Museo Arqueología y Antropológico de los Andes Meridionales

Uyuni

　　A small museum featuring mummies, long skulls, fossils, ceramics and textiles. There are Spanish descriptions of the practices of cranial deformation. At research time the museum was closed for renovations. ...

Museo Ferrocarril

Uyuni

　　Serious trainspotters might want to take a look inside this huge hangar of a museum, which houses several salt-crusted train engines and carriages. It's not possible to board the trains and there is little signage, making the exhibits rather dull. ...

Cementerio de Trenes

Uyuni

　　The only real attraction in Uyuni, Cementerio de Trenes is a rusty collection of historic steam locomotives and rail cars dating back to the 19th century, when there was a rail-car factory here. Today they sit decaying in the yards about 3km southwest of the modern-day station along Av Ferroviaria....

La Capilla de Nuestra Señora de Jerusalén

Potosí

　　This church is a little-known Potosí gem. Originally built as a humble chapel in honor of the Virgen de Candelaria, it was rebuilt more lavishly in the 18th century. There's a fine gilt baroque retablo (portable box with depictions of religious and historical events) – the Virgin has pride of...

Iglesia y Museo de San Lorenzo de Carangas

Potosí

　　The ornate mestizo baroque portal of this church, probably one of the most photographed in Bolivia, is an explicit expression of the mezcla (mixture) between Aymará and Spanish Catholic beliefs. Check out the bas-reliefs of a guitar-playing indigenous mermaid and a sword-carrying Archangel San Miguel. It was carved in stone...

Museo y Convento de San Francisco

Potosí

　　This convent, founded in 1547 by Fray Gaspar de Valverde, is the oldest monastery in Bolivia. Owing to its inadequate size, it was demolished in 1707 and reconstructed over the following 19 years. The museum has a fine collection of religious art, including paintings from the Potosí school, such as...

Tarapaya

Potosí

　　Belief in the curative powers of Tarapaya (3600m), the most frequently visited hot-springs area around Potosí (21km northwest of the city), dates back to Inca times. It even served as the holiday destination for Inca Huayna Capac, who would come all the way from Cuzco (now in Peru) to bathe....

Lagunas de Kari Kari

Potosí

　　The Lagunas de Kari Kari are artificial lakes (ranging from an elevation of 4500m to 5025m) constructed in the late 16th and early 17th centuries by 20,000 indigenous slaves to provide water for Potosí and for hydropower to run the city’s 82 ingenios (smelters). Of the 32 original lakes only...

Museo y Convento de Santa Teresa

Potosí

　　The fascinating Santa Teresa Convent was founded in 1685 and is still home to a small community of Carmelite nuns who have restored the sizable building and converted part of it into a museum. The excellent guided tour (1¾ hours; in Spanish and English) explains how girls from wealthy families...

Museo de Arte Sagrado

Santa Cruz

　　Inside the cathedral, the Museum of Sacred Art displays a collection of religious icons, vestments and medallions. Most interesting are the gold and silver relics and wood carvings from the Jesuit Guarayos missions. Look out for what's billed as one of the world's smallest books, a thumbnail-sized volume containing the...

Museo de Historia Regional

Santa Cruz

　　In the former home of the Gutiérrez Jiménez family, completed in 1920, this museum has four rooms with displays covering regional history. The first is dedicated to former president and cruceño Gabriel René Moreno, and there are further rooms containing displays on pre-Columbian history in Chiquitano, the Jesuit missions and...

Casa Melchor Pinto

Santa Cruz

　　This cultural center is in the impeccably restored family home of Dr Melchor Pinto Parada, a wealthy and influential cruceño who died in 1982. There are several gallery spaces hosting temporary exhibitions, regular concerts and events as well as activities such as tango classes. Call in to see what's happening...

Zoológico Municipal Fauna Sudamericana

Santa Cruz

　　Santa Cruz zoo has a collection of native birds, mammals and reptiles kept in pleasingly humane conditions, although the llamas are a bit overdressed for the climate. Keep your eyes open for free-ranging sloths and squirrel monkeys in the trees. It's popular with local families and there can be long...

Lomas de Arena

Santa Cruz

　　This protected area, 12km south of Santa Cruz, is a strange and striking sandy desert that seems out of place in Santa Cruz's humid environs. It's a good spot for bird-watching and you may also see sloths. The best way to visit the dunes is on a half-day trip with...

Bell Tower

Santa Cruz

　　There are good city views of Santa Cruz from the bell tower of the Basilica Menor de San Lorenzo. ...

