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!

A stone's throw from YumaniKalaki is a village located north of Lake Titicaca, not far from the city of Copacabana. It's one of the departure points for the Cordillera Real trek.
Laguna Kacha is a lake located at the heart of the Cordillera Real mountains east of La Paz.
Rio Chachakumani is a river that flows through the Chachakumani Valley in the Cordillera Real mountains, a few hours by road from La Paz.
Laguna Khotia is a high-altitude lake lying three hours from La Paz by bus.
Laguna Wichu Khota is a lake in Bolivia located at an altitude of 15,354 ft up in the mountains.
Laguna Jachcha Khasiri is a high altitude lagoon located in the heart of the Cordillera Real in the region of La Paz.
Aldea de Tulor is an archeological site very close to San Pedro de Atacama, in Chili.
The R. P. Gustavo Le Paige Archaeological Museum is dedicated to Atacama's indigenous people. It is the museum with the greatest number of ancient relics in the whole of Chili.
At the heart of the Cordillera Real, Condoriri National Park is home to around 20 summits, some of which are over 5,000m high.
Ramaditas Lagoon is a lagoon located in the heart of the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve in the province of Sur Lipez.
The Pequeño Alpamayo is a mountain located to the north of the Cordillera Real, in the department of La Paz.
Campo Canal is a base camp located at an altitude of approximately 4,800 m. It's one of the stopping places on the Cordillera Real trek.
The Las Cuevas waterfalls are 3 waterfalls located about twenty kilometres from Samaipata, in the province of Santa Cruz.
Maragua Crater is a geological formation located in the department of Chuquisaca.
Rio Yacuma is a river located in the Beni region of northwest Bolivia. What's special about it in particular? It is home to the boto, or pink river dolphin.
Parinacota Volcano is located at an altitude of 6,348 m, on horseback, on the Chilean-Bolivian border. It's located in the department of Oruro, in Bolivia and in the district ofArica and Parinacota Region, in Chile. 
The Devil's Tooth is a rock formation located in the hills around La Paz. It's best known as the Muela del Diablo.
Located 370km from La Paz, Cochabamba is the country's third largest city. The climate never fails to impress visitors who often choose to stay in Cochambamba longer than originally planned.
Salar de Chiguana is a salt desert not far from Salar de Uyuni in the region of Lípez.
Chaupi Orco is a mountain in the Cordillera Apolobamba which is located to the north of the mythical Lake Titicaca and which straddles both Bolivia and Peru.