight different dinosaurs. There’s also a museum that features fossils and life-sized models of the dinosaurs who once inhabited the region.

There are few historic monuments in Bolivia as important as Museo Casa de la Libertad, where Bolivia’s declaration of independence was signed in 1825. The building’s architecture is as impressive as its exhibits; portraits of Simón Bolívar and Antonio José de Sucre are displayed between bronze-studded cedar doors and below an elaborately decorated Mudejar ceiling.

Famous for the immense amounts of silver mined from within it, Cerro Rico is an important mountain on the outskirts of Potosi. This still-active mine has long been a vital resource for the country of Bolivia and even earned its way onto the country’s flag, showing just how important Cerro Rico is as a cultural and historical landmark.

Low-lying scrub and livestock cover most of the hillside of Isla de la Luna, a small island on the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca. Two small settlements and the remains of an Incan site are all that break up the island’s sparse Andean landscape, but they’re enough to lure some visitors from nearby Copacabana and Isla del Sol.

Hailed as one of South America’s best museums, the National Mint of Bolivia (Casa Nacional de la Moneda) should be at the top of your Potosi sightseeing itinerary. Only accessible on a guided tour, the 18th-century museum traces the history of Spanish silver, the world’s first global currency.

The richly decorated altar of the Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana is a suitable home for the image of the Virgen de Copacabana, the town’s patron saint believed to be responsible for several local miracles. The outside of this 17th-century colonial isn’t quite as extravagant, but its tile patterns and large courtyard make a statement.

Located in the Amazon basin along the banks of the Yolosa River, La Senda Verde Wildlife Sanctuary is a privately run organization that has offered refuge to over 350 animals rescued from illegal trafficking and abuse. These monkeys, bears, ocelots, tortoises, and birds roam the 30-acre (12-hectare) nature reserve freely, and are cared for by a team of volunteers.

The opulent, European-style architecture of Palacio Portales pays testament to Bolivia’s mineral boom. The brainchild of tin baron Simón Patiño, this early 20th-century mansion is home to a sumptuous selection of imported treasures such as Italian tapestries, chandeliers, luxurious silks, rock crystal lamps, and marble from Tuscany. Plus, the gardens were inspired by the Palace of Versailles and designed by Japanese horticulturalists.

Argentine revolutionary Che Guevara is as much an icon of Latin American history as he is a contentious figure of guerrilla warfare, and the historical Route of Che (Ruta del Che) follows his final days in Bolivia through to his capture and execution. Follow in the footsteps of Guevara along the roughly 500-mile (800-kilometer) course that links sites of interest in southeast Bolivia.

Overlooking Copacabana from the south, Horca del Inca is a hilltop archeological ruin from an astronomical observatory that predates Incan settlement in the area (despite its name, which translates as “Gallows of the Inca”). Only a few stone pillars remain among the ruins on the rocky hillside, once used to chart the winter solstice, but the views of the town from the site provide another reason to climb up.