Jardín Botánico

Santa Cruz

　　Santa Cruz's lush botanical gardens, 12km east of the city center, make for a tranquil escape from the urban scene. Covering more than 200 hectares, the gardens feature woodland trails, a lake, a cactarium (cactus garden) and plenty of exotic plants. Climb the wooden viewing platform for vistas across the...

Huayna Potosí Refugio

Tarija

　　Run by a La Paz tour company, this is a comfortable, heated spot and a fine place to acclimatize – there’s pretty walking to be done in the area, and plenty of advice and good cheer on hand. Must reserve ahead. ...

Basílica Menor de San Lorenzo

Tarija

　　Although the original cathedral on Plaza 24 de Septiembre was founded in 1605, the present structure dates from 1845 and wasn’t consecrated until 1915. Inside, the decorative woodwork on the ceiling and silver plating around the altar are worth a look. There are good views of the city from the...

Isla Incahuasi

Tarija

　　One of the highlights of a Salar de Uyuni tour is a hike around the spectacular Isla Incahuasi, otherwise known as Inkawasi. It's located in the heart of the salar, 80km west of Colchani. This hilly outpost is covered in Trichocereus cactus and surrounded by a flat white sea of...

Copacabana Beach

Tarija

　　While Bolivia’s only public beach can’t hold a candle to its better-known counterpart in Rio de Janeiro, on weekends the festive atmosphere is a magnet for families. You can play foosball against the local talent and rent all manner of watercraft, from paddleboat swans and canoes to small sailboats. Also...

La Catedral

Tarija

　　Construction of La Catedral was initiated in 1564 and finally completed around 1600. The original building lasted until the early 19th century, when it mostly collapsed. Most of what is now visible is the neoclassical construction, and the building’s elegant lines represent one of Bolivia’s best exemplars of that style....

Jesuit Mission Church

Tarija

　　The church of San Miguel's spiral pillars, carved wooden altar with a flying San Miguel, extravagant golden pulpit, religious artwork, toy-like bell tower and elaborately painted facade are simply superb. Although not designed by Martin Schmidt, the church does reflect his influence and is often considered the most beautiful of...

Caverna de Umajalanta

Tarija

　　The Río Umajalanta, which disappears beneath a layer of limestone approximately 22m thick, has formed the impressive Umajalanta Cavern, of which 4.5km of passages have been explored. Inside are some spectacular stalagmite and stalactite formations and waterfalls, as well as a resident population of vampire bats that have produced an...

Ciudad de Itas

Tarija

　　Though the weirdly shaped set of caverns, once the refuge of isolated communities, are striking, they aren't the main reason to make the 21km, often white-knuckle drive here from Torotoro. It's the breathtaking views you should come for, which, at 3770m, provide an expansive perspective on the unique geology of...

Madidi Jungle

Tarija

　　The newest community project in Madidi and the only one created and sustained 100% by the indigenous people of the park. All-inclusive trips include bird-watching, night hikes, boat excursions, piranha fishing, handicraft workshops, river tubing and more within the 210,000-hectare stretch of land belonging to the San José de Uchupiamonas....

Cholitas Wrestling

Tarija

　　Some view these wrestling matches between indigenous women (derogatively called cholitas) as empowering. Others find it belittling. You can be the judge. The staged bouts take place in El Alto on Thursday and Sunday afternoons. You can go on your own, but for ease of mind, many choose to get...

Mercado 16 de Julio

Tarija

　　For an excellent market experience don’t miss the massive Mercado 16 de Julio, which stretches for many blocks along the main thoroughfare and across Plaza 16 de Julio. This shopaholic’s paradise has absolutely everything, from food and electronics, to vehicles and animals, all at reasonable prices. 　　You’ll have to fight...

Gustu

Tarija

　　Credited with sparking La Paz' culinary renaissance, and launched by the Danish culinary entrepreneur Claus Meyer (of Noma fame), this groundbreaking restaurant works to both rescue and showcase underutilized Bolivian ingredients. It's located in a gorgeous building rich with Andean textiles, and offers everything from Andean grains to caiman from...

Hb Bronze Coffeebar

Tarija

　　Sleek, earthy and architecturally inspiring – coffee shops don't get much cooler than Hb Bronze! This sorely needed addition to the Casco Viejo neighborhood offers the strongest brews in the city, and it doubles as a bar by night with 100% Bolivian cocktails, beers and wines. The food (including bountiful...

Duda Bar

Tarija

　　There's a cool vibe to this colorful bar occupying the 1st floor of an elegant old building in the city center. Under plaster arches and between pillars you'll find retro furniture, badminton rackets and the odd garden gnome. Come for cocktails or beers. ...

