Places to discover

Best places to visit in Bolivia

To travel to Bolivia is to choose a destination in which mass tourism and all-inclusive package deals have no role to play. And so much the better! Most travellers do, however, combine a trip to Bolivia with a trip to Peru and are happy enough just to visit the area around La Paz. That's such a shame! With its virgin Amazon rainforest, the huge mountains of its Altiplano, and the arid plains in its east, Bolivia has scenery and landscapes unlike anything else in the world to offer. And that's without even mentioning its indigenous culture, which is so much in evidence everywhere in the country and so highly respected. It really is delightful!

What better way is there to get the most out of a travel destination than by swapping tips and ideas about what to see and do there? Evaneos' community of seasoned travellers have provided reviews of both the essential places to see and visit in Bolivia and their favourite off-the-beaten-track and out-of-the-way places.

La Paz, Bolivia's capital, is a charming, atypical and cosmopolitan city, and well worth spending several days exploring. The 4x4 tour of the Uyuni salt flat and Sud Lipez Province is definitely something every self-respecting adventurer should have on their to-do list. On your return, make a stop at Potosí mines, which were once a source of great wealth for Latin America.

To finish off this high-altitude excursion, spend some time in the Amazon rainforest atRurrenabaque, where you'll have the opportunity to see all kinds of jungle animals, including everything from caimans and monkeys to pink river dolphins. And why not reach to this region via the famous 'Death Road', Coroico, perhaps even descending it by bicycle?

Those with enough time on their hands should definitely go to see the giant tree ferns of Amboró National Park in the east of the country, which so many tourists miss the opportunity to visit. Something tourists normally don't miss, however, is the chance to let their hair down and enjoy themselves to the sounds and rhythms of the Diablada at the Oruro Carnival, the most famous in South America after that of Rio de Janeiro, and the opportunity to tour round the Jesuit missions of Santa Cruz de la Sierra.

And when you've done all this, you will no doubt head next for Lake Titicaca and Peru, to visit an area which, with its wonderful landscapes and scenery, really is one of the essential places to see in South America.

What a programme! We'll leave you to browse the Evaneos website and find out more about all these sites for yourself. A word of warning however: they are all so wonderful that you might have difficulty deciding which to visit!

Halfway between La Paz and Lake Titicaca, Sorata village is less than 10 000 ft high in altitude and acts as a base for hiking in the surroundings. Trekking lovers beware !
Nicknamed the "lagoon of birds", Ajwani Lagooncan be explored during a trek in the Cordillera Real.
Laguna Chiarkhota is a high-altitude lake located in the Cordillera Real mountain range.
Laguna Chiscacalliuni is a high altitude lagoon located in the Cordillera Real.
Laguna Jist'aña Quta is a high-altitude lake located in the majestic Cordillera Real mountains in the La Paz region of Bolivia.
Laguna Jurikhota is a high altitude lagoon that you can explore while trekking in the Cordillera Real, Bolivia's most impressive mountain range.
Laguna Wari Warani is a high altitude lagoon located in the Cordillera Real, in the region of La Paz.
Sucre is a predominantly white-walled former colonial city.
Laguna Pampalarama is a mountain lake and a key area for outdoor sports and activities located around 12.5 miles north of La Paz.
A village on the shores of Lake Titicaca, Yampupata lies between Isla del Sol and Copacabana.
Laguna Tres Picos is a high mountain lake located a few hours' walk from Laguna Khota Pata at the heart of the Cordillera Real mountains.
Refugio Santos is located in the Chiqapa Jawira valley at the heart of the Cordillera Real mountains.
Curahuara De Carangas is a Bolivian city known for its beautiful colonial church. It's located in the Sajama province, 200km from the town of Oruro.
Quetena is a volcano located in the vicinity of the tiny town of Quetena Chico in Bolivia's Sud Lipez Province, which lies in the country's Potosi region. 
Irruputuncu is a volcano with two nationalities, located on the border of Chile and Bolivia.
Jirira is a village which sits on the north bank of Salar de Uyuni.
About 56 ml from La Paz, in the heart of the Yungas region, the town of Coroico is a sort of link between the Andes and Amazonia .
Laguna Sorapata is a lake located in Sajama National Park in Bolivia's Oruro region.
The Congelada Lagoon is a lagoon at high altitude located in the heart of the Cordillera Real, not far from the Jurikhota Lagoon.
Laguna Khota Pata is a lake located at an altitude of 14,630 ft in the Cordillera Real range.