Sucre and Potosí

Sucre and Potosí are in the southern Bolivian Andes, about 155 km apart, and together tell the colonial history of the country. Potosí grew from 1545 around Cerro Rico, the silver mountain that financed the Spanish empire for more than two centuries. Sucre, then called La Plata, was the administrative and religious city of the region, where judges, bishops and mine owners lived. Both are UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Sucre is the constitutional capital of Bolivia, seat of the Judiciary, while La Paz is the seat of government. It sits in a valley at about 2,800 meters, with a mild climate, and is called the White City because of the whitewashed facades in the center. At the Casa de la Libertad, next to Plaza 25 de Mayo, the declaration of independence was signed in 1825. The Convento de La Recoleta has a viewpoint over the roofs, and nearby the Parque Cretácico shows thousands of dinosaur footprints on a limestone cliff.

Potosí is at about 4,000 meters, one of the highest cities in the world, with the reddish cone of Cerro Rico always in view. In the 17th century it was among the most populous cities in the world. From that wealth remain the baroque churches, the mansions with wooden balconies and the Casa Nacional de Moneda, where silver was minted during the colonial period and which today is one of the country's largest museums.

Potosí, being higher, requires a calm first day, because many travelers feel the altitude. The two cities are connected by a paved road, about 3 hours apart.

This destination brings together 2 cities: Sucre, Potosí.