Chalalán Ecolodge

Tarija

　　This is Bolivia’s oldest and most successful community-based ecotourism project. Chalalán provides the opportunity to amble through relatively untouched rainforest and appreciate the diversity of the native wildlife. The lodge’s simple and elegant huts surround the idyllic oxbow lake, Laguna Chalalán. There is a booking office in Rurrenabaque and also...

Cañon de Torotoro & El Vergel

Tarija

　　Three kilometers from Torotoro, the ground drops away into an immense and spectacularly beautiful canyon, more than 250m deep. From the mirador (lookout) at the top you can gaze along it, watching vultures wheeling. From here, following the diminishing canyon to the left, you come to a flight of 800...

Jesuit Mission Church

Tarija

　　The restored interior of this 1747 mission is particularly beautiful, and the original paintings and woodwork remain intact. The pulpit is covered with a layer of lustrous mica, the ceiling is made of reeds and the spiral pillars were carved from cuchi (ironwood) logs. If you find the church locked,...

El Cabildo

Tarija

　　City Hall is housed in an elaborately designed colonial-era building with an ornately carved portal occupying the western side of Plaza 10 de Noviembre. ...

Popular Cocina Boliviana

Tarija

　　The concept of waiting in line for a restaurant doesn't exist in La Paz, but that's exactly what you'll need to do to get into Popular. Seasonal three-course menus put a gourmet spin on the city's humble lunch spots. Ingredients come fresh from the market, and the plates are true...

Iglesia de Santa Ana

Tarija

　　Santa Ana church, with its wooden altar and reed roof, is more rustic than others on the mission circuit and recalls the first churches constructed by the Jesuit missionaries upon their arrival. The interior contains exquisite religious carvings and paintings. Of particular interest is the church organ, which dates from...

Catedral de Concepción

Tarija

　　Built in 1709, the elaborately restored cathedral on the east of the plaza has an overhanging roof supported by 121 huge tree-trunk columns and a similar bell tower. It is decorated with golden baroque designs depicting flowers, angels and the Holy Virgin. Outside mass times, access to the church is...

La Boheme

Tarija

　　This bumping little bar on the south corner of the plaza has a wide selection of intoxicating cocktails and, if you get the munchies, a chalkboard snack menu of burgers and sandwiches (B$22 to B$28). With 15 different beers to try on the starry roof terrace you have good reason...

Cañón del Duende

Tarija

　　This canyon, located 9km outside Tupiza, can be reached from the town on a great half-day hike through towering red rock formations of the nearby Quebrada de Santa Elena; ask any of the tour agencies in Tupiza for a map and directions. ...

Gruta de San Pedro

Tarija

　　A popular excursion, San Pedro Cave, known in the Aymará language as Chussek Uta (House of Owls), is approximately 500m deep, with an enclosed lagoon that can be crossed in pedal boats (B$5 per person, and recommended). Guides with the necessary lamps will help you find your way around. PCMB,...

Quebrada Palmira

Tarija

　　Cañon del Inca, 8km west of Tupiza, makes a great destination for a half-day hike via Quebrada Palmira, a normally dry wash flanked by tall and precarious fin formations. The route leads past the Puerta del Diablo rock formation, 5km outside Tupiza. The right fork of the wash is rather...

Las Olas

Tarija

　　To say too much about this place is to spoil the surprise, so here's a taste: quirky, creative, stylish, ecofriendly, million-dollar vistas. Plus there are kitchens, private terraces with hammocks and a solar-powered Jacuzzi. A once-in-a-lifetime experience and well worth the splurge. 　　Reserve one or two weeks ahead and get...

Laguna Colorada

Tarija

　　Laguna Colorada is a rusty-burnt-orange-hued lake (4278m) that covers approximately 60 sq km and reaches a depth of just 80cm. The rich red coloration on the lake is derived from algae and plankton that thrive in the mineral-rich water, and the shoreline is fringed with brilliant white deposits of sodium,...

Dinosaur Tracks

Tarija

　　As you might have guessed from the dinosaur figure in the plaza or the dinosaur head sticking out of city hall, Torotoro has become synonymous with paleontology. The village, which sits in a wide section of a 20km-long valley at an elevation of 2600m, is flanked by enormous, inclined mudstone...

Salar de Uyuni

Tarija

　　The world's largest salt flat sits at a lofty 3653m (11,985ft) and blankets an amazing 12,000 sq km (4633 sq miles). It was part of a prehistoric salt lake, Lago Minchín, which once covered most of southwest Bolivia. When it dried up, it left a couple of seasonal puddles